Fathom (OH) Interview Questions
& Process

A recruiter reached out to me without me applying for anything. They called me and set up an interview with a C-Suite person, and the recruiter followed up via email. The first interview went well. About two hours later, the recruiter emailed me again to set up another phone interview for the next week with a team lead. That interview happened about a week later, and it also went well. The next day, I got an email to set up an in-person interview with another team lead and a solution expert who would become my boss. That interview was scheduled for about a week out. It also went well. We didn't really talk about salary, but I did mention some past salaries. Two days after that, I got a great offer by email and accepted it right away.

I had a phone interview for an internship in the summer of 2014. The initial call was standard with the main HR rep where I was asked about my experience and skills. The following week, I went to Fathom for an in-person interview with HR. After they reviewed my portfolio, they said I was overqualified for the internship but wanted to consider me for a full-time content specialist role. I came back a few weeks later to interview with two potential co-workers. They asked basic, repetitive questions like "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?". The interview felt uncomfortable and condescending. They seemed more interested in my answers to canned HR questions than my SEO/digital marketing skills, even though I'd already spoken with HR twice. One interviewer, who had only been there 3 months, couldn't answer my questions about the company and rudely commented on my recent graduation. The other interviewer asked what I knew about Fathom, and when I mentioned the company's creation through a merger, she repeatedly stated they weren't publicly traded, which felt irrelevant. Neither interviewer gave me their contact information or encouraged follow-up, with one making an excuse about business cards being across the office. It seems like I dodged a bullet, as poor communication skills might reflect on their optimization practices. I suggest looking elsewhere because Fathom seems to excel at wasting people's time.

The process was pretty weird. The HR guy started by saying the job description might have been confusing and then explained what the job actually was. It seemed like other candidates might have been confused too. The role still seemed mostly relevant, though maybe a bit less efficient. The call was a standard interview, but there was a red flag near the end when I asked about company culture. He said they were a tight group of 70 people and mentioned they were "much closer now than when we had 150 people working here two years ago." I was surprised he spun losing half the staff as a positive thing. By the end, we were mutually unimpressed. He said he'd get back to me by Monday, but I never heard anything, which was unprofessional but not surprising given reviews.

So, applying to Fathom was an experience. It starts with an online application. If they like it, they might call you for a quick 5-minute phone screen. Then comes the first interview, usually with HR, where they ask the usual stuff like TMAY, your goals, and some behavioral questions. You might get a call back after that. The second interview phase can involve more phone interviews, and expect to be asked the same questions again because, honestly, nobody seems to talk to each other there. After that, it takes about 2-3 weeks to hear anything, and the whole thing can drag on for months, or they might just say the job disappeared. Basically, if you want a job with bad communication and a low salary, Fathom's your place. If you're looking for a company that actually lives its values, maybe look elsewhere. Remember, your goal should be to learn more about them than they learn about you.