GiveWell Operations Specialist Interview Questions
& Process

I did not have an interview, but I wanted to share my thoughts on their application process because it's really something. To even be considered, you absolutely have to submit projects with your very first application. This means you're expected to put in time and effort on projects without getting paid, for a job you haven't even been screened for yet based on your resume or anything else. For all you know, they might not even be looking at applications anymore by the time you finish your project, especially if it's near the deadline. I've done projects for other companies, but only later in the interview process, never as the initial step. It feels unfair and like they don't value applicants' time to do it this way. It makes me wonder how they treat people in later stages and even their employees if they show so little respect for those interested in joining them right from the start.

I applied for two generalist operations roles and the Content Editor role in early 2023. The interview processes were really transparent and well-designed, making me feel welcome despite having no prior operations experience. The hiring process really focused on performance in work trials, which allowed me to make a significant career change. For the Operations Specialist role, the first stage was a work task involving writing recruitment emails, which was blindly graded. After that, I had a non-evaluative informational interview with my potential manager where I asked about the work culture. The second work task involved prioritizing and completing ops projects, for which I was paid a good rate, and they even offered to cover childcare costs. This was also blindly graded. Then, I had a 1.5-hour interview with my potential manager and the director of operations, focusing on my past work accomplishments with deep dives and follow-ups. Next, I had short, informal chats with team leaders from the outreach and research teams. Following that, a half-hour interview with my potential manager was solely about my past experiences with managers, discussing preferences and communication styles. Finally, there were reference checks, likely involving calls with three professional references, and I received an offer the day after. The process was long, but I felt treated fairly and understood throughout, despite some delays due to a high volume of applications. For the Content Editor role, the first work task was summarizing an expert conversation, likely blindly graded. The second work task involved responding to comments and updating the document, for which I was also paid well. I then had an hour-long interview with the head of Content Editing, which was a mix of getting to know me and explaining the rest of the hiring process. The next stage was a substantial 50-hour trial work period, paid at the position's rate, involving writing, summarization, and vetting spreadsheet models. I didn't complete this stage as I received a job offer for an operations role before then. Another Operations Specialist process was identical to the first, but the initial work task was about processing donations instead of writing recruitment emails. The second work task and subsequent interviews were assumed to be the same. I withdrew from this process after receiving a different job offer. Overall, writing quality and transparent reasoning were clearly prioritized in all their hiring processes.

Submitted an application online and immediately got an email that it wouldn't be considered unless I completed a two-hour "exercise submission." The exercise involved two basic administrative tasks. I was surprised by this, as I've never encountered a company requiring work upfront before any interviews, especially for irrelevant tasks. I did the exercise, but the only response was an automated rejection stating they "didn't find a match" and don't provide feedback at that stage. It was frustrating to invest time and not get any feedback.