Group Nine Media Interview Questions
& Process

I had a horrific experience interviewing with Group Nine. I was screened by a recruiter who didn't know much about the role. After she asked about my experience and background, she said she needed to check with the hiring manager about qualifications but thought I had a good chance. She admitted she was new and wanted to ensure I met all requirements before submitting me. A week later, I emailed her about next steps but got no reply. Instead, I received a video interview invite with the hiring manager. On the day of the interview, things were going well until we realized I was being considered for the wrong role, about 10 minutes in. The hiring manager, who said he'd reviewed my resume and LinkedIn, liked my background but his tone changed when he realized I wasn't interviewing for his team. Despite the awkwardness, he let me discuss my skills for the role he was filling. After the interview, I contacted both him and the recruiter multiple times with no response. I was left hanging and later found out the role was filled. My time was wasted and I was ghosted. It was a horrible, unprofessional, and embarrassing experience.

I was contacted by a recruiter on LinkedIn regarding an available position. My interview process included an initial phone screen, followed by three separate video call interviews. The recruiter mentioned she would provide an update within a week after the final interview, but I never heard back. Interestingly, the role is now being advertised again on LinkedIn. The interviews on Glassdoor seem to accurately reflect the work environment there. At the very least, candidates should be informed if they are not selected after dedicating their time to the interviews.

I was first contacted by Peter Chung, a recruiter at Group Nine, in August about this position. He was really good to work with, competent and helpful with all the coordination. We went through two phone interviews and four on-site interviews, but then the hiring process was put on hold because of a merger. In December and January, I was brought back in for five more on-site interviews and another phone interview after they let me know they were ready to hire again. Ultimately, I was told they'd be waiting until Q2 to make a hire. I genuinely liked everyone I met and the recruiters were super helpful in managing everything, but having that many interviews over a six-month period felt a bit excessive.

I got the opportunity by reaching out directly to the hiring manager for the role. We had a video chat that went really well, focusing on behavioral questions and discussing the team's mission and culture. The HM then asked me to formally apply, stating the next step would be an onsite interview with five people (an APM, VP, Design, and Engineering), some joining remotely. A recruiter I hadn't spoken with was supposed to set this up. About a week later, I received a request for a recruiter phone screen instead of an onsite scheduling invite. The phone screen was mostly a resume and fit review. The recruiter seemed surprised when I mentioned the onsite, saying he'd need to check with the HM upon their return from vacation to see if they wanted to proceed. He also asked about my salary expectations and then stated they were outside the company's range. I clarified that it wasn't a dealbreaker and that the opportunity and potential impact were more important to me. A week after that, I got a rejection email. I felt the process was disorganized and dishonest, and I wouldn't consider the company again, even with a strong offer, due to their practices. They need better recruiters who know what they're doing.