Gusto Recruiter Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process involved a 45-minute initial screen with a recruiter, followed by a lengthy 2 hour and 45 minute final round that consisted of four interviews. The interviews covered collaboration and communication skills, core recruiting expertise including systems and candidate attraction, building partnerships with hiring managers, and alignment with company values like service, big dreams, pride in work, ownership, and constructive debate. However, the last interview was a really bad experience, making me not want the job even if offered. The interviewer was late, not apologetic, and seemed rushed. They were disengaged, offering no verbal or visual cues that they were listening, claiming they were taking notes and are introverted. They didn't ask follow-up questions and just said 'Ok' to all answers. When asked for questions, the interviewer made a passive-aggressive joke about my 'robust' question about recruiting metrics, implying I was long-winded. They then dismissed my question about metrics, saying I should have asked someone else, even though that person directed me to ask the interviewer. The interviewer's answers to my questions were also off-topic and lengthy. This experience felt worse than interviewing with AI and made me feel like they already knew I wouldn't get an offer or had already decided I wasn't a fit. Given the interviewer's senior position and tenure, their rude behavior is concerning for day-to-day interactions. I was rejected and my request for feedback was ignored, leaving me feeling hurt and humiliated.

Reached out on LinkedIn by the recruiting team. Had a great chat with the recruiter who was genuinely interested in my background and career goals. Got invited for an on-site interview the following week. The recruiter was super helpful in scheduling the date and time. They also called me beforehand to prep and sent over a "Get Ready #withGusto" packet which was really useful. It included logistics, company values, and a detailed itinerary of my interviewers and their roles. The recruiter explained what each interviewer was looking for. The on-site interview lasted about 4 hours with lunch. I really enjoyed all the interviews; they were professional, personable, and focused on assessing cultural fit and job understanding, not intimidating at all.

I interviewed at Gusto for a recruiting coordinator role in October 2016. The experience was good, and I even got to walk around without shoes, which was a nice touch. The interview lasted 4 hours and included an office tour, a 45-minute chat with someone from communications, a 30-minute provided lunch, and then back-to-back chats with a recruiting manager, someone from software engineering, and another recruiter. Although it was long, each conversation felt distinct and refreshing. They asked a lot of questions about prioritization and how I handle problems or issues. One interesting question was about setting up an office move. The main downside was not getting much feedback on why they passed on me, especially since I felt very qualified and they confirmed they had no hesitations at the end. Gusto really focuses on a positive candidate experience, and I can confirm that was true for me.