HNTB Interview Questions
& Process

It began with a basic phone screen with a newish employee asking standard resume walkthrough questions. Then, a Zoom interview with two potential managers was the final step. The questions were a bit more technical, but since it was an entry-level role and I had plenty of relevant internship experience, they felt pretty straightforward. They mostly asked open-ended questions, wanting to hear my problem-solving approaches. I felt I interviewed well and was adequately qualified, but I didn't get an offer or any feedback. They keep reposting this entry-level position, which makes me question their hiring process.

I went through 3 rounds of phone/video interviews where standard questions were asked. They asked for a writing sample before the final round. The interviews seemed positive, then there was silence for two weeks. Then they asked for more writing samples. After another 2-3 weeks of silence, I found out the hiring manager left. The whole interview process took two months, and it's been two months since I heard anything useful. Total waste of time.

This company looked promising from my research, but the interview made it clear they weren't serious about hiring me. I decided to withdraw my application a few days after the interview because I suspected they already had someone in mind and were just going through the motions. It felt disrespectful to be interviewed downtown the week before Christmas just to meet a quota. During the interview, several red flags appeared: 1) They hadn't read my resume and were unaware of my qualifications. 2) The interviewer seemed unprepared, reading from a paper but then asking questions off-the-cuff instead of sticking to the prepared ones. 3) They didn't clearly explain the job duties, and the description given seemed different from the original job posting. 4) My education was downplayed; my major was questioned despite my introduction detailing my relevant experience. The job required an Associate's Degree or 2 years of experience, and I had a Bachelor's in Marketing plus about 3 years of financial and project support experience. 5) My experience, particularly with Excel, was minimized. When asked about my Excel usage, I explained I used it minimally because my previous roles relied on other tools, even though I'm a business graduate who learned Excel extensively. The interviewer considered pivot tables an intermediate skill, whereas the job ad asked for basic skills. 6) Towards the end, the interviewer was uncertain about hiring immediately or waiting until Spring, stating they wanted to hire soon but not just anyone, which was contradictory. They also mentioned interviewing other candidates.

The interview process was pretty standard. First, a recruiter called and seemed to like my background. About two weeks later, I got a call or email saying the hiring manager wanted to chat. The next interview had three people from the team; two asked questions, and one just listened on the phone. The questions were direct, and I had plenty of time to ask my own questions. The recruiter was upfront about everything during the initial screening, like benefits and salary. She did mention she dislikes when people get to the final stage, get a job offer, and then turn it down, though sometimes life happens. It seems like a good company overall.