InstaShop Interview Questions
& Process

I applied through their website but the button was broken so I had to contact HR. HR reached out briefly but didn't give many details. Three weeks after that, I got an interview with the product director, which felt a bit odd but I went with it. Communication about the stages was really unclear. Then, 1.5 hours before the interview, HR started calling and messaging me about the time which was confusing and made me question how organized they were. I still decided to go through with it. The interview was with a senior product person who seemed unfriendly and more eager to leave than anything. During my portfolio case study, he lost internet and HR had to tell me he was waiting. He blamed me for the connection issue, even though I had a strong connection and someone else confirmed it. He barely paid attention to my case study and acted like a boss, assigning blame with a basic background. He tried to undermine my achievements. He asked if I could work in a fast-paced environment, which was funny given my startup background, and he got confused when I explained I meant chaotic environments. He also confused design systems with UI kits and didn't have clear answers about scaling or their product plans, only mentioning building a design system vaguely. I told HR I wasn't moving forward because it felt like a toxic and disorganized place. It was a terrible interview experience compared to my work with top companies.

It took me a little over 3 weeks to go through the whole thing. First, an HR person called me to get some info and to set up a call with her. The first interview was with the HR person who called me. She asked about my experience and the tools I use, but it wasn't too intense. She also asked what I'd improve design-wise on the app. Then, I had a second interview with the Creative Lead over Zoom, which was a bit more in-depth. It felt like a technical round, with questions like 'tell me about yourself,' 'your experience,' and 'the tools you’ve used.' It was similar to the first round but more personal. The third interview was in person at their office with the same Creative Lead and the Brands Manager. The questions were pretty much the same, but they shared more details about the company and the specific role. They asked what I could contribute and what my skills were. After that, they gave me a design assignment to do over the weekend. Two days after I submitted it, they set up a final interview with the company's Director. It started as an interview and ended with a job offer. Everyone was really professional and nice, they kept me updated and called often. The process felt a bit long with so many stages, but the team seemed great!

It was a really long interview process and they weren't very responsive. They did an initial chat with HR and said they'd send over a task afterward, but they didn't. They ignored me for two days, then sent the task, which I completed the same day. They told me I'd get feedback in three days, but after two weeks, they hit me up for another technical interview. They actually postponed it twice! After the technical interview, they said I made the shortlist and I'd know if I got the job within 48 hours. Then... radio silence forever.

The interview process was quite minimal in terms of questions asked by them. I focused on asking questions about the role and their task organization. They seemed unsure and unable to explain how they measure tasks, suggesting a lack of methodology. The CTO stated he's 50, used to working over 8 hours, expects the same from coworkers, and often works weekends. They require availability for work outside of normal hours. No testing is implemented. The call with the CTO was particularly negative. He lacked HR/soft skills and had very low emotional intelligence. He started rudely, quickly became aggressive, and repeatedly accused me of being untrustworthy, questioning why he should hire me. He interrupted me and didn't allow responses to his accusations. He mansplained my CV, claiming his own is perfect and I should check it on LinkedIn (despite only having two jobs listed). Avoid this company; check reviews before deciding. They seem to manipulate emotions. This company is really off-putting.