Kittyhawk Interview Questions
& Process

It was a phone interview, and the call started on time. Unfortunately, the rest of the experience wasn't great. The interview involved asking what seemed like basic technical questions. After I answered, I was told my answer was 'close' or 'not quite it'. Then, the interviewer would give a 4-5 sentence explanation of what they were looking for, which was usually just a rephrasing of what I had said. This frustrating cycle repeated 3-4 times. I think the interviewer was okay, but they didn't fully grasp what was being said. They even claimed I knew a skill not on my resume and software I'd never used. It felt like we were not understanding each other. If this interview is typical of the company, they seem to have a process of repeating the same thing because it's not done 'exactly' how they want it. I wouldn't apply again.

I applied on the company website and after about a week, I was invited to schedule a phone interview with the hiring manager. I was a few minutes early to the scheduled call, but instead the hiring manager called me directly. We discussed my background, work experience, and interest in the company. Things seemed to be going well until we talked salary. I asked about the range and was told they wouldn't disclose it until I shared my expectations. Once I did, the interview took a turn. I was told I was overqualified for my current role but underqualified for the next level up. They did share the salary for that higher role, and suggested I look elsewhere for better pay and happiness. It's disappointing given my technical background and work ethic. I feel like my preparation was wasted when the company clearly values engineers over the technicians who build their products.

The interview process began with two challenging phone screens. The first one was mostly about how my background fit with Zee, and the second one delved into my personal philosophy and management style. After getting through those, we set up a 5-hour on-site interview. I had to prepare a 30-minute presentation showcasing relevant experience, and then I met with 4 different people from the team for about 30-45 minutes each. The interviews mainly focused on my experience and how I would fit into the company culture.

So, I had two phone interviews for the Battery Engineer role. The first one was with a Mechanical Engineer, and he asked some general questions like where I see myself in 5 years, what my interests are, and if I'm keen on working for a startup. The second interview was with the group leader, and this one was more about specific details from my experience. The whole thing was super quick, with about 30 minutes of chat time for each interview.