Knoll Interview Questions
& Process

First, there was a 20-minute phone interview, and after that, I was set up for an on-site interview that was supposed to last two hours. An HR person sent over an agenda detailing who I'd meet and when. The first meeting was with an HR rep who conducted a brief interview while walking me to another building. Then, I met with the department manager for about 1.5 hours. He explained the role and expectations, and asked questions like, 'What would you do if the sales team gives a customer a delivery date that we know we can't meet due to workload or piece lead time?'. We also had a casual chat to get to know each other, which made me feel comfortable. After that, I met with the HR rep again for about 30 minutes. They asked behavioral questions, like, 'What is something you have done to improve a project you have worked on?'. Finally, the HR rep walked me back to my car and did some more mini-interviewing, asking things like, 'Are you interviewing with other companies?'. That was it, and I'm still waiting to hear back. I was a bit stressed about the two-hour interview beforehand, but it flew by, and I didn't even notice the time.

I applied for a job online and an internal HR rep got in touch. We had a phone interview that went really well, and she said I'd hear back in about a week to set up the next step. She also told me to reach out if I had questions or didn't hear from her. I was excited, but that feeling didn't last. A week went by and I hadn't heard anything, so I emailed to thank her and ask about my status. That email got no reply. Another week passed, so I sent one last follow-up email and made a phone call, both unanswered. I figured I was out of the running and just ignored. Oddly enough, a friend connected me with one of the IT executives on LinkedIn. I introduced myself and mentioned I'd interviewed but didn't know why it didn't go further. He also completely ignored me and didn't even acknowledge the intro. My experience with their HR and hiring process was so bad, I don't want anything to do with them or their furniture. Even though Glassdoor reviews seem positive about how they treat employees, my experience was the opposite. Companies need to realize their interactions have consequences, especially when customers are involved. It's a sure way to lose business. Interestingly, karma stepped in: I was involved in a big office renovation project at my current company, and my input about Knoll meant their products weren't even considered.

I applied and Knoll contacted me via email. They asked me to come to NYC for an interview. I had to take time off work but I agreed. We met for an hour and that was it. I never heard from them again. I don't mind that they thought I wasn't a fit. But not even an email saying "No thank you" does rankle, especially since they met me in person, and I had to travel all the way into the city for this one. My suggestion: if you are doing initial screenings, do them by phone, to save time for all parties involved. And do please at least send an auto email "thanks but no thanks" to those you've brought into the office, just to be polite.

I applied for this role on LinkedIn and was quickly emailed by the Talent Acquisition Specialist. They said I had great strengths and experience and asked me to answer some questions, saying they'd contact me immediately after about next steps. I sent my answers within 48 hours but never heard back. Essentially, I spent a few hours brainstorming ways to boost their revenue by 50%, gave them my ideas and time, and that was it. Pretty unprofessional.