Kognitiv Inc. Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process was quite disjointed and felt inconsiderate. It seemed like they were unsure of what they were looking for, and then the final exercise was poorly executed. The CEO showed up looking very casual and unprepared, demonstrating a lack of knowledge about the position he was hiring for.

The interview process was pretty disappointing. It started with a 45-minute recruiter call that was mostly a monologue from the recruiter about the company's history, employee numbers, vacation schedules, and other random details. They barely asked about my experience, focusing instead on company stats and personal anecdotes. It felt less like an interview and more like a presentation about the company. After that, I was given an 'assessment' which was just two pages of adjectives to pick from – one page for how coworkers would describe me, and another for how I'd describe myself. No skills or experience were evaluated. A few days later, I got a rejection message saying my scores didn't align, which makes no sense given the assessment wasn't related to the job. I suspect it might be a ghost job or they just don't know how to assess talent properly. The whole thing felt disorganized and a waste of time.

It was a fair process with challenging but not tricky questions. The interviews included several rounds to check cultural fit, competencies, and team fit, with interviewers from leadership to future colleagues.

I had a phone chat with the CEO back in December, and it seemed to go well. He mentioned he'd set up an on-site interview for me in early January. But then, halfway through January, a partner reached out, wanting to schedule a phone call instead of the on-site meeting that was promised. I talked to him on Jan 21st for about 40 minutes, and he again said he wanted me to come in for an in-person interview. Four days later, I got an email from him to set up an interview in about two weeks, maybe the week of Feb 4th. I told him Feb 5th would be my preference. When I didn't hear back by Feb 4th to confirm the exact time, I emailed him for more details. After a bunch of back-and-forth emails, we finally set a time for Feb 12th. He said it would last 2-3 hours and I'd meet with two specific people and maybe one more. He also mentioned an Excel test, which he claimed he told me about before, but he actually didn't. On the interview day, it started snowing, and since snow was forecasted for days, when the partner said they'd 'try to get me out soon because of snow,' I immediately suspected it was a bogus interview. We live in Massachusetts; we deal with snow! But I stayed for my sake and for anyone reading this. First, I met with someone named X who didn't even introduce himself or his position. His first question was 'Where are you from?!' which is super unethical, especially since they had my resume and knew I'm from Iran. After I answered, his whole demeanor changed, and he started asking really personal questions and if I ski. He laughed when I said no, which is weird because I don't see how being a skier is relevant to consulting. His first actual interview question was where I found the job. It seems like they were all curious why they don't get many applicants - only 10 in 3 months! I think their SEO is probably weak, and they keep changing the job description. Plus, the company's location is likely a turn-off for most people. X then asked typical questions like discussing my resume. Then came the Excel test. He didn't give me any privacy or time limit, just sat next to me, staring at my work. When he saw I was struggling a bit, I mentioned I was stressed, and he sarcastically asked, 'What are you nervous about?!' Maybe he's never been interviewed before! Next, instead of meeting with Y as planned, I was interviewed by two undergrads and seven-month juniors (a girl and a guy). This felt insulting as a graduate. They asked the same questions from the previous interviews. At the end, the guy asked why they should hire me. I wanted to tell him he's a junior and can't hire anyone, but I held back. Their interview should have been about them explaining the role and answering my questions about their experience, which never happened. This confirmed my suspicion that the whole interview was fake. The partner later confirmed this when he asked for my feedback on the two juniors, mentioning it was their first time being put in that situation. It felt like they were using me to train their employees! The interview, scheduled for 2-3 hours, only lasted 65 minutes. By then, I had lost all hope of getting hired. But the partner went on to ask if I was still interested, when I could start, and said he'd contact me by the end of the week about next steps. I figured they were interested too. However, I never heard back from Kognitiv by the end of the week. The next week, I saw on LinkedIn that they had hired someone remotely from Alabama for the position. Since people usually apply locally, and this person wasn't from the Massachusetts area, I suspect it was based on connections or nepotism. Even after hiring, they didn't have the courtesy to update me. Four weeks after the in-person interview, the CEO finally emailed to say they weren't hiring me and would keep my resume on file. Thanks, but no thanks! The issue isn't about not getting hired, but about them wasting my time for three months with slow communication and using me for what felt like legal formalities to avoid discrimination or favoritism claims. A quick look at their LinkedIn shows employees often know each other through university or previous jobs. So, if you don't have connections at Kognitiv, don't bother applying.