Madison Reed General Manager Interview Questions
& Process

Wow! I was blown away by the thoughtfulness in the interview process. I’ve never seen anything like it in this industry. Every person was so incredible kind and professional. I did a one way audio call, recruiter screening, DM interview, a panel interview, President of stores interview and finally a CEO interview. I found it incredible that you get to meet every tier of the company along the way. It was stressful, but everyone I interviewed really gave me a space that was welcoming and warm so I could perform my best. We did have some schedule mix ups but all were communicated about well. This company is extremely thoughtful about who they hire and I honestly really appreciate that.

I went through 3 interviews, with 1 phone call and 2 video interviews. The first two were great, but the third one felt really cold and brief. The interviewer mentioned she wasn't the decision-maker and someone else would follow up, but then I heard nothing for days. I had to reach out to the person who was supposed to update me. They then said it would take another two weeks to interview others before a decision was made. I let them know I had other offers and needed a quicker response. After more radio silence, I contacted them again about a decision, but got no reply. I messaged again the next day, still no response. The following week, I messaged one last time and finally got a response: an email was supposedly sent the week before with the decision, which I never received despite checking all folders. She then said they were going with other candidates. Reading other reviews, it seems this company is known for making people interview multiple times and then ghosting them, which I found quite discourteous.

I had 3 interviews for the role. The first was a 30-minute recruiter call where they asked general questions about my experience and situations. The second interview was a 2-hour practical session with the District Manager and other staff, which was quite fun. We did a root touch-up, gloss, wash, and blow-dry. They asked specific questions about team building and the role. The third interview was with someone I won't name, but I had a bad feeling within the first 5 minutes and knew I wouldn't proceed. The interviewer seemed disinterested and annoyed, wanting to end it quickly. It was the opposite of the previous interviews. I felt defeated minutes in. The next day, I got a generic automated email saying they were moving forward with other candidates. I wish they hadn't scheduled the third interview if they had no intention of moving forward. It was apparent their mind was made up. They might have had a favorite or disliked my previous application. I spent a lot of time on the first two interviews and rescheduled clients for the third. I also wish the rejection email was more personalized, given the time I invested and spoke with various staff levels. A copy-pasted email doesn't convey thanks. It would have been nice to have an interviewer's name on it. It would have been standard for me to thank them too.