Mainstay Interview Questions
& Process

First they look at your CV, then you get a call from the office to schedule an interview. You then go into the office for the interview. You wait with others by the lobby, and the secretary comes to get you. Then you meet the manager who asks some questions to see if you are fit for the task. You either get called back for a 2nd interview or not.

I had a really good time interviewing with Mainstay. The people were friendly and seemed to want to have a chat instead of grilling me. They were also upfront about things, giving me info about what each interview was for. Plus, they got back to me pretty quickly and gave me feedback at the end, which made me think they must have a good work environment. The only downside was the sheer number of interviews, which got a bit much trying to fit them around my work and other interviews. But I can see why they'd do it.

I was interviewing on and off with the company for months for a marketing position, interviewing with about a dozen people. Many employees told me I was their top pick and even explained what I'll be working on and which partners I'll be working with, info that wasn't public knowledge at the time. I felt pretty good about my chances, having done the work in previous roles and having the writing/marketing chops for the job. To my surprise, I was turned down. When the manager offered to explain in more detail why I wasn't selected, I jumped at the opportunity assuming it would help for future interviews. He then told me he wasn't "feeling" the project I turned in, followed by "that's really about it." I later found out that the manager who interviewed me had a previous relationship with my former manager. I didn't disclose that they can reach out to my current employer in the application or interview. To me, that was very unprofessional. I can only assume my manager didn't paint me in the best light since I didn't get the job and wasn't given a real reason after interviewing with countless people and working very hard on a project that had me complete. It's a shame, but I seem to have dodged a bullet.

I was contacted by HR a few weeks after applying. The first call with HR was a bit chaotic. She was late, though she did email to let me know. During the call, it sounded like she was driving and distracted, with noise from her car. She kept talking about the wrong job, making it hard to answer questions without the job description. Scheduling the next interview took a lot of back-and-forth emails. Then I had a good follow-up call with the VP. We talked for 45 minutes and they gave a clear timeline for next steps, but even after following up, I never heard back. It would have been good to get a rejection email after all the contact.