New Leaders Interview Questions
& Process

I had a quick phone screen with an outsourced recruiter, and then they asked me to do a performance task assessment. It took me about 2.5 hours and involved a detailed strategic plan. Honestly, it's bad business to make candidates spend that much time before they even talk to the hiring manager. You don't meet the hiring manager until the second round, if you even get that far. Task assessments should be for final candidates, much later in the process. What a terrible interview process that doesn't prioritize the candidate experience. Good luck to whoever gets this job and tries to fix their hiring practices.

So I sent in my application and got an interview that went well. They told me the whole process would take eight weeks before the next stage. Eight weeks? I can't believe how long this interview process is! I know there are a lot of candidates out there, but eight weeks for a second round? It's crazy and risky because good candidates won't wait around for a company that can't make up its mind. It's like a comedy show! Recruiters and directors are acting weird lately, maybe because they're so desperate to find the 'right' person. They give out these 'performance tasks,' like homework, which is unethical. It's a 45-minute to an hour exercise that's fine, but a take-home project that takes days to complete is basically asking for free labor and thought. It's almost like contractor work. Hiring used to be about instinct and skill, but now it's lacking. Real leaders used to interview and assess someone quickly, even hiring on the spot. They understood the risks and could manage them with skill and wisdom. Makes sense why people miss the 'good old days.'

I applied online and had a phone interview with HR. Then, I received an assignment to complete to see how I'd handle role responsibilities. HR was honest about not knowing the salary but promised to follow up, which she did, checking if I was still interested. I valued the transparency. After that, I had a video call with the hiring manager. The final step was a panel interview with the hiring manager and two other employees, one of whom previously held the position. I didn't feel any connection with the team after the panel. I considered withdrawing but knew I wouldn't be chosen. It wasn't the right fit. Even if offered, I would have declined. This nonprofit has a very corporate vibe! The HR person was great and communicated well.

The interview process was extensive and thorough. It started with an initial phone call, then a team phone interview, and finally two in-person interviews. I ended up meeting with 5 different people in total. The interviews took place over the phone, via webinar, and in person across two different cities. Honestly, it was the most extensive interview process I've ever been through. It felt a bit overwhelming and took quite a while, but it did allow me to really check if the role and I were a good fit.