NY Hotel Trades Council Organizer Interview Questions
& Process

Had two in-person interviews and an exam. The last interview, with the lead Organizer and their deputy, is designed to intimidate candidates by questioning their motives and trying to unnerve them.

I applied in early December 2019 and didn't hear back until mid-January. We arranged a Skype interview after a lot of phone tag, but I didn't get the confirmation email until an hour and a half before the interview. Luckily, I was free and could start on time. The interviewers were really rude and condescending. One interrupted me mid-answer, saying I wasn't getting to the point quickly enough, and then just gave a curt 'okay' after I rephrased. It felt like they were talking down to me, like I was a student, not a professional. When I described my current un-unionized job conditions, they smugly implied their union members wouldn't tolerate it, almost like they were flexing. When I asked how the union's mission reflects the workplace culture, they admitted it doesn't, detailing long, unpredictable hours for new employees, sometimes with little rest between shifts. They said I'd hear back within a week, but that's passed, and given the two-month wait for this interview, I'm not expecting a quick response, if any.

The first interview was pretty standard, but then the second interview was really long and included a test about things that could happen when you work for a union.