Oakwood Interview Questions
& Process

I interviewed for an experienced level position. The first step was a phone conversation with a recruiter. The second step, which took place very quickly thereafter, involved an in-person meeting with one individual on site and a few others remotely. I was supposed to connect with the remote interviewers by video, and that never happened! The on-site individual was trying to connect and claimed there were some technical difficulties. So my interview proceeded without video and only phone. How can you possibly properly interview a candidate by phone only? Answer: you can't. I feel this was a severe disadvantage to me. I probably should have used my better judgment and asked for a reschedule when the technical difficulties could be corrected. But, no, I went along with it. I really believed I we had a pleasant conversation, but, honestly, it did not surprise me when I got the cold, unpersonalized rejection note a few days later. I know I was a super-duper qualified individual for the position, and I feel it was impossible for me to fully prove myself without having a proper interview. Alrighty then, I probably wouldn't want to work for a company like that anyway. Still, it's the principle of it!

So there were like four interviews, each about an hour long. First was a long phone call with the recruiter. Then I went in person to meet the hiring manager. The third one was also in person, but in the evening, with the HR business partner and a manager who was calling in from another country. The last interview was with an executive. These interviews were spaced out over weeks, and the whole thing took about three months from when I applied. They were tough but fair and polite. It seemed like things went well, especially after the final interview, because the recruiter asked me to fill out a final application asking for references from three previous bosses. After I got them and confirmed with my old managers, I sent in the detailed application and references. But, surprisingly, Oakwood never actually contacted my references. It felt like a waste of my time and hurt my credibility with my old managers since they never planned to reach out to them.

A friend that knows someone in the company gave my name to the Department manager. I got a call from a recruiter for a phone interview. The next day, I got another call and was set up with the Manager for an interview later that week. During the interview, I met the Supervisor and Head of Accounting. Later that day, the recruiter called and I was offered the job, pending a background check. Once the background check cleared, I was given a start date.

I first chatted with a Recruiter over the phone from their LA office. After that, I went to their local office for a casual interview with a manager. Later that day, I got a job offer. The company seemed pretty relaxed and everyone was friendly. I had to wait about 20 minutes for my interview, which was fine because I got to see the employees and they looked happy. The office vibe was quiet and chill, which is nice.