Octagon Interview Questions
& Process

The overall interview process was well organized. It was occasionally frustrating to have to go through internal recruiters instead of directly with the hiring team, as answers took longer. For example, I was told in the first interview that I would be proceeding to the second interview, but I had to chase this information from the internal recruiter. The London team members were very pleasant, and the take-home task was not overly detailed for an interview assignment.

I had a disappointing experience with Octagon UK’s recruitment process while targeting a senior role in the agency. Given that our industry is relatively small, where professionals often cross paths and collaborate, I found the inconsistent and unprofessional communication from the UK Talent Manager particularly difficult to understand. Despite showing strong interest in the role and maintaining contact for several months, responses were sporadic, unclear, and at times completely absent. I was left in the dark for months with no proper updates, making the entire process frustrating and uncomfortable. This kind of approach is disheartening in the agency industry, where reputation and professional courtesy matter. If you’re considering applying, I strongly advise against relying on the talent recruiters—if you know the hiring manager, reach out to them directly instead. Given this experience, if I ever cross paths with Octagon in the future, I would not be inclined to work with them or endorse their work. A more structured, respectful, and transparent approach to recruitment would significantly improve the candidate experience. Would not recommend applying unless you’re prepared for a drawn-out and unclear process.

The final round interview was terrible. The Sr. VP seemed really busy and didn't show me much respect. He clearly didn't want to be there from the start. What made it worse was that he was talking to other people during the interview. It was one of the most unprofessional situations I've ever been in. Interviews are stressful enough, and you should at least show some respect to the person who showed up. I ended up checking out of the interview myself, and I got an offer from another company for double what Octagon was offering.

I first applied online through LinkedIn, and a recruiter reached out within about two weeks. We set up a call to discuss the role's details, and then I advanced to the first official round with the hiring manager. After that, I had a second round which was a panel interview where I had to present a past project. For the third round, I met with the clients. The offer came just a few days after that. The whole experience was smooth, really open and communicative, honestly one of the best interview processes I've been through.