Odeko Interview Questions
& Process

This interview process was a bit weird and felt like a waste of time in the end. I had two interviews with Odeko, one with the recruiter and then one with the hiring manager. The hiring manager told me right away that he thought I was qualified based on my resume and portfolio. He said he didn't want to talk about my experience or skills and just wanted to 'get to know me.' We ended up just chatting for the whole hour about personal stuff, like our favorite movies, and even got deep into discussing White Lotus. It was friendly and casual, but I had no idea how I was being evaluated, or if I even was. A few days later, the recruiter sent a generic rejection email saying they were moving forward with more experienced candidates. This was annoying because the hiring manager said I was qualified, but I didn't get to talk about my background or skills with him. I get that culture fit is important, but it was a bummer to have the second interview be all small talk, especially when I wanted to talk about how I could help the team. If you like clear, structured interviews, this might not be the best fit for you.

This was one of the best interview processes I have ever been a part of. The recruiter was upfront about compensation and benefits during the initial phone screen. The take home assignment was manageable and seemed appropriate for assessing skills without being overwhelming. The recruiter also encouraged me to state my desired salary, aiming for excitement rather than lowballing. The whole process was completed within two weeks, respecting my time. I was also impressed by the diversity of the interviewers, which stood in contrast to another company that lacked diversity despite promoting DEI. The interview stages were: a 30 min recruiter phone screen, a 1-hour portfolio review with the head of design, a take home assignment due in 3 days (taking about 4 hours, with option to extend), and finally, back-to-back final interviews: a 45 min discussion of the take home assignment, a 30 min interview with a designer to review a case study, another 30 min interview with a designer to review a case study, a 45 min "culture and value fit" interview with someone not from the design team, and a 15 min HR wrap up.

I applied online in mid-Dec, 2021, with a custom cover letter and application. I reached out and got a positive response in a few days. I followed up for 3 more weeks until an interview was scheduled. I think it was understandable due to holidays, but I feel like I wouldn't have gotten a callback if I hadn't followed up multiple times. Phone Screen: Had a convivial, somewhat free-flowing phone screen where I learned more about the company than the role. Got some great feedback at the end. 2nd Round: Later that week, I had a standard 2nd round chat with someone else, getting lots of details about the role, goals for the department, and asked lots of questions. At the end, this person told me to email them with any questions, and described further steps. Outreach 1: I emailed a thank you that day with a few questions about startup equity, but didn't get a response. Outreach 2: Two weeks later I emailed a 10 page deck detailing the principles that would inform my early work in the role, and the concrete steps I would take to implement them. It took 3-4 hours to prepare, used company branding, and was detailed and enthusiastic about the contribution I looked forward to making. I received no acknowledgement of receipt. Outreach 3: I followed up a week later with a checkin and to see what, if anything, I should prepare for. I received no response. I put in a significant amount of effort in my application, my preparation for my interviews, and in the presentation I prepared. Even a simple, 'thanks, we've gone a different direction' would be something, To acknowledge this effort seems a small courtesy, and to receive no response at all, after multiple checkins, feels quite bad.

The hiring manager reached out and we set up a video interview. They asked questions that were meant to be answered using the STAR format. After that video interview, the manager reached out again to set up another video interview with a different manager. This second interview was more casual and didn't have any tough questions; it was more of a get-to-know-you meeting. Both managers said they'd be in touch in a few days about their decision, but I never heard back. It's been a few weeks, so I'm assuming they moved on with another candidate. I wish that candidate would update people if they get rejected after others dedicated their time to interview with them.