Olson Kundig Interview Questions
& Process

A recruiter reached out about an HR role at Olson Kundig. The interview process was clear, respectful, and efficient. Each step, from initial outreach to onsite panel, reflected the firm’s thoughtful, people-first culture. I appreciated the transparent communication and timely updates throughout, and the team made me feel welcome at every stage. The overall experience was engaging, professional, and positive.

They expedited the process for me because I had other offers, and it included three calls. Everyone I met, including the hiring manager, was really great and kind. They wanted me to go through several projects in my portfolio and asked a lot about my work history—they were super curious and engaged. They did mention that the design direction comes from leadership, and individual staff input on project direction is limited. This was the main reason I decided to go with a smaller company instead. The work and people seem really nice, and the interview process was very pleasant, even though it was quite involved. I'd definitely consider working there in the future; they made a really good impression!

I applied for a company director role about a month ago and was surprised to get an email the next morning from OK HR asking for my availability for an intro call. I gave them a time a few days out and asked some easy questions to try and build a tiny bit of rapport with the HR person. I never got a reply to my email or acknowledgment of the time I picked. A few days later, the HR person actually called me, and we had a nice chat. She said she would speak to the CEO in two days. It seemed like we would talk again soon since the call went well and I felt qualified. That was a few weeks ago, and I haven't heard back from OK at all, nor have my emails been replied to. This seems to be a common issue here. I've already accepted another director position at a competitor, so if this is how you treat new candidates, I can't imagine the communication is any better internally.

The interview process was quite long. I started with a phone call from the recruiter, then had an in-person meeting with the team, followed by a meeting with the CEO. I was pretty much set on joining until I talked with the CEO. He made the job sound really not great, like he was talking down to me, explaining how much work it would take to do well. Plus, the salary was actually less than what I'm making now. After that meeting, they wanted me to do a written test, but I got another offer from a company that seems to have a better future, so I didn't do the test.