Paragus Strategic IT Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process was okay, a bit much, but most interviewers seemed unprepared or unprofessional. There were three rounds. The first was a phone interview with easy, basic questions. The second round was with two middle managers who seemed unprepared and rude, making it hard to interview. It was a medium difficulty interview with profiling and a weird "favorite meme" question, likely an attempt to seem edgy. The third round was with the owner, who seemed to have little work experience and was arrogant, and another higher-up who was great and skilled. They asked similar questions, but it was harder than round 2. The company has flashy benefits like "unlimited PTO," which is often a way to save money and can lead to less time off. Lots of "company culture" talk raised red flags. Ultimately, I didn't get an offer. They're looking for a specific personality.

The interview process starts with a phone call, then moves to in-person interviews with different staff. Honestly, the interviews felt more like profiling sessions, using specific questions to see if you fit a certain mold, rather than focusing on qualifications or experience. They never asked about my technical background; instead, when I tried to steer the conversation that way, they'd ask another question just to type answers into a website. It felt unprofessional and disrespectful, like they should have just sent a web form. One interviewer asked all the questions, while another, a client-facing employee, barely spoke, making condescending remarks and typing on her computer. This seemed typical based on my research and conversations with clients and a former employee. While I get the idea of profiling to see if someone fits, the tech industry has seen big companies fail by hiring only similar types of people, lacking diversity, while companies that embrace varied skills tend to last. Interviews should be a positive learning experience for everyone, not a psychological test.

The whole thing was super long and honestly kinda weird. It started with a quick phone chat, then I got an email with company stuff, like their values. I thought, 'cool, no big egos here,' but maybe don't get too attached to that idea. After the phone call, there were three in-person interviews spread out over three months. Plus, I had to do a personality test and a couple of take-home assignments. I was ready for the 'quirky questions,' but then I saw this huge cardboard cutout of the CEO – definitely no ego, right? The first interview was with HR and someone from the back office. They asked a bunch of work history questions mixed with what felt like psych class stuff. It seemed to go okay, and I got invited back. The second interview was with a project team member and a leader. This time it was a mix of technical questions, industry talk, and more 'personality' stuff. They seemed happy with my answers, and I got a tour and was told I'd interview with the CEO. During the tour, I saw a whole wall dedicated to the CEO's face – maybe the 'no ego' thing was just talk. The third interview was with the CEO and another leader. I thought I was a shoo-in, so I even took PTO for it. The CEO sat me down in a small room, and that's when things got strange, just like other people said. It was question after question, super fast, while the CEO typed like crazy, barely looking at me or seeming to care about my answers. They were more focused on getting it into their laptops than listening. It felt so different from the earlier interviews; I felt like I was bothering the CEO. The typing was loud and distracting, but the fact that he was doing it instead of engaging me was the main issue. At one point, they were even instant messaging each other, and I got asked the same question twice. After about 30 minutes, it felt more like a deposition than an interview. The only time I felt heard was when they repeated a question back to me, almost like they were mocking me. The whole thing took over an hour and felt like a huge waste of months of my time. Honestly, it was the least professional interview I've ever had. I really liked the other people I interviewed with, but I couldn't tell if the CEO or the other leader valued my time or experience at all. I get that personality is important, and I understand new HR methods, but I think the team and the CEO aren't on the same page. It's a young company with a young CEO who's never really worked for anyone else. They don't seem to know standard industry tools. They seem to care more about after-work beers than developing actual processes. If you're young, new to the industry, and can hang out after work, this might be a good spot. But if you're experienced with a family, probably not. You probably won't vibe with the nerf gun fights and beer scene as much as the younger folks, and that seems to be the main thing at Paragus.

So the interview process was pretty typical for the industry back in 2018. It kicked off with a quick phone chat, and then I had three in-person interviews with different folks from the team and management. It's a bit more involved than what some places do, but that makes sense for an employee-owned company. It's not just about getting a job, but also about eventually owning a piece of the company. Paragus is a pretty unique place and they really take their time to make sure they find people who are a good fit and who are going to stick around. Even though I didn't get an offer in the end, everyone was really welcoming, and I actually enjoyed the conversations I had with everyone on the team. Oh, and they gave me coffee.