Pax8 Interview Questions
& Process

Once I actually got the interview scheduled it went well and the employee was great to chat with. The issue is with the recruiting team being unresponsive and taking weeks to get back to me. After my recruiting call i was told I'd be given an update in 1-2 business days. 2 weeks go by with no response, even after I sent an email for an update. Then I get an automated email to schedule my next interview. The interview went great and they said they'd schedule interviews with the rest of the team. A week goes by with no response from the recruiter and I even responded to their (automated) email telling me to email them if I have any questions in the meantime.

I had a first-round interview for a Senior Learning Experience Designer role with Lou at Pax8, and it was honestly one of the best interview experiences I’ve had. Lou asked proper thoughtful questions, not just the usual ones, but ones that made me stop and think about how I work and why I do what I do. It felt like she really wanted me to do well, not just go through the motions. I wasn’t just part of a process, she actually seemed interested in me as a person. The conversation didn’t feel formal or stiff, it felt like a proper chat. And if you’re someone who works in learning and likes doing things differently, it’s rare to be given that kind of space in an interview. Even though I didn’t get through to the next stage, mainly because of where I live, the chat stayed with me. Lou gave me room to just be myself. She listened, she was kind, and I felt like I mattered. I left the interview more confident and honestly a bit proud of how I think. That’s not something you usually get from an interview. Thanks Lou, you made it feel like I belonged, even if I probably talked way too fast, said a few odd things, and went off on a weird Lego metaphor. You still got me. That meant a lot.

The interview process was quick and well-organized. My initial conversation with the HR representative was excellent—truly one of the best interview experiences I’ve had. Unfortunately, the in-person interview with the hiring manager was quite the opposite. From the moment I arrived, I was informed the interview would be 30 minutes shorter than scheduled, which was unexpected but acceptable. However, the overall interaction with the manager was very disappointing. It felt more like a test designed to trip me up than a professional dialogue. The tone was intimidating, and I got the impression that the manager was more focused on finding flaws than understanding my potential. It also seemed as though they had already decided on another candidate and were simply going through the motions. Even if I had received an offer, I would have declined based on that experience. The feedback I received at the end was that I asked too many questions, and the manager felt I struggled to answer without seeking additional information. I found that a bit surprising—especially considering one of their questions was, “What kind of outdoor party would you organize for the employees?” Naturally, my first instinct was to clarify key details like the expected headcount, budget, and whether the team prefers active or more relaxed activities. To me, those seem like reasonable follow-up questions to plan something meaningful and appropriate. So I suppose that means I ask “an unreasonable number of questions”—guilty as charged, I guess 😄

I first chatted with HR and then some director types. It went well and they seemed really positive and like good faces for the company. They said I'd have a practical technical interview with the team, but they actually gave me Leetcode questions. This caught me off guard because I prepare differently for practical vs Leetcode interviews, and it made my anxiety worse. It was a medium question with a high acceptance rate. I would have been fine if they had just been upfront about it. The interviewers seemed like they didn't want to be there and got hostile when I struggled with the sudden switch to Leetcode from the practical part. They gave hints, but with my anxiety, their hostility, and only fifteen minutes, I just panicked. One of them insulted my character at the end. It was a weird interview and shows a poor technical culture. If you're good at quickly switching your mindset, you'll probably do fine on the technical interview since the questions aren't that hard if you can manage your anxiety. I was able to solve the last question in ten minutes after logging off.