Paylocity Product Designer Interview Questions
& Process

The recruiter was super helpful and got back to me quickly on email and text. They also laid out what to expect for each round. It was a recruiter screen, then a hiring manager screen, and finally a panel interview.

Started with a screening call with a recruiter, which involved walking through one of my case studies. Next, there was a zoom interview with a design manager where we chatted more about my background and design interests. After that, I was given the choice between a take-home challenge or presenting a case study in a panel interview. I opted for the design challenge, which I had several days to work on, although they mentioned it shouldn't take more than 4 hours but I could spend more time if needed. For the panel, I presented the design challenge to a staff and senior product designer. They hadn't seen my work beforehand, even though I'd sent it to the recruiter, which was a bit annoying. Right after that, I had an interview with a product manager.

I spent about 2 months interviewing with Paylocity. The team was nice and smart. The recruiter seemed new and wasn't always super helpful with my questions. It was a good experience overall, but I didn't get any feedback on my performance. I applied through LinkedIn and heard back within a week. First, I had a call with a recruiter about the role, which was for a mid-level product designer, possibly in platform depending on skills. They have a big design team. The recruiter asked about my experience and then passed me on to the hiring manager. The recruiter called to set up the next interview, which I appreciated more than emails. When I asked if it was an informational chat or portfolio review, they said it could be either, so I should be ready for anything. This was kind of their general approach - nice, but not always the most informative. Then I interviewed with the hiring manager, who was in Chicago. They were really friendly and asked about my design process and a project that didn't go as planned. I shared one project, and they liked it. The final stage was a 2-day interview process, about 4 hours total, with a Project Manager, the Head of UX, the Head of UX Group, and two Product Designers. I had the option of doing a design challenge or showing an existing project, and I chose to show one I already had. Everyone I spoke with was easy to talk to, kind, and intelligent. They really liked the project I shared. The PM seemed a bit surprised by the request to see a project, as they hadn't interviewed a designer in a while. Finally, the recruiter called to let me know I didn't get the role, stating they didn't have a reason for the decision. After about 6 hours of interviews, I was frustrated that I couldn't get any specific feedback.