Pion Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process started with a call from the talent team, followed by a call with the hiring manager. The third interview involved presenting to the hiring manager and the legal team on a given topic. Initially, the experience was positive, but it soured when I was asked to complete two exams (mental agility and values/personality type) and present on creating secure onboarding systems. These tests seemed irrelevant to the role, suggesting a lack of clarity from the hiring team. None of the interviewers seemed to understand my points or the role's requirements, indicating a lack of understanding on their part. Given the company's age and recent creation of an IT department, it suggests they may need significant support, and the role might be underpaid to compensate for business shortcomings. I recommend avoiding this company for technical roles if you value yourself. They seem to have a pattern of making excuses for poor communication, prioritizing responding to reviews over candidates. My application was withdrawn.

The process kicked off great with the TA specialist being super clear and giving good insights. First was the TA call, then a call with the Hiring Manager and TA, followed by a presentation to the HM and Head of Dept. Everyone was professional and easy to chat with. After waiting two weeks, I got a last-minute 15-min call the same day with a senior person from a different department. I didn't get much info beforehand, but I was keen on a decision, so I took it. The call felt really unorganized. They asked what I understood about the role, then seemed to make up questions like 'Oh, I don't know, tell me about a time when...' It felt like they were improvising. I felt dismissed. They said I'd get feedback in 2 days but it took 4. The feedback was just 'He felt you could have given more,' which wasn't helpful, and I didn't see them taking notes.

I applied and an internal recruiter called me within hours for a screening call. It involved many questions about my background, situations where I demonstrated certain skills, and I also got to ask questions about the job. I felt good about it and thought I was a strong fit. They said I'd hear about the next steps and that the whole process was fast, under a week. After a few days with no word, I followed up. A week later, I reminded them again, mentioning I had other final interviews but wanted an update. Still no response. I emailed a fourth time over two weeks, contacting others, stressing that candidates deserve a response for their time. The recruiter then emailed back almost immediately, claiming their previous email didn't arrive and confirming they weren't moving forward. This required four follow-ups, and I dislike being misled. My advice: don't ghost candidates and then try to hide it. Job searching is hard, and ghosting shouldn't be normal.

The interview had a relaxed vibe, with the interviewer showing genuine interest in me as a person and my past work. Luke, the hiring manager, was welcoming and easy to get along with. We ran a bit short on time in the first interview, so I didn't get to do a case study review. Instead, we just cleared up any questions I had and talked about the role and its scope. I really enjoyed that. The second interview involved reviewing a design task. I was given a very specific brief and a maximum of 2 hours to complete it, which was appreciated. I was a bit unsure about the level of detail needed for the task; it seemed like they wanted to understand my thinking process and how I solve problems.