Protocol Labs Interview Questions
& Process

The whole thing took about 2.5 weeks from applying to getting the offer. Started with five interviews, then they added a sixth one partway through. The people interviewing me seemed really into their jobs. I asked some tough questions about the company, culture, tech, and stuff, and they gave me really honest answers. It was open and engaging, but also tough - I got asked things I hadn't thought about. Everyone was super punctual, either right on time or a bit early. They communicated well and kept me in the loop about where I stood, even though it was hard to be 100% sure until the offer came. They asked for my availability and usually stuck to it, but when one interview almost clashed, they said they could move it if needed. It was the hardest interview process I've done, but I really liked it. You could feel their passion.

This was a completely unorganized and unnecessarily lengthy interview process. All and all it took about 12 hours, with 8 interviews and a 4 hour take home assignment. All 8 interviewers asked the same standard interview questions, with very little variation between interviews. Which seems like an unnecessary redundancy. Many of the interviewers weren't even on the team I would have been working with. One interviewer was eating their lunch while they conducted the interview. Throughout the interview process I felt that certain expectations were not properly set. I was told by my first interviewer that I had submitted the best technical assignment she received, and that I was a frontrunner compared to other candidates. I was also told that if I were to be offered the job I would first be scheduled for an interview with the Foundation as a formality. When I mentioned that I had already been scheduled for this foundation interview in a subsequent interview, I was told that I "probably, most likely would be offered the job." While neither of these is a formal job offer, it is irresponsible of the interviewers to disclose this information as it can incorrectly set expectations. Most disappointing was my interview with the the foundation. She showed up completely unprepared not having any questions prepared and unable to answer any of my questions regarding the position, salary, and benefits. She told me "I'm sorry, I was expecting more people to be in this interview, so I'm not as prepared as I should be." She then told me that I had received the job and could expect an offer letter at the beginning of the following week. Later that day I received a 9th interview with HR. I assumed this was to discuss the offer package I was told I would be receiving. The following week I received an email from one of the interviewers saying I did not get the position, but that he had recommended me for a position with the HR team that was “well below my skill set, and I’d have an easy breezy time of it.” I do not hold him at fault as he felt sympathetic towards the lack of communication on behalf of the recruiting team and passed me along to HR for another job opportunity. This I appreciated. Two days later I received an email saying that I didn’t get the EA position but she saw that someone else had set up an interview with HR. I had this 9th interview with HR, and again she asked the same generic questions as the previous 8 interviews. This interview was for a role that hadn’t been created yet, and therefore she could not answer my questions with regards to the scope and salary of the position. She emailed 2 weeks later that they decided not to move forward with me. Adding insult to injury I received a 3rd rejection a month later saying I didn’t get the job and the position was now closed! I then received a 4th email asking to complete a survey! This gross miscommunication between multiple people, combined with an insanely lengthy and unnecessary interview process leads me to believe that this company has no idea what they’re doing. To anyone considering interviewing with them I would advise you to run the other direction.

This interview process was unnecessarily long and felt like a waste of time. It included one phone screen, a take-home assignment, and then four separate interviews. Many interviewers asked the same questions, making it feel repetitive. Three out of the four people from the People team were late, including the Head of People. Nobody could clearly explain what the company does or the specific responsibilities of the role. After investing significant time and effort, I received a generic rejection email. I asked for feedback from the Head of People and the Recruiting Coordinator but never heard back. Ironically, I did receive a survey from the Recruiting Coordinator asking for my feedback on their interview process, which I found quite surprising.

The job application response was really fast, but things went downhill from there. They rescheduled the first call last minute. Then, three other interviews had their dates and interviewers changed multiple times by two different recruiters. After waiting over a week post-interviews, I had to chase them for an update. Turns out, it was a no-go, with no specific feedback. Some interviewers were great - competent and humble. The hiring manager, however, seemed out of touch and insincere.