Root Interview Questions
& Process

There was an HR pre-screen, followed by three 1-on-1 interviews. I met with two peers and the hiring VP. All interviews were via Zoom. The questions asked felt pretty typical for a Director level role and were open-ended.

People seem to really like working at Root, and employees are invested in the company's mission. However, the interview process to get an offer is incredibly long and difficult, which might make you reconsider applying. Even if you have the right qualifications and skills, Root looks for a specific cultural fit, so it's not uncommon for candidates to be rejected. Based on my experience, here's what might happen: Root will try to evaluate your professional skills in any way they can. You'll have a 30-45 minute phone interview where they'll openly critique your answers, like in a workshop. They'll ask typical interview questions you wouldn't expect to hear anymore, such as 'Do you want a career or a job?' or 'What is your passion?' and 'How do you feel about long hours?'. They'll repeatedly ask why you want to leave your current job to join Root (three times in my case). For the in-person interviews, you might meet other candidates in a group session. You'll spend five hours meeting seven or eight Root employees, most of whom will ask the same predictable questions. Most will mention the job is demanding and requires long hours. Some interviewers won't use their full time, leaving you waiting for the next one.

Be very cautious applying here. They are known for rescinding job offers even for minor, polite negotiations. In my experience, they were incredibly secretive and evasive once I presented a small counter-offer and inquired about their thoughts. For weeks, they claimed approval delays for a revised offer, but it seemed more likely they were stalling while offering the position to others. Instead of stating the offer was firm, they waited until just weeks before my planned relocation to abruptly revoke the offer. Take everything they say during the hiring process with a massive grain of salt. I doubt they treat their employees much better. As a parting gesture, I was initially billed for the $400 hotel room for the interview, but they did eventually refund it after I complained.

The interview process consisted of 4 rounds, which I found to be excessive. Particularly, the online test involving vocabulary and mathematics seemed irrelevant given my MBA, and I questioned its utility in assessing my capabilities.