SimplyInsured Interview Questions
& Process

So the interview process had three steps: first a recruiter screen, then a hiring manager screen which was actually the CEO for this role, and then a three-hour panel with various people, ending again with the CEO. The recruiter was really nice, explained the job, and it was a good chat. But after that, things got a bit weird. The CEO was munching on something during my interview (they say keep cams off to avoid bias, but still), and it felt like he wasn't really listening to me. He mostly just said 'that makes sense' and didn't really talk about how we'd work together. The three-hour panel was better, the engineering manager, another senior PM, and two engineers were great to talk to. We discussed working with data, company culture, and some PM behavioral and hypothetical stuff. Then the CEO came back for the final part. He mentioned his interviews can be 30 minutes or a full hour, 'no worries.' He then asked me to go through the website and suggest how to sell more to bigger companies, which felt a bit off for an integrations role. He finished by asking about my favorite app and favorite hardware. I was really expecting more about work styles and collaboration, but he kept saying 'that makes sense' while looking at his other screen. When I asked about feedback from the CS team, he basically trashed them, saying he didn't trust them or their info. The people I met otherwise seem awesome, and the recruiter was great, but like others have said, reporting to the CEO seems like a mess.

The interview process went smoothly at first. I had the hiring manager call, then a panel interview which included a video call with the CEO. I got positive feedback from them. The communication was fast and efficient initially, but then it stopped completely. I was at the reference check stage, and it seems like they dropped the ball. My references weren't contacted, and my emails were ignored. It seemed like a great opportunity, but I was surprised when things went downhill without any explanation.

I applied through their website and got an email to schedule an interview. I saw the email late but was still able to schedule it. The first interview was over the phone and lasted about thirty minutes. It was an average interview, but I'm kind of glad I didn't get offered the job. The interviewer mentioned that Simply Insured had 20 employees in January 2020 and now has 80. I feel like a company with 80 employees, up from 20 two years ago, has too many reviews on Glassdoor (over 55 now).

I spoke with a guy on the phone and when I asked about the negative Glassdoor reviews, he told me it's because they hire "those people" badly, which leads to the bad reviews. He thinks the company always hires "bad people" but I find that hard to believe. It really makes me question their hiring process. I want to know who's making these hiring decisions, what they've learned from it, and why they keep hiring people he calls "bad people." Hearing this from someone high up is concerning, and it sounds like he's admitting he's part of the problem, which makes me want to look elsewhere for a job.