SiriusDecisions Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process was conducted over the phone and via email because my interviewers were out-of-state. I found out about the role from a coworker who suggested I'd be a good fit. HR reached out on LinkedIn almost immediately, and we scheduled phone interviews. The first interview with HR was standard. The second interview involved more technical questions about my personality and job strengths. The final interview, however, wasn't great; the interviewer seemed disengaged and didn't ask design-specific questions as I'd expected. I was disappointed that no one clarified my job responsibilities. The focus kept shifting to employee perks. Each of the three interviewers gave me different information, which was confusing. A final interview was set for three weeks later when everyone would be in town. This interview was supposed to include a portfolio slideshow and a design project. I was initially confused about recreating my portfolio, but assumed it was to assess my slideshow design skills. Paperwork for the final interview detailed expectations for my appearance, speech, and presentation. I was to meet eight employees, both individually and as a group. I also had to sign a waiver to allow them to record the interview in case someone couldn't attend. At this point, my enthusiasm waned due to the demanding nature of the final interview. While this might be standard for large companies, it felt like too much for me. Ultimately, combined with my declining interest and the lack of clarity on job duties, I withdrew my application.

First I had some phone interviews with a recruiter, a director, and a manager. If they liked me, I had to read a book, make a powerpoint presentation, read a short research paper, and present my analysis of it, followed by a short writing assignment. Then, I had a few more phone interviews with different people, they checked my references, and then made me an offer. It was a great process, I enjoyed the presentation and analysis part. It took a lot of time but it was worth it. The only downside was the recruiter rushing to contact my references towards the end, which made me feel a bit uneasy due to internal deadlines. The benefits were good, but the salary could have been 10-15% higher to be more competitive.

This hiring process was intense and demanded a lot from me. I went through several video interviews and then had to complete a research assignment, develop a PowerPoint, and give a research presentation over video, which took about 3 days. After that, I had an in-person interview. I got a vibe of micromanagement seeing I was interviewing with people 5 levels above my manager. The interviews went okay, but it was obvious the Chief Research Officer, 4 levels above the hiring manager, was the only one deciding. He made some really negative comments about the research analysts and bragged about how many people got to his stage without an offer, clearly showing his ego. Super unprofessional. The most worrying part was compensation. The recruiter really pushed for my salary history. The offer was much lower than they'd indicated. They also demanded 2 years of W2s with the offer. I obviously declined. Don't bother with this job unless you're ready to jump through hoops, put in a ton of work, and share your private financial info.

The interview process was really thorough. I had an initial chat with HR, then went through 4 phone screens, followed by 4 in-person interviews, and finally a presentation. I found the presentation part particularly interesting because it was interactive, which I enjoyed. It was great that the CEO even joined my presentation and seemed really involved, asking thoughtful questions. I appreciated this approach because it gave me a good sense of the collaborative environment I'd be joining if I got the role.