Southern Research Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process was really well organized and all the people I interacted with were pleasant. I didn't move forward after the first interview because I decided to pursue a different path, but the overall experience gave me a really good impression of the company.

This was the most frustrating, drawn-out interview process that I have experienced. There were four different rounds which allowed me to see a somewhat full picture of SR. The length of time to hear back after each round was always much longer than HR predicted with the longest gap a full month. The first two rounds were different groups of people asking the same questions. The third round was a "work product," which turned into a list of different tasks, some of which felt redundant. SR estimated that this should take a couple of hours total, but to do the job well it easily should take a minimum of ten hours. After putting a lot of effort into producing the work, I was accepted to the next and final round. However, the work product that was supposed to be a key deciding factor did not come up a single time in the final round. Zero feedback. Instead, I received generic questions about my ability to perform projects *exactly like the work product.* It appears that they use the over-the-top work product requests to screen applicant interest rather than assess ability or fit. By the end of the different interviews, it was clear that virtually every person at SR had a different perspective on the job opening and the company as a whole. To be clear, there were many well-meaning, kind people throughout the process that I genuinely enjoyed meeting. But it became obvious that much of SR is a feel-good story with an influx of new capital that is leading to a hundred exciting slogans that don't translate into company buy-in or a disciplined path forward. The entire interview process took many months, and time spent with the company easily tripled any other interview experience. Shortly after the final round, the company let me know that I wasn't picked because I didn't have a couple of basic qualifications that could have been screened in the very first interview. SR does tremendous work and has an impactful, under-told story for our city. I hope the growing pains eventually lead to success and improved patient outcomes. But, I wish I knew how much dysfunction existed behind shiny presentations before wasting so much of my time. By the end of the process, I was conflicted over whether I would even want to do a job that on paper should be a no-brainer. My recommendation for other candidates is to be skeptical and ask lots of candid questions not just about working there but also about the interview process itself. SR projects itself as an elite institution for the South, but they simply are not there yet. I hope they do reach that point, but if my experience is indicative, they have a long way to go.

Had an HR screen, then a panel interview. I was invited for an on site interview with the hiring manager but then got ghosted. HR finally replied saying the position was restructured. I emailed the hiring manager for clarification and got no response. Four weeks later HR (who I CC'd on all emails) finally says the position was filled. No communication about the on site interview after the invite by the HM.

I had a phone interview that lasted about 30 minutes. The hiring manager started by telling me about the institute, her own background, and the job details. I then discussed my previous work experience and my current job, and also mentioned my availability. After that, she asked for reference letters to be sent to her.