sparks & honey Interview Questions
& Process

The process kicked off with a recruiter phone screen covering typical questions. Following that, I was invited to watch a daily briefing, which felt more like a regular status update than a high-level strategic meeting. Then came three separate interviews with senior strategy personnel. While waiting for the first, I had to read their manifesto displayed prominently in the lobby; it was quite generic. The office atmosphere was relaxed and friendly, though a bit disorganized. An odd moment occurred when the agency principal had an in-depth conversation about next steps with a client in the lobby, right near me. Punctuality was an issue, with interviews consistently starting late and a struggle to find available conference rooms. In one instance, someone was eating lunch in the reserved room, forcing us to find an alternative. One interview was cut short due to the interviewer's next meeting, and another was interrupted by an urgent matter. There was very little discussion about clients, projects, challenges, or the day-to-day work beyond surface-level comments. Communication was sporadic, with emails arriving late at night or on weekends, suggesting a lack of internal organization. Despite being part of a large ad agency group, they cited financial constraints ('like a small scrappy start up') for salary. They frequently expressed strong interest and asked about my availability to start, but then communications would cease for 'just one more internal discussion.' Ultimately, they stopped responding, and no offer was ever extended, despite the strong impression one was forthcoming.

I am writing this review because I had a really bad experience interviewing with S&H. I normally don't do this but felt it was important for others to know. I actually like S+H's work, especially their culture briefings, but the recruiting process was a mess. I talked to them about 3 different jobs over almost 2 months. No one looked at my LinkedIn or seemed to have my resume. The head recruiter, Lori, was super unresponsive. Even after employees recommended me twice, she was hard to get a hold of and twice didn't get back to me about scheduling calls. It wasn't until the CFO got involved that she responded. The main interviewer for a project, Camilo, didn't have my resume or LinkedIn and didn't even know I wrote a book! He was interviewing me for a lead role, I expected him to know my background. The interview was awkward. I was supposed to get a tour from Sharon, the MD, but she just started grilling me about clients. She clearly hadn't looked at my resume either, and her questions were impersonal and felt random. My advice to S+H: Make sure interviewers read resumes and LinkedIn. Keep the office clean. Tell candidates if they aren't chosen within 72 hours. Your head recruiter needs to answer emails, especially for referred candidates. And respect candidates by actually looking at their work. I withdrew my application for the VP Client Services role because of all this.

My interview experience was pretty different from others I've seen, so I wanted to share my side. I had 3 interviews in total, starting with a director, then a VP, and finally the SVP. The whole thing took about 2 and a half weeks, and everyone was super responsive and helpful. No one ghosted me. Each interview focused on me discussing my previous research work and the projects I'd completed.

I chatted with a recruiter first, then hopped on a call with someone higher up. They mentioned I'd get an email with the next steps, but I never did. I tried reaching out, but still no response. It felt a bit off since things seemed to be going well and I was told I'd get the next steps.