SPINS Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process involved an initial conversation with the hiring manager, followed by a very complex and unpaid Case Study. The hiring manager emphasized the need to incorporate "funnel analysis" methods, which was the sole piece of feedback. Given the low salary offered, this might be for the best. For the case study, it's recommended to use AI tools like ChatGPT, as completing it manually is a significant time sink. There's a perception that this company, with its recent acquisitions like Datasembly, might be unstable and prone to future layoffs, making the job offers seem disingenuous.

I got contacted pretty quickly after applying and had a Teams interview. The interviewer seemed really impressed, but they couldn't answer most of my questions, saying the hiring manager would have to. I was told I was moving on and would hear back about scheduling by the end of the week. Since I didn't get any contact info, I couldn't follow up when that time passed. About a week later, I got an automated rejection email. Even though I never got the second interview, I'm no longer being considered and got no feedback. I asked if they were looking at internal candidates during the interview and was told yes. My guess is the interview was just a formality so they could hire internally. It felt like a waste of time, especially since only about 42 people clicked 'apply' on LinkedIn, so I don't think competition was that high.

My interview process involved a few steps. First, there was an Excel test that was given before the first interview. After that, I had multiple rounds of interviews. These included discussions with HR, the Finance team, and the hiring manager. I wasn't asked any technical questions during these rounds.

The first interview was with the recruiter I had been emailing with. I suspect others were on the call but no one introduced themselves. The recruiter covered standard info about benefits, the company mission, and the role itself. Towards the end, I was asked about my salary expectations. I gave a general answer about wanting competitive, industry-aligned pay. When I asked about their pay transparency and salary range for the role, I was told they don't share ranges to ensure a good fit. To avoid disqualifying myself, I stated my lowest acceptable salary, which they confirmed was in line with the role. I didn't share my ideal compensation, hoping they'd either offer more than my minimum upon hiring or that we could both assess the fit over the next steps. The role requires quarterly travel to their headquarters, which I think is a great initiative for understanding company culture and networking. The next stages involve a 30-minute Zoom call with the hiring manager, followed by a case study and presentation. I asked about the presentation expectations and was told I'd have a couple of days to complete it, with an estimated 1 hour of work time. An hour of unpaid work, coupled with their lack of pay transparency, makes me feel like my time isn't valued as much as my potential contribution, raising red flags about a one-sided relationship. I understand the need for a presentation given they work with many enterprise clients and want to protect their brand by ensuring the right person is in the role, but I think a swag box with company products would be a nice gesture for the unpaid work.