Statista Business Development Manager Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process included an initial HR screening call, followed by a first interview with the hiring manager. Then there was a case study or demo preparation phase, and finally, a last round which was a peer interview with a Q&A session. It was a moderately difficult process, not overly challenging, though the case study might require some preparation time.

Had an initial chat with the recruiter about my current job and if I'd be a good fit for Statista (like a hunter mindset). Then, I talked with my direct manager, and the questions were pretty similar to the recruiter's. Next, I met with the Group Director or Head of Sales, and we talked about growth. Finally, I did a case study presentation with my direct manager and the Group Director or Head of Sales. This involved using the platform and explaining how I'd close a customer even with limited info.

First, a recruiter from Germany called, which was a straightforward and positive interaction. Then, I had an online interview with the hiring manager. This was followed by an onsite interview that felt like half a day of free work. They had me make phone calls to potential customers to invite them for a sales demo. Be aware of this step, as it's essentially unpaid labor with no guidance; you just start cold calling, and the goal is simply to get customers to agree to a sales call, regardless of how you do it. After this 'task,' I had another call with a more senior person. They tried to reframe the role, stating it wasn't really business development but pure sales, and asked if I was okay with extensive cold calling. They eventually made an offer, but it was performance-based. This meant the advertised salary (which was already almost 50% lower than expected) would only be paid if sales targets were met. If targets weren't met, the salary would be extremely low. The company culture seemed unacceptable.