Stern Strategy Group Interview Questions
& Process

This interview process is a joke, like they're taking advantage of candidates to do free work for their clients. You start with HR, then meet the team in person, and then you get a writing test. The writing test is the main issue - you only have 24 hours from when they email it to finish it. It's basically asking you to create a mini marketing campaign for a client, and you can see from their website that this client is still paying them. This writing test is ridiculous and totally unethical.

The process begins with a phone interview where they ask some basic questions. If they like your answers, they'll invite you for an in-person interview where you'll meet with HR. If HR is happy with you, you'll then proceed to meet with more people. I had to take an Excel test during the interview. The office space is quite open.

Applied online and got a phone interview email within 24 hours. The phone interview was followed by a 90-minute PR test where I had to create a marketing campaign for an existing client, which felt a bit awkward but involved standard media outreach and writing. After the test, I was invited for an in-person interview where I met three people. It was a typical interview, mostly get-to-know-you questions, and the environment wasn't very warm, with everyone seeming focused on their work. The office itself is very nice, though. The HR person was polite and made sure I was comfortable. Everyone seemed to give the same rehearsed answer about the CEO, Susan, when asked about their favorite part of working there, which felt a bit strange. After the interview, HR asked about my salary expectations, and then I completed a one-hour personality test that included a math and problem-solving section. The following week, I got a phone call with a low offer. The next day, I received email confirmation and a benefits package PDF. The benefits were basic with high out-of-pocket costs, and 401(k) matching started after a year. The advertised PTO was for a year in, not upfront. I requested a salary negotiation, which they accepted. However, less than 24 hours after agreeing on a new salary, they called to rescind the offer. I'm not too upset because I was unsure about the team, but I found the whole situation unprofessional. Looking at Glassdoor afterwards confirmed my feelings. Despite the nice office, the company culture seemed consistent with the interview experience.

The interview process was pretty detailed. It started with a phone call with HR, and then they sent me a writing assignment to finish within a specific time frame. After that, I had a Skype interview with the management team, followed by an in-person interview in Iselin. During the in-person stage, I met with employees and had lunch with someone currently in the role I applied for.