SullivanCotter Compensation Analyst Interview Questions
& Process

I got an email from HR a few days after applying. They first asked me to complete some personality tests and an excel test online before the first interview. The excel test was pretty easy and took about ten minutes. The first interview was a phone call with the head of HR, who was really nice and asked general questions about my resume. Then, I had another phone interview with one of the principal consultants, who was very sweet and fun to talk to. Almost immediately after that interview, I got an email inviting me to visit the office for three rounds of interviews that lasted about four hours. About three days later, HR called with a verbal job offer.

I initially applied online and was contacted the next day to schedule a phone screen. The recruiter asked me standard questions about my background and education, and said they'd let me know within a week if I was moving forward. They laid out the next steps: a panel interview, then if that went well, they'd fly me out for an in-person meeting with the team, followed by interviews with the chief HR officer and possibly the CEO. I had a panel interview with team members from three different states, where they asked more about my education and experience. After that, they said they wanted to interview me in person. The recruiter in Minneapolis hadn't mentioned the flight until I emailed her and the initial recruiter, who confirmed they would fly me in. Luckily, they covered my last-minute flight. The in-office day was packed with four interviews with five people. Everyone was really friendly, and I enjoyed getting to know them personally to see if we'd mesh. The following week, I was told I did well and we discussed offer details. They indicated an offer was likely if the remaining interviews went smoothly. I then interviewed with a principal in Georgia who asked detailed questions about a specific area of my experience. A few days later, I had a 30-minute phone interview with the chief HR officer, where I essentially repeated what I'd said in the previous seven interviews. Then, I was told someone from their Atlanta team wanted to talk to me. That conversation wasn't really an interview; it was a lengthy discussion where the person disagreed with my views on ethical compensation and stated I'd be 'too difficult to manage' because I prioritized ethics and financial logic. He spent over thirty minutes criticizing my opinions, saying that a young person who thinks for themselves and voices concerns isn't desirable. That was my last contact with the company. After eight interviews over six weeks and traveling to Minneapolis, I was informed they weren't interested. It felt like an excessive process just to end with criticism. The interviews weren't difficult, but they became repetitive and a waste of time after the in-person ones. It seems they want people who just follow orders rather than those who think independently. It wasn't a good fit.

The entire interview process took over 3 months and felt like a series of repetitive interviews where every question was asked again and again. The final interview was an in-person meeting at their Chicago office, lasting about 3 hours. I was told I'd hear back soon, but after waiting a couple of weeks, I had to reach out via email. A week later, I finally got a response that I didn't get the job. It feels like this company doesn't value your time, so if you're interviewing with them, be ready for a long and boring process where you'll have to repeat yourself constantly.