Symetra Manager Interview Questions
& Process

I got an email from a recruiter to schedule a Teams interview. It was audio only. Then, I had a second interview with the Hiring Manager. They asked me questions using the STAR method and also asked me to talk about my resume.

I was really excited to interview with Symetra because I'd been searching for a role that fit my skills and I'd heard great things about the company culture and values. I applied on 11/24. I spoke with the recruiter on 12/10, and they mentioned the hiring manager and some team members were unexpectedly out, which caused a delay. The interview went well, and I was told I'd hear back about the hiring manager interview by 12/20 at the latest. After not hearing anything, I followed up on 12/20. The original recruiter was out, but the backup recruiter responded on 12/23, saying they'd reached out to the hiring manager. Then, the original recruiter responded on 12/24 after returning, also stating they were waiting on the hiring manager. I followed up again on 12/31, 1/7, and 1/17, but received no response from the original recruiter. This experience has really soured my view of Symetra, and the recruiter's lack of communication reflects poorly on the company brand. It's important to keep candidates updated, even with bad news. Symetra's core values of doing what's right and dedication to excellence seem to have been overlooked in how I was treated as a potential candidate. As a hiring manager myself, I always follow up with candidates to show respect for their time.

We started with a quick 30 minute recruiter phone call, and then the next week I had a 45 minute video call with the team management. They gave me an offer pretty quickly after that, like within a week or so of finishing up the interviews.