TEAGUE Interview Questions
& Process

Spoke with some great folks and the recruiter was very pleasant. It seems like the HR field is quite small and it's obvious the department manager is the root of the issues here. There's clearly a reason they struggle to retain HR staff. It's a real head-scratcher. The leadership team really needs to take a look at this. I know the previous HR leader and her work at other companies through my network. It's a bad manager situation, and I knew I wouldn't proceed after interviewing with the manager. Hard pass.

I had a really good video chat with the recruiter and then soon after, a virtual interview with the director (hiring manager). Both were super genuine and open with me, and we really clicked. I even connected with them on LinkedIn. After I spoke with the director, they said I'd get an update on the next steps and soon get a time set up to meet the team in person. But then, a day or two later, the recruiter messaged me that Teague leadership decided to put a hold on hiring for this role because of unexpected issues. They promised to reach out as soon as the position opened up again. I was bummed, but considering the current job market with all the layoffs, it wasn't totally shocking to hear a company had to re-evaluate priorities. So, I jumped back into my job search. Then, just a few hours later that same day, the job was posted again, and the director even shared on their LinkedIn that the company needed an HRBP immediately! I was so mad and felt totally played. It's not cool to use vague excuses like 're-prioritization' or 'reorganization' when for many people, that means layoffs. Don't use other people's struggles as a cover. My experience showed me Teague's true values, and until they make some serious changes, I won't even consider them for future employment.

I had a couple of phone chats, some with a recruiter and others with the design managers. They asked pretty standard stuff. I tried to get them to explain what about my background they thought would be useful for Teague's Aviation Studio and why they thought I was a good fit for a senior designer position since I hadn't done any aviation design before and had been a senior designer at a well-known consultancy for a few years. Honestly, they gave pretty weak answers to those questions, and I got the impression they weren't really sure about the role's direction and just needed someone to fill a spot. The recruiter was also super cagey about the salary range and really pushed me to reveal mine. Overall, I didn't get a great feeling from them, and I felt like I wasn't interviewing very well myself. Unexpectedly, they invited me to fly to Seattle for more interviews. I went out of curiosity. The studio environment was amazing, truly one of the best I've seen, and the group interviews flowed well. The wider team asked smart questions and seemed like a great group. I was really impressed with the Kitchen and their projects. The company as a whole seemed impressive, but it just wasn't the right fit with the specific group I interviewed with. Like others have said, weeks passed after my trip to Seattle with no contact. I eventually got a short email saying I didn't get the job, but honestly, based on my feeling of not fitting with the Aviation Studio, I wouldn't have taken it anyway. I've worked full-time and contracted for many design consultancies, and Teague's interview process was definitely one of the weirder ones I've experienced, despite the incredible studio. Mostly due to their communication style, lack of openness, and inability to explain why they were considering me.

It might feel a bit weird on phone interviews at first, and they can't share much about their work until you get to the in-person stage with NDAs signed, but once you visit the studio, your idea of what you'd be doing and if you fit will get clearer. The process seems to have lots of breaks and starts: some phone calls, then quiet for about a week, then more going on, then more quiet, and so on. Don't let this get you down: Teague works on all sorts of projects, and the company's needs can change so much that it takes a while to lock down candidates and finalize roles. The in-person interviews involve a bunch of designers and managers from different areas: do your homework to find out who you'll be meeting with to make the day go more smoothly (for you and them).