Tripadvisor Product Manager Interview Questions
& Process

TripAdvisor has been the least professional tech company I've interviewed with. The recruiter was extremely rude throughout the entire process and would ghost me for up to two weeks without any warning. When I tried to contact the listed hiring manager directly via LinkedIn, the recruiter threatened me, telling me to only communicate with her and no one else. She never replied to any follow-up emails, even though the hiring manager indicated I would be moving on to the next steps. I reapplied for a different team two weeks later, and the recruiter, perhaps forgetting she had already interviewed me, scheduled a meeting via her link. However, she never showed up and never followed up to reschedule. This recruiter was the rudest, most unprofessional, and incompetent person I have ever encountered. Despite TripAdvisor being a good company, they clearly need to improve their HR department. I would not recommend interviewing here for a Product role, even if the Hiring Manager is impressed with you.

I put in an application online for the Product Manager role at TripAdvisor. About a week later, HR called me. They did a quick phone screen and then set up a call with the hiring manager. We talked about salary, and I was immediately told their range was much lower than I wanted. Later that day, I spoke with the hiring manager. He asked a lot about my past work experience. He said they wanted me to come in for an interview and that there'd be an assignment. I asked if I could be considered for a more senior role that was open because it fit my experience better, but he said I 'had to earn it.' He mentioned HR would contact me about scheduling the in-person interview and assignment. A few days later, HR called to schedule the interview and give me the assignment: create a campaign for an advertiser wanting to promote a new airport terminal on TripAdvisor. The interview was set for about a week out. I called HR about my salary concerns to see if it was worth continuing, and she said we could probably work something out. So, I worked on the presentation and then went to the interview and presented it to the hiring manager, who seemed really impressed with my solution. I also met with three junior team members. They seemed a little concerned about the hiring manager's style, but overall it was a good experience. The office was nice. Their motto is "Speed Wins." I sent thank-you notes to everyone I met. About 1.5 weeks later, HR told me they offered the job to someone else with more publishing experience, which was strange given my background. I suspect my salary requirements were the issue. HR asked if she could reach out about future opportunities, and I said yes.

First, I had a screening call with the recruiter which was mostly behavioral questions. After that, I was set up for an interview with the hiring manager. This interview also started with behavioral questions, then moved on to questions about the metrics I use in my current role, and finished with an analytical question focused on breaking down their metrics.