Urban Resource Institute Interview Questions
& Process

So you basically get a call from HR to schedule a time to meet and for them to get to know you better. The HR person will tell you right then if they think you’re a good fit. If not, they’ll say they’re still looking. If they do think you’re a good fit, they’ll set up an interview with the director and department chair for the department you’re applying for. If the director and department chair agree you’re a good fit, they’ll let the HR rep know they want you. They won’t tell you in the interview that you got the job. HR will contact you 24-72 hours later to let you know if you got the job.

I had an interview in late August with the head of HR. I was initially made to wait in the reception area before being brought in for a computer skills test, which I completed successfully. Following that, I met with the head of HR. The interview seemed to go well, and I was asked if I could return for a second interview the next day. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it and informed the HR director that I could come back the following week. The HR director assured me she'd reach out regarding scheduling but never did. When I followed up, I received a vague response about inviting me back once she had a schedule, with no specific timeline. I suspected at that point that it wasn't going to happen. I received an email yesterday (mid-October 2019) stating they had moved forward with other candidates. It's unprofessional to give candidates the impression they're advancing if that's not the case, especially for those in a field that should support people in finding employment.

The staff were really professional, and meetings started and ended on time. The people I met seemed genuinely interested in what I could bring to the company. However, there were long gaps between meetings, feedback, follow-up meetings, and second interviews. The same thing happened with third meetings. Management wasn't clear and couldn't or wouldn't explain what they were looking for beyond specific skill sets. Most of the leadership seemed to come from one specific organization. It felt like they were more comfortable with people who had a "shared history" from prior associations rather than bringing in "new blood" with forward-thinking ideas. I'd suggest interviewees research the background of the leadership and try to find mutual contacts from within that organization to use as a referral to URI.

I got a call for a face-to-face interview. I paid for my own trip since I don't live in New York. After the interview, I filled out an application. The interviewer was nice and direct. About two weeks later, HR called and told me the job paid $55k less than my last job. I still want to move and knew I'd take a pay cut, so I said I was still interested. I got an email to come back in a week to interview with 10 senior leaders. They sent a scenario about increasing virtual communications and asked me to lead a meeting with the group of ten.