Vartek Interview Questions
& Process

So the interview started off pretty rough, it was virtual. I had a scented candle burning to get rid of the smell from shampooing our carpets. I blew it out when the meeting started and some smoke went past me. The PRESIDENT of the company immediately said “I don’t think this is going to work!” without even introducing themself. They accused me of smoking and said I wouldn’t pass the nicotine test because it's a smoke-free company. I showed them the candle, which was still smoldering, and they said “well…I guess we can keep talking”. I knew right then it wouldn't go well. They asked some generic questions, the whole thing lasted 13 minutes, and it ended abruptly with the meeting disconnecting. Very unprofessional. I then recalled past jobs where Vartek had been involved, and it was always cleaning up their messes and fixing their mistakes. I wouldn't recommend them.

I applied online and got my offer letter within two weeks, which was super fast! As an intern, I went through 3 interviews. First, I interviewed individually with each of the Senior Staff Accountants. Then, I had a third interview where I met with both of them together. The interviews were organized well, and they wanted to get to know me personally and professionally. They really showed me the culture at VARtek, how much they care about employees, and how they make you feel appreciated.

I had two phone calls with the same person, who was a Project Manager in Organizational Development. The first call was just to see if we were a good fit. They told me at the end that there would be another meeting or video call with other people from the team. That second interview happened about 10 days later, and it was with the same person. They said the other decision-makers weren't available at that time. That interview was also over the phone, and they asked more specific, standard questions. It went pretty well, and we had a good back-and-forth. They said they'd let me know. About a week later, I got an email saying they had decided to move forward with other candidates. Then, about a month later, a job for an Accounting Manager with the exact same description was posted by the company. It was really dishonest and unethical, but I'm sure I wasn't the only person they misled. From what I've read, I don't think it's a great place to work.

The company has a 5-stage interview process that can stretch over several months. I completed 3 rounds, and they were quite similar, just with different people in comparable roles. It took up hours of my time, only for them to inform me they chose another candidate even before the main interviews seemed to begin. I'm unsure if they expected identical answers to the same open-ended question each time, or if they wanted different, yet equally good, responses. Three interviews focused on personality assessment seem excessive to determine fit, and it appears they're using sheer quantity to give the impression of a thorough hiring process. They also avoided discussing compensation throughout the 3 interviews, and I still have no idea what the salary range is, yet they asked about my expected compensation THREE times without revealing their own. I'm unclear on the purpose of this entire process.