WideOrbit Interview Questions
& Process

A WideOrbit recruiter reached out, excited about a role they thought I'd be perfect for. They started with some basic questions, like asking 'what is JSX?'. Next, I interviewed with the hiring manager. It was a casual chat that went well. Afterward, they quickly wanted to schedule technical interviews for C# and React. The C# interview was enjoyable, with questions about my experience related to C#, Entity Framework, and .NET authentication. Then came a coding exercise to output Person objects to a CSV, which was straightforward. The React interview, however, was a different story. A contractor led it while the initial hiring manager was less involved. They bombarded me with obscure JavaScript details, like the reasoning behind React hook names and JavaScript multithreading. They sent me Codepen links with code snippets and asked me to predict their output, including one example with various typeof expressions. Frustratingly, the contractor would interrupt my thought process and even speak over me when I started answering. The recruiter's communication also ceased after this interview, effectively ghosting me. It seems I dodged a bullet, as working with that contractor would have been unbearable.

The interview process was pretty good from the initial screening through to the hiring manager. However, as the final steps of meeting with the HR team came about, I was scheduled to meet with peers for 45-minute individual meetings which was very time consuming. I recommend and actually asked if one or more could be combined and was told no. After having 3 consecutive interviews on a Friday afternoon, I was told immediately afterwards that the position was being modified and filled by a rehire. This decision had been made in the last 48 hours so the final 4 interviews - 3 consecutive - were a complete waste of my time! I should've been notified of this change and the interviews canceled to not waste my time or their staff's.

My interview experience was specific to the Vancouver office. It began with an HR interview, followed by a hiring manager interview, and then an onsite interview. These initial stages went quite well. I did notice a lack of diversity, as all interviewers were white males and I only saw males in the office, but given the small office size of about 25 people, I didn't consider it a major issue. The main issue arose after the final interview. They initially informed me they were excited and intended to extend an offer, pending reference and background checks. Because I am transgender and have a legal name change, I disclosed this information to ensure the background check would be accurate. After this disclosure, there was a three-day silence before I received a call stating they had chosen another candidate and rescinded the offer. The recruiter then proceeded to detail how excellent the other candidate was, emphasizing their superior skills and better fit for the business. While it was unprofessional to offer an offer and then withdraw it, I initially assumed they found a better candidate. However, the timing of the offer withdrawal after my name change disclosure, coupled with the detailed comparison to another candidate, seemed suspicious. I suspect I may have faced discrimination due to being transgender.

The hiring process was straightforward and well-managed by the talent acquisition team, which eased any candidate stress. Communication was excellent throughout, with no uncertainty about progress. This attentiveness showed respect for candidates' time and was a major draw. I had conversations with three individuals at different levels, allowing them to evaluate my qualifications and giving me the chance to learn about the role and company from their unique perspectives, which aided my decision-making. Overall, the process was both simple and insightful.