Wikimedia Foundation Director Interview Questions
& Process

This was a horrible process. I made it 9 interviews + a written strategy document deep over the course of 2-3 months and was told over and over again that I was the top candidate and to please just stick through the long process with them. I did not get to speak to anyone who knew anything about the actual role until the second-to-last interview and felt like I was flying blind the whole time. Each interview was at least an hour long and required a great deal of preparation, getting child care, and rearranging my schedule. There was little to no communication between interviews unless I reached out to the recruiter who kept asking me to keep going, assuring me that it would be worth my time and feeding me little bits of positive feedback. I turned down two other positions while going through this process. It all seemed so disorganized and "collaborative" to the point where no one could make any decisions. This was an unbelievably disrespectful use of my time and completely soured me on the Wikimedia Foundation as a whole. I was not surprised to learn that a number of people who were involved in my interview process were let go and/or quit in the following months. This place seems like a mess and I feel like I dodged a bullet.

I went through eight interviews with peers, my potential direct reports, and the hiring manager. A unique aspect of the process was that Wikimedia, being a very transparent organization, allows candidates to view the team's current task boards and documentation, especially for tech roles. This was incredibly helpful for getting context on the team's work before the interviews. Julie Brown was instrumental in keeping the process moving smoothly, especially during COVID-19. She was very communicative and kept me updated, which was a stark contrast to recruiters at other companies who were largely unresponsive during that time. Overall, the interview experience was very enjoyable.

The recruitment manager gave a clear overview of the interview stages, which I appreciated. While the process is longer than usual, it provided valuable insights into the company culture and allowed me to learn about different teams and senior leadership.