Wolff Olins Interview Questions
& Process

Recruiter reached out after my app submission, within two weeks in January. Scheduling the first phone screen was delayed due to a calendar issue on their end. We discussed my experience, role expectations, and company culture. They managed to fit in a chat before the hiring process was put on hold. I followed up with questions about the culture but didn't get a response. In early February, the recruiter got back to me with updates, and after 2-3 weeks, I was told the team was interested in a speculative interview, noting my experience wasn't 'senior enough.' I didn't hear back after expressing interest in continuing. The recruiter then dropped communication and eventually emailed at the end of the month, stating she no longer worked there and to contact others. She was responsive when discussions were ongoing but became slow to reply and unresponsive when the process stalled. I wish the recruiter and team had followed through on their proposed plans and had better internal sync on recruiting updates to avoid leaving candidates in limbo.

The Wolff Olins interview was a great experience from the start – it was organized, efficient, friendly, insightful, and positively demanding. The process gave a good overview of the organization, its capabilities, and the role itself. I met people from various parts of the business over four meetings. The third interview involved a project brief and a presentation to five team members with different areas of expertise. This brief really showcased the type of work Wolff Olins does, the breadth and depth of their thinking, and their future ambitions. The presentation session was a fantastic opportunity to meet more of the team, who were a warm, thoughtful, and inspiring group. Additionally, Vikesh was excellent throughout, managing the logistics and going the extra mile to ensure each meeting went smoothly.

So after they liked my work and wanted to interview me, they then decided my work wasn't good enough. They followed up by suggesting I freelance, saying they really liked my work. Pretty amateur for a director role, honestly. They gave way too little time for the interview, and then tech problems on their end ate into that time even more, with no extra time added. This meant I barely had any time for questions after my rushed presentation. Then, they used the lack of questions as a reason to discount me. They seemed more into being wowed by visuals than actually discussing my approach, how I overcame obstacles, managed resources, developed teams, and met strategic and client goals.

It started with a formal call with HR, which then evolved into a more casual chat. It felt like a good sharing of knowledge and a very welcoming experience. I presented some of my work, and after that, we dove into discussions about how the company operates and what the role entails.