Yandex Project Manager Interview Questions
& Process

I had some interviews with hr and line manager for a Project Manager role at Yandex.Taxi which seemed okay. However, the final interview with the head of department, line manager, and hr was really unexpected and concerning. The head of department started by saying he hadn't read my CV and questioned if I came alone or with useful job skills, which felt like a stress interview initially. I talked about my experience while he was busy on his phone. He then asked me to draw the working process on a desk, still not looking at me. He even took a call and spoke to his friend for several minutes while I was explaining my background. Afterward, he asked how I would develop their new product. I asked clarifying questions about the product, and he dismissively told the hiring manager (his direct report) to explain the product to me, still on his phone. At that point, I realized this wasn't a stress interview, but rather a typical communication style at Yandex.Taxi. I found the lack of respect from the top manager towards the team and others very unusual. He only asked standard interview questions and seemed uninterested in finding a suitable professional for his team. I'd advise candidates to seriously consider the culture fit with Yandex.Taxi and the head of department, as I suspect a lack of a respectful and healthy environment there. This might even be a reason for the high turnover at Yandex.Taxi. After 3-4 weeks, the hr contacted me stating I wasn't good with the product case, so they wouldn't be making an offer. I'm glad I performed well on business cases for the Big3, as I received an offer from them around the same time.

My interview was for a part-time position on internship basis. It lasted almost 3 hours on sight, because different stakeholders who were involded in the project - were interested to see the candidate and ask questions. Mostly, questions were logic and business-case oriented. Like in any field of analytis they were giving me a so called "real life prblem" and listering to the steps I propose in solving it. Then they were giving me a little more details and again exploring how new information influences my decision. Overall everyone was friendly, polite and positive. Even when I did not provide a perfect answer - they were explaining me possible steps and leading me through.

I applied online and it took 4 weeks. First, I had a call with a recruiter where we talked about general work conditions and salary. They also sent me some links to help me prepare. Then, I had a technical interview with an employee from Yandex. The task wasn't related to the job description at all, but the interviewer was nice and listened carefully to my answers. They also answered my questions about the company. A few days later, the recruiter got back to me with feedback and said I wasn't selected.