Zendesk Customer Success Manager Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process was really well-organized and thoughtful, totally in sync with where the Customer Success team is headed. Every chat just made sense building on the last, starting with skills for the job and moving to the bigger picture of enterprise strategy and operations. What was super cool was seeing executives involved and hearing leadership's clear vision. We talked a lot about not just managing relationships, but also about knowing the product inside out, how to get customers using it, being operationally sharp, and how Customer Success actually impacts business results that matter to the board. They were really respectful of my time, and the conversations were meaningful, not just ticking boxes. Zendesk clearly wants top talent and also makes sure candidates get the long-term strategy and the commitment to doing things really well in CS. Honestly, it was one of the most strategic and smoothly run interview experiences I've ever had.

The process was straightforward. First, there was a call with the recruiter, and then an assessment that required a lot of work. The assessment included a mock call and preparing a presentation. A lot of info was shared, but none of it was helpful for the presentation or mock call. The people were nice. The only reason for disapproval was the lack of tangible feedback. If someone spends their weekend and all their time, they should receive proper feedback, not an auto-rejection.

This was a very thorough process - about 7 interviews spanning 4 months. I first worked with an internal recruiter for the initial screening before she helped coordinate the team specific interviews. Since I wasn't near HQ (SF), most interviews were over the phone. For the final interview, I was flown to SF to meet managers and conduct a mock client presentation. In addition to skills, there was great emphasis put on personality and culture fit. Read the glassdoors reviews. The employees are generally smart, positive, driven and a tad quirky. The entire process was a little arduous, but if you are confident, friendly, and know what you are talking about then you should be in good shape. I found it beneficial to take an active role in the interview process. They're growing, keep following up. Definitely do a lot of research on the company, the product, and their customer service philosophy. They strive to be thought leaders in the space and want to know that you'll join on that mission. The website is packed with useful content. The book 'The Effortless Experience' is a big influencer on product and philosophy. If you want to know more about the history of the company (and you should!) read the CEO's book Startupland.