Zoom call with HR, COO, Marketing Manager
1 questionnaire with 11 questions to get to know applicant better, then a separate homework assignment with 8 scenario questions
Zoom call with same 3 team members, plus the CEO
First call was pleasant, the women were very friendly, informative, and even though it was a panel, I didn't feel uncomfortable.
Second call was more or less the same, with more 1:1 talking with the CEO. Instantly, I didn't get the same open and welcoming vibe, so I felt a lot more nervous. She did not seem receptive to what I was saying, not a lot of facial expressions, other than squinting and nodding at me while I explained my work experience.
The CEO ended up leaving early, possibly because of bad internet connection. But I'm pretty sure she let the group know that they weren't going to hire me because I got a bit of a brush off at the end, like they were interviewing more people, they'd let me know in a week or two.
Then by the following week, the Indeed ad was closed and I never received a notification.
I was a little annoyed they didn't followup with me, considering I spent an entire weekend on their written exercises/assignment. I was instructed to return my answers within 72 hours, but they emailed me on Friday morning. I obviously can't complete it by Friday, as I have a full-time job. So I had to cancel my weekend plans to visit my friend and meet his baby for the first time, just so I could answer it.
I wish they would let the CEO meet the applicant as Step 2, then have the questionnaires and written exercise as the LAST step. Let's be honest -- it doesn't matter how qualified you are, what kind of resume you have, how great your answers are, IF the CEO doesn't like you. So it's just a waste of time to answer these questions, unless you make it past the CEO first.
While I understand this is a natural part of the hiring process, and Hip2Save is no different than all companies, it's still frustrating, especially when I thought there was a decent connection.