I attended one round of interview with the hiring manager and a team member. The questions were fairly standard, focusing on my interest in the role and whether I was planning to pursue the CFA. In the same session, I completed a test that assessed my Bloomberg and Excel skills.
When the topic of salary came up, the hiring manager repeatedly tried to get me to lower my expected range. After I stated my final figure, he asked if I knew I was competing with other candidates and what number would make me stand out. He also mentioned they had no budget, which made me question why they were hiring in the first place.
The interview was on a Friday evening and went almost until 8 PM. All three staff members were still working late, which said something about the work culture. The hiring manager also mentioned they had low turnover, but with only two other staff members, that statement felt a bit ironic.
The office environment itself wasn’t ideal: there was a CrossFit gym upstairs causing constant loud noise, and the workspace felt quite cramped and claustrophobic.