Initial screening interview with HR, interview with team of three, then case study interview with 4 people.
The initial interview with HR and with the team went well. I was sent the case over a weekend and asked for the interview with the 4 person team on Monday. I worked all weekend on preparing the case interview. I have had a lot of experience (positive) with case interviews in other companies, but this was not a positive experience.
The case this time was laid out in a confusing way. I understand sometimes the scenario is not clear in the case, or you need to ask clarifying questions to the committee. However, this was the first case I experienced where the basics of what was being asked for were not clear. Also, there were typos in the case document, and overall the writing in the case itself did not looked like it was proofread.
Unfortunately, my experience with the team was not positive. From the beginning, they seemed not engaged with the interview process and disinterested in the questions. Another person was invited to the interview last minute without my knowledge. Amongst the team itself as well, they did not seem to have good communication amongst each other. At times they seemed to be on the verge of arguing and gave conflicting answers after I asked a question. It was one of the more awkward interview processes I have been involved in.
I left feeling discouraged and unhappy with the process and the company. I felt the assessment itself was not reflective of the work that would be done in the position, and of my skills at completing what would be required on the job.
The team that I interviewed with was relatively new, and in my opinion they need to reassess their hiring process. One of the most important aspects of consulting is also maintaining good professional relationships. I felt the team and the HR department have to work on maintaining and growing positive relationships through the way they communicate about their company to potential hires.
After the interview process, I never heard back from them (basically was ghosted). If I made it that far in the interview process, they should treat people well enough to follow up.
