I applied online. I interviewed at Personio (Barcelona) in Sep 2022
Interview
I got an e-mail from a Senior talent acquisition manager for the first interview after applying through Linkedin. The interviewer postponed the interview two times after I booked a time on their calendar. I understand that priorities change, emergencies happen, interviews get postponed. That's normal.
But I'd prefer a short e-mail saying something came up, they need to postpone, and we could reschedule. I didn't get that and it shows a disregard for my time. I was taken for granted.
The interviewer was respectful and transparent throughout the interview, but I didn't feel like I had a chat with someone who was curious about me. It was a call to check out some boxes quickly and call it a day. I saw an eagerness to jump to conclusions and without actively listening which made this a poor attempt at qualifiying.
Part of Personio's mission is to make HR procesess as efficient as possible and focus on what matters most: people. My experience lacked both. I hope it's a just one off thing and not the norm for the company.
Poor experience.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Tell me about your product management experience.
How early do you involve engineering in the process?
I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Personio (London, England)
Interview
The interview process was exceptionally smooth and efficient. HR was empathetic, responsive, and genuinely caring. Scheduling was quick, and communication clear. Truly one of the best experiences I’ve had. I felt valued and respected at every step.
Standard individual and panel steps, focused on both craft skills and soft skills. HR, hiring manager, other stakeholders. No take home cases or live exercisess. Overall quite normal and alright process
The process involved five interviews and a lengthy take-home assignment. I met with six individuals from Personio, none of whom were from the direct team I would potentially work with. After the first two interviews, I asked about the potential level and the pay band as there was a lengthy 5 part take home that I didn't want to complete unless the role and pay made sense. After completing all the interviews and the assignment, I was told I will be getting a decision only to be surprised with request for more interviews. They also decided to down-level me at a lower pay band than what was initially discussed. I was also asked to provide references at this point. I declined to continue with this process. At this point, I still don’t know anyone who I would be directly working with or much about the role as all the interviews are focused on various questions unrelated to their company. This interview process shows: - They don’t value their own time and especially the candidate’s time. -They don’t know what they are looking for and have a consensus driven hiring process where HM is not empowered to make decisions. - They come off as bait and switching when giving you a higher title and pay band in the beginning If you value time and have other options, I would avoid this company as you will feel disrespected by the end.
