I applied online. I interviewed at Gunter Construction Company (Lawrenceville, GA) in Oct 2020
Interview
I was very enthusiastic about speaking with this company who was looking to add their first HR professional. At the outset of the first video conference meeting, the process was outlined as: 1) If progressing past first meeting, I'd be 2) contacted early the following week to schedule an in-person interview on-site with 4 leaders, and 3) if progressing as one of Top 2, would be invited to come back for a 3rd/final interview with President and CEO. My first interview occurred on a Thursday afternoon and I was told I'd hear back something by Monday or Tuesday of following week. Both days came and went, as did the two weeks following. As customary for me, I did send a thank you message to the two interviewers following the first meeting but it didn't trigger any follow up communication either. After two weeks of no reply or communication, I could only assume I was no longer a prospect. And by this point, I had also been contacted by another company who was moving more proactively through their process. Then, I was very pleasantly surprised to receive an email from Gunter requesting my schedule for a 2nd interview (no acknowledgement of extended time lapse). The interview was scheduled and I had positive thoughts and feelings about our exchange that occurred on a Thursday afternoon at their offices. Before leaving I was told "you'll hear back from us by Monday, if not sooner (tomorrow/Friday)." So I left knowing that in the mix of now 3 companies who were courting me, I'd be able to make solid comparison. Again, I appropriately followed up the next day with the panel of 4 interviewers to ensure I properly thanked them for the interview and to express my sincere and continued interest in their company and opportunity. The following Monday morning, I received an email that indicated an individual was out of town (a new member introduced in the process) and to please hang in with them until week's end when his schedule would be known for scheduling another interview. I timely replied thanking the individual for the update and asking for clarification: I asked for confirmation on the title for this new interviewer and also asked when they anticipated making a hiring decision (?) (as things were progressing elsewhere but I was still very interested in this company). To date, that communication, almost 3 weeks ago now, has gone without reply or any further communication. I share this information as an HR professional because a poor recruitment process, moreover, poor communication, will and generally should be, a red flag. If candidates aren't valued at this stage, why would it be a probability after being an employee? I've always advised job seekers that they'll learn and be able to evaluate everything they need during an interview process. Employers who ghost their prospects speak volumes. And shrewd candidates will make their decision, accordingly. Courtesy and respect should flow both ways at each stage of the recruitment process with proactive communication. The decision process is a two-way street and it's unfortunate when that's not seriously considered by companies who are looking for talent.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
A mix of open, closed and behavioral-based questions.