I applied through a recruiter. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at ShapeUp (Boston, MA) in Aug 2015
Interview
Met with the CEO initially. Two additional interviews followed within three weeks. Met with CRO, head of product and engineering. Got an excellent understanding of the challenges they faces and were they needed to go next. I was not extended an offer as a better qualified candidate that had stronger experience in one of their major problem areas was given the offer. It made sense!
I applied through other source. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at ShapeUp
Interview
Long and drawn-out. One preliminary phone interview with HR, a 45-60 minute phone interview with the hiring manager, and a 4-hour in-person series of interviews with 6 people -- although the 6th person wasn't available at the scheduled time, so that one was skipped. I was told the "finalists" for the position would go through one last interview, where they'd be given a "test" of some sort. This test would be different from the personality screening test I'd already taken in advance of the group interviews.
Yes, this company seems to have excellent benefits, including good pay, unlimited vacation time, almost fully paid health insurance, in-house exercise room with treadmills, etc, that can be used at any point during the day, fully paid parking, bring your dog to work on rotating days, a free catered lunch once a week for all employees, a free snack area (mostly healthy snacks), etc. etc.
But in spite of the great benefits package and all the cheery reviews of the company, there's a disturbing undercurrent at this place: "Unlimited" vacation time doesn't mean that you actually get to use it, because the employee stress level (at least with the employees I spoke to) seems sky-high. Behind closed doors, some of the people I interviewed with spoke negatively about other employees -- not a good sign. I was told a main function of the job I wanted was the ability to "stand your ground" and argue your point of view. Great. The person I'd be replacing (she was moving to another position) seemed angry and out of sorts.
I asked to see samples of the type of writing I'd be doing, and was told no.
I was stunned when one of the HR people [AS PART OF THE INTERVIEW] told me about an employee's recent emotional crisis due to being overworked for weeks/months without relief. I won't go into the company's so-called "caring response" to help this employee, but it was pretty outrageous. I also think the unnamed employee would be horrified to learn he's being offered up as an example of ANYthing. That was when I decided benefits and good pay aren't everything, and even if the job was offered to me I wouldn't take it. It was actually a relief to be turned down.
I applied through a recruiter. The process took 2 months. I interviewed at ShapeUp (Providence, RI)
Interview
Multiple phone calls, personality profile, onsite interviews. This company impressed me from the beginning until the end. In many ways, they remind me of a startup, but they are established and very successful. If you look at what they have accomplished with the team their size, it is truly amazing. I knew the culture was something I wanted to be part of.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What are the top things you would do to immediately start building business?