Phacil, Inc. Interview Questions & Reviews

Interview Details – Interview and screening process was done over the telephone. Then went into the Main Office in Arlington, Va for a series of four (4) interviews.

Negotiation Details – Just ask for what you want.....

Interview Details – I was referred by a friend of mine who is currently employed at the Phacil HQ office. He loooves his job, though he did warn me it is demanding but very rewarding. He also warned me the interview process is tough so I was prepared. The recruiter also advised me that there would be a writing test during the interview. I met with the HR director and the EVP and they were both very upfront about both the challenges and opportunities. I like a good challenge so the tougher they described it, the more I liked it! It seems like the kind of place where hard work is rewarded and people move up quickly. (The lady at the front desk told me she was promoted twice in a year!) I can see why people would be turned off by how quickly they move or how honest they are, but I actually appreciated that. I thought the writing test would be easy but it was really hard and I didn't do as well as I had hoped. They called me back into the room afterward and asked me how I thought I did and I was honest and told them it wasn't great. They agreed :) but gave me some good pointers on why. I'm sad I wasn't picked but I would work for Phacil in a heartbeat given the chance. They've got their stuff together and I love that in this economy a company still cares about its employees and is growing! Oh well...

Interview Details – I was contacted about a potential opportunity. Once the contract was signed and the position was available (approx one week later), I was called in for an interview the next day. The office was very nice, location right near the Metro. I was very impressed with the three people who interviewed me. They shared a lot about the company's strategic direction and answered the questions I had.

Interview Details – I was brought in for the interview and then given an assignment that would demonstrate my abilities. Once I turned in the assignment which was that same day I was sent out the offer. That following Monday since the interview was on a Friday I started work.

Negotiation Details – This is the type of company where if you ask for a certain salary they will try to comply within reason, but if you have limited experience in the position you have been selected for they give you a probationary period to demonstrate your abilities and then be considered for a salary increase. Your salary and bonus are dependent on your personal performance which worked out well for me.

Interview Details – This was the worst interview I ever had in my life. I found the company's website online and browsed the openings. I applied to the Business Development Analyst position and was promptly contacted within a couple of days. The HR recruiter explained the position and then conducted a phone screening with me. I successfully passed and she gave me an assignment with these instructions and nothing else:

Conduct a SWOT Analysis and write an Executive Summary for the NASA ACITS opportunity. Upon completion if you can return it, that would be great and I will forward the assignment and your resume to the hiring team to see if they would like to schedule an interview.

She asked me to complete it as soon as possible without any additional information. I wasn't given a deadline so I knew I probably had to do it quickly if I had a chance. I did some research on NASA ACITS but there was no real helpful information. However, I managed to make some mumbo jumbo and submitted it within one day. I was praised for the assignment the next day and told I had to speak with someone to do a mock sales call with no additional information or instructions whatsoever.

I called the number to speak with the appropriate person and he asked me "what do you want?" and "why are you calling me?" It was hard to tell if he was sincere or not. I proceeded to speak courteously for about a minute until he hung up on me. I thought it might be a mistake so I called back only to get the voice mail. I e-mailed my HR recruiter and she said I did fine in the mock sales call. How strange, I thought.

So then I was told to call him again a few days later to discuss my "rationale" for how I did the exec summary. He said that he would submit my materials to the hiring manager and get back to me very soon. An entire week passed and I heard no response, so then I submitted an e-mail to the HR recruiter. For the first time, I received no response to an e-mail I had sent to Phacil Inc. I waited about four more days and then followed up with a phone call to my HR recruiter. For the first time ever, I received no response to my phone call. I left a voicemail. 20 minutes later, I got an automated e-mail response saying I'm not being chosen for the job. WTF, I thought.

I then e-mailed my HR contact to ask what had happened and why it took so long to get that e-mail when I was told everything was great and I would hear back soon. She gave me an extremely bogus answer by saying she thought she had gotten back to me "some time ago."

Frustrated, I contacted the CEO via e-mail, who forward my issue to the HR director, but not before sending me a nice e-mail apologizing. The HR Director sided with my version of the story and said she would investigate. It has been a week now and I haven't heard back.

Luckily, I have an interview with an even better company next week, but this is a warning to all of you to proceed with caution when dealing with Phacil, Inc. Don't get your hopes up and, if possible, think about whether you want to work there at all.