Reynolds and Reynolds Technical Writer Interview Questions & Reviews

Interview Details – Interviewing with Reynolds and Reynolds was an extremely tedious and uncomfortable process. The questions they ask are bizarre, and the hours of irrelevant testing they put applicants through makes the company seem sketchy and overbearing. The fact that they are always hiring for multiple positions, and the interview testing room is FILLED with applicants, should have indicated something to me.

Interview Details – I received an email asking me to pick a day and time to come in and take an assessment and possibly meet with a recruiter afterwards. Prior to actually going on site they send you another application with more test you have to complete. The tests you complete before going in are pretty basic and consist of personality and memory tests. The memory test asks questions like who was Italy's ally during WWII. The on site assessment is much more difficult with the math portion being the hardest. I'm assuming I didn't pass the on site exam because they didn't ask me to stay to meet with a recruiter. If you are good at math word problems then you will probably do well enough to at least get an interview.

Interview Details – First, I had to take a test online. Afterward, I was asked told to come in for an interview. Well, it wasn't an interview - just more intelligence tests. THEN finally I was offered an interview with a recruiter. This process took much longer than expected due to the additional test, and I got in trouble with my current employer. After the recruiter interview, I interviewed with 3 other people in my direct chain of command in the same day. One of them didn't even introduce himself, so I didn't actually know who I was talking to, and it turned out to be my future director. For the technical writer job, I was asked what I'd do if I got edits I didn't agree with. I said I'd talk to the editor, which is the right answer, as the department follows that exact procedure. For me, the interview process obviously went well, as I was hired, but the process was a bit rocky. I got an offer after about a week. I told them I could start in 3 weeks so I could give notice to my current job and also have time to move, but they pushed for me to start sooner (which I didn't), indicating their authoritarian company culture - not a good start.

Negotiation Details – "Industry average for entry level is $40,000."
"Come on, did you really expect to get that? How about $32,000."

Interview Details – I applied for the position online and received an email back expressing interest. What proceeded was (roughly in this order):
1. “Long-form” application.
2. Logic/personality test (taken online).
3. Phone interview.
This was as far as I got when I received an email message telling me that I was not going to be selected for this position (though I believe that I made it to the final step in the process). The entire process took a fairly long time (3 weeks to a month) with long stretches where you would not hear from them. The interview included “normal” interview questions (where do you see yourself in 5 years, greatest strength/weakness, etc). Though lengthy, not a bad process overall.

Interview Details – I submitted my resume after finding a posting on Craigslist for a Technical Writing job with Reynolds & Reynolds. I received an email on 2/10/12 saying they wanted to have me come to their office for "an aptitude assessment as well as a possible interview". I had a list of times and days the next week to choose from and was supposed to email back with 3 available times. After that, I received an email telling me when my appointment would be and also had instructions to take an online "personality test" (which was several sections long and took about an hour to complete) as well as the online application. The personality test had some standard personality questions but other questions seemed more like an IQ test.

The email also had a 3 page Word document with sample test questions for the assessment I was scheduled to take. In the email they said to be prepared to do math without a calculator and they recommended working through the sample algebra word problems they provided, as well as checking out a book from the library about the Air Traffic Controller exam to help with the other 2 sections of the test.

The day of my appointment I got there early, checked in, and took the test. The algebra word problems were difficult since I have not had to think that way in several years, and I tried working through the practice problems but did not have the time to really get familiar with it again. After the test the recruiting receptionist said that someone from the department would look at my information and I would hear back in "3 to 5 days if not sooner". I was disappointed in this since I had to take time off from my current job in order to take this assessment and then I did not even get to meet with anyone face to face. I took the test on a Friday and after not hearing anything for a week, I called on a Monday afternoon and left a voicemail asking for an update. Later I checked my email and got the standard " We appreciate the time you spent applying with us; however, we will not be proceeding with your application at this time."

Technically speaking, I never had a real "interview", just went through the screening process. It would be nice to know why I never got to that stage but I guess they determined we would not be a good fit, and after jumping through all the hoops and not even being able to talk to someone I would say that I agree, it is not an environment I would choose for myself.