TripAdvisor Product Manager Interview Questions & Reviews

Interviewed Feb 2009 in Needham, MA (took 4 days)

I applied online (TripAdvisor website) for a Product Manager position. I was contacted by phone approximately 1 week after submitting my application. The HR representative conducted a brief phone screening of me, after which she scheduled a phone interview for me and the hiring manager. We discussed salary, and right off the bat, I was made aware that the salary range was significantly less than what I was looking for.

I spoke with the hiring manager later that day. He conducted a fairly thorough screening, asking about my relevant experience at each position I had held. He also let me know that they would like to have me in for an interview and that there would be an assignment. There was a more senior position available (someone was leaving the team, who had a more senior role), so I asked him if I might be considered for that role, since it matched better with my experience level, and he said no, and "I had to earn it." He said that the HR rep would be in touch to schedule and in person interview and that there would be an assignment.

The HR rep reached out to me a couple of days later to schedule the interview and provide me with the assignment. The assignment was to develop a creative solution campaign for a potential advertiser that was launching a new airport terminal and wanted to advertise it on TripAdvisor. The interview was scheduled for approx. 1 week later. I reached out to the HR manager regarding my concern about the salary range and whether or not it was worthwhile to continue the interview process, she said that she thought we could find a solution that worked for everyone. So, I prepared the presentation, and went to the interview and presented it to the hiring manager. He seemed very impressed by the comprehensive solution I developed. I also met with three other junior members of the team. There was some concern expressed about the management style of the hiring manager, but overall it was a very positive experience and interview. The offices were nice, open and modern. One of the core values is "Speed Wins" (e.g. getting ideas to market quickly is important).

I followed up with thank you notes to each person I met with. Approximately one and a half weeks later, the HR rep contacted me to let me know they had decided to offer the position to another candidate who had more publishing experience. This seemed odd since I had worked at two publishing companies and a web publishing company. I think the fact that my required salary was out of their range probably affected my candidacy. The HR rep asked if she could contact me about other potential opportunities in the future, and I encouraged her to do so.