YMCA Interview Questions & Reviews

Interviewed Jun 2011 (took 3 days)

Overall, my interview experience with the YMCA was very positive. The recruiter called me about three weeks after I submitted my resume and online application. We scheduled a phone interview time. On the phone interview I was surprised to hear that the hiring manager was on the line with the recruiter and me. I would have liked to have known that in advance. The phone interview lasted about 30 minutes and the questions were challenging but not out of line. It was a pleasant conversation. About a week later, I was called and invited to come in for an interview. I was told in advance that the interview would be conducted by a panel and would be a two day process. I requested to have the entire process conducted in one day but to no avail. I was scheduled for 90 minutes on day one and 90 minutes on day two. I thought having to take two vacation days for two short interviews was excessive but agreed. Via email I received very specific instructions on how to prepare for the interview and was told I would need to give a presentation for 5 to 7 minutes. I was given the topic for my presentation. The interview panel members were very professional and VERY poker-faced. After the panel interview, I had coffee with two more members of the team. They were very nice and provided additional insight into the organization. It was a nice way to end a stressful day. On day two, I had an hour with the hiring manager and I was not interviewed, I was given the opportunity to ask whatever I wanted to know about the the role, team and organization. This was nice but again, I would have liked to have known this in advance. I had only prepared about five key questions to ask, but we filled the hour nonetheless. I then spent 30 minutes with the hiring manager's VP. That provided great insight to how the entire team is led and I was truly impressed with what I heard. It took about a month for me to hear that I didn't get the job. I thought that was a bit long. But, I feel the culture of the YMCA is very inspiring. The office and people combined with the benefits make it a very desirable place to work. I was grateful for a such a positive interview experience even though this particular opportunity wasn't the best fit for me.