Got the phone interview schedule 2 days after submitting application on their website. First round was the phone interview with HR representative, questions included personality, team work experience and projects had done. They were very energetic and passionate which made me feel very comfortable to talk with them. The next day, I got the email saying I had passed the culture fitting interview and they would like to schedule the second round interview. It was still a phone interview with the people this position reporting to. This round was more about the technical questions regarding the skills you would use in the work.

Interview Questions

why zappos

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Other Details

I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a 1:1 Interview, a Group/Panel Interview and a Skills Test.

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

3.0

Average Interview

Overall Neutral Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Dec 2011 (took 2 months)

I first applied then was asked to fill out an online application with the same unusual questions. What's your theme song, what super hero would you be etc. Then I got a call from a recruiter. He asked some questions about my current job, why I wanted to leave etc. then asked how weird I thought I was. I then had to take a very difficult skills test on Microsoft office programs. It was timed and had about 25 questions. Then a few weeks after that I got an email asking to schedule an interview. My interview time was rescheduled twice and when I got there they were over 20 minutes late. The interviewers were nice enough but I felt like they never asked about my skills just wanted to know if I could work in such and unusual environment and how I interacted with previous co-workers. It seemed very important to them that I hung out and was BFF's with everyone in the office. The office atmosphere was very chaotic. I'm not sure how they get much done everyone was standing around eating and talking. I felt like the entire time I was being judged on how weird I was and not on my skills. I asked what the position did exactly and they never gave me a definite answer. They just kept telling me they were looking for someone who could get along with the VP. I assured them I had worked for every type of person you could imagine, which is the truth. I've never had an issue. I was told they had a few more interviews and would be contacting me late the following week. This was a Friday and by Monday they had already sent an email saying they didn't think I was the right fit. I honestly felt like I never got a shot to even show my skills. I think they judge too much on how weird you are and not enough on your job performance. I think they had already decided before I even left the room. Feel like I wasted a lot of time and energy. Salary was never listed or told either. I was going to ask at the second interview.

Interview Questions

Are you friends with co-workers outside of work.

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Other Details

The interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a 1:1 Interview and a Skills Test.

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

2.0

Easy Interview

Overall Neutral Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Aug 2011 in Las Vegas, NV (took a day)

I do not live near Zappos headquarters. So a hiring manager called me for a phone screen. After a few questions about my education, the kind of work I do and why I was interested in Zappos, the technical portion of the interview began - abruptly. "What is an interface"? How is the keyword final used? The questions were very basic, low level Java questions. What is encapsulation? What are the benefits to using interfaces? Some basic object-oriented design/programming questions.

The interviewer was a manager and he was not particularly affable.

Overall, I was disappointed. The website and videos on YouTube give the impression of people there being funl knowledgeable engineers. From the questions asked it seemed like they were looking for a book-read newbie that can recite full definitions off the top of their heads, but actual coding skill optional.

Interview Questions

What is encapsulation

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Other Details

I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview.

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

2.0

Easy Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Received and Accepted Offer

Interviewed Feb 2010 in Henderson, NV (took 1 week)

Was referred by a recruiting firm, interviewed with two folks - the hiring manager and a future "peer" in the same day after having a phone interview initially with hiring manager.
The usual interview questions were asked, tell me about your work history and experience, why are you looking, etc. etc.
Then a few wild cards - so how weird are you on a scale of 1-10, and why? What is your life song or anthem?
Some suggestions - this is a quirky team so if you are looking for structure and a "normal" office environment this is not it. If you are outgoing and have a fun personality while not taking yourself or life too seriously, and still able to deliver exceptional work, then this is a perfect place.

Interview Questions

What is your life anthem/song?

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How weird would you say you are on a scale of one to ten?

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Negotiation Details

They are pretty firm on salary ranges as they fully recognize that people really want to work there for all of the crazy perks.

Other Details

I got the interview through a Recruiter and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview and a 1:1 Interview.

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

3.0

Average Interview

Overall Neutral Experience

Received and Declined Offer

Interviewed Sep 2011 in Las Vegas, NV (took 4+ weeks)

Initial communications, planning of interviews, etc with Zappos was professional. Zappos has a fabulous HR department, warm, inviting and considerate of candidate's time. It is true, Zappos does ask you the question, 'on a scale from 1 to 10 how weird are you?' HR wants you to honestly evaluate yourself- can you deal with the culture at Zappos? Can you successfully complete your work in a noisy work environment? do you like to party/ interact with your co-workers outside of work? do you feel comfortable taking direction from a manager younger than you? If not you will not be happy at Zappos.

After HR phone interview, you are scheduled for a phone interview with hiring manager within the specific job area you applied to. The hiring manager conducted a professional and focused phone interview. Another phone interview as then scheduled with the team I would be working with along with the hiring manager. That phone interview was a free-for-all. It seemed to be all about how cool you were, not about your skill set. None of the members of the team showed up on time for this interview, and it was difficult to tell who was in the room at a given time- no one bothered to identify or introduce them self while asking me questions. I was surprised to get asked for a onsite interview.

Interview Questions

On a scale of 1 to 10, how weird are you?

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How do you feel about hanging out with your co-workers after hours?

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Reason for Declining

Outside of HR, the people who work (software, development, engineering, UI) at Zappos are very unprofessional, emotionally immature, lacking skill and capability. The work teams give the impress that they are comprised by individuals who never left junior high school. Very cliquish. It is amazing any work gets done at Zappos.

Other Details

I got the interview through a Staffing Agency and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a 1:1 Interview and a Group/Panel Interview.

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

3.0

Average Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Nov 2011 in Las Vegas, NV (took a day)

Questions asked:
1. Obviously, why you are attracted to that position
2. Your goals in life
3. What you're passionate about
4. Your interests outside of your major/academia

Your interviewer will likely be:
1. Very relaxed (mine wore jeans!)
2. Very much indulged in Zappos' people centric, "weird" company culture

Important tips to remember:
1. Know about the CEO and his personality
2. Learn about Zappos' unique culture
3. Don't be afraid to make small talk and be honest
4. Show your personality

Interview Questions

What do you see yourself pursuing in 10 years not necessarily related to your field?

Answer Question

Other Details

The interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview and a Personality Test.

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

3.0

Average Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Oct 2011 in Henderson, NV (took 2+ weeks)

I applied online and received an e-mail through Jobvite to schedule a phone interview. The recruiter was fantastic: friendly, engaging. I had no doubt my experience would be ideal, but - a word of advice - read on the company, its culture and core values. There are a lot of videos on YouTube to help as well. Anyway, since I'm very non-corporate, geeky, prankster, joker and down-to-earth, I'd figure it would be the kind of culture I'd thrive in.

A few days after the phone interview, I got an e-mail asking to schedule a sandbox test, which is used to determine your attention to detail. Only up to 2 mistakes are allowed in a 30-minute span, but if you are careful and detailed it will be an easy task.

Then, I was invited to interview in person at its HQs. As per the interview invitation and the corporate culture, I didn't dress up for the interview, but I was wearing clean and average business casual clothing. A shuttle picked me up at the hotel by 9:30 a.m. and took me to the HQs. After waiting a bit and being provided water by the very nice guy at the front concierge desk, I was taken to a themed conference room. Soon, the recruiter with whom I had the phone interview and a more senior person came in and we talked about my specific experience as it relates to the position. I think everything went well and I clicked with the interviewers - I think they clicked with me as well. We spoke for approximately 40-45 minutes.

Then, they left and a couple of other people in the department came in. The questions were of the 'cultural fit' mode. We joked and laughed a lot. It was very informal and I got to showcase a bit of my joking personality. This was another 40 minutes or so. By then, it was time for lunch with various potential coworkers.

They took me to a nearby restaurant and I tried to have a conversation with all the people present (about 12-14 people), asking questions and laughing along, trying to be congenial and collegial.

After lunch, I had a further interview with yet another senior representative and it was a very pleasant informal chat that, again, lasted 40-45 minutes.

At the end, a friendly person took me around for a tour. I felt at home at Zappos - no doubt. I felt the zany and creative air would be the perfect place for me and I would be able to succeed and be a constructive member of the team.

Then, the waiting game began. Unfortunately, a week to the day of the interview I got an e-mail that said something along the lines that a majority of the team didn't click with me and therefore they would not pursue my application, that it was a very tough decision after some prolonged deliberations, etc.

I got the impression that the people I spoke with during the 3 separate interviews were not the issue. The problem was at lunch with the rest of the people. But I question whether it's realistic to 'click' or not with someone at lunch over a period of one hour. I've always had lunch with a prospective hire, but I would never judge his/her suitability simply by what happened at lunch. Moreover, it's hard to 'click' with 10-12 different people.

That was a bit disappointing. However, I know who and what I am and I know full well I'd be great in a culture such as Zappo's. There's not one thing I'd change about my interview and I have nothing but kind words for the people I had the pleasure of meeting. Their loss, not mine!

Interview Questions

On a scale from 0 to 10, how lucky are you?

Answer Question

If you had a theme song for your life, what would it be and why?

Answer Question

Other Details

I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a Group/Panel Interview and a Skills Test.

More Zappos.com Human Resources Interviews

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

3.0

Average Interview

Overall Negative Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Sep 2011 (took 6 days)

Very soon after I filled out the online application I received an email instructing me to fill out another application and to complete a few tests. I was then contacted to take another test online. After completing the test with a perfect score I was invited to do a skype interview. I put in a lot of time doing all of these tests, filling out multiple applications, and hours preparing for the interview. When the interview started they hadn't even printed out or looked at my resume! Then, after the interview they said I didn't get the job because I didn't have experience with luxury handbags. Well duh! They would have known that if they had looked at my resume at all! Here is a company that will waste your time.

Interview Questions

What makes you weird?

Answer Question

Other Details

I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Skills Test and a Personality Test.

More Zappos.com Merchandising Assistant Interviews

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

3.0

Average Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Sep 2011 in Henderson, NV (took 5 weeks)

After I filled out the application online, I got an email about 2 weeks later to set up a phone interview. My first phone interview was with my department director. Then I set up another phone interview with a recruiter. After that I took an excel test and an online sandbox test. After all that was complete, I had "interview day" complete with office tour and a few hours of panel interviews that concluded with lunch with the team.

Interview Questions

why should we hire you vs the other candidates?

Answer Question

Other Details

The interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a Group/Panel Interview, a Skills Test and a Personality Test.

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

View Comments (1)

Inappropriate?

3.0

Average Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Jul 2011 in Henderson, NV (took 6 months)

Everyone at Zappos is friendly and outgoing. Hard not to notice that most were twenty and thirty-somethings. They are a magnet for that age group as they are known for their party atmosphere both in and out of the office. Unorthodox interview questions like "If you could decorate a conference room, what would your theme be?"

They promote heavily from within. I was looking for a starting position that I could use to advance to a position in a different department. Word of advice, don't inform them of your desire for career advancement. They want someone who has a strong desire to do the entry level job alone. They also want people who will fit with their company culture: be fun, a little weird, outgoing...no wallflowers need apply.

I wish I'd had known these helpful hints before my interview. Chalk six months up to a lengthy learning experience.