I applied through an employee referral. The process took 3 months. I interviewed at Allscripts (Raleigh, NC) in May 2011
Interview
My experience in interviewing with Allscripts was very frustrating. I originally submitted my application and resume online and then had a friend who is an employee follow up for me. About a month after I applied I was contacted for a phone screening, which was very positive. They wanted to make sure that I was aware of the travel commitment and it felt that they were trying to make sure that I was serious about the job. I was told during the call that I was "one of the stronger candidates" that they had spoken to and I was asked if I was interested in interviewing for a position that started in 3 weeks. I couldn't possibly have given only two weeks notice to my current employer, but expressed interest in their next round of hiring, which I was told would begin in "two or three weeks".
When more than 3 weeks went by without any communication I emailed my HR contact and asked when they would begin the interview process for the next round. I was told that they were going to start "in the next two weeks". I again waited 3 weeks and after no word contacted her again. This time I got no response. I waited a week and emailed again and was told that they were going to begin the interviews "next week". Again, nothing. After two weeks I called and got no return call. I finally had my friend contact them and this time I was emailed by a different person with an actual time-frame for interviews. I made an appointment for an online Skype interview and it went very well. I interviewed with the hiring manager and an associate and the actual interview lasted about 45 minutes. This was on a Tuesday and I received an email the following Tuesday that they were impressed with the interview and intended to make a verbal offer. I was told that they were compiling the offers and that I would be contacted soon with the details. Meantime, I had been offered another position in the same area and was waiting to determine if I would accept it. Several days later I was emailed again with the offer and it was VERY low. Considering that the position required 100% travel, I was shocked at the amount they wanted to pay. The offer I received from the other agency was at least 5% higher and it didn't require ANY travel. I asked if they could match my offer and they declined to do so, so I declined the position.
The problems I had with this company were several:
1. If it's going to take 2 months to set up an interview then JUST TELL ME THAT! They kept telling me "next week" or "in two weeks" and then never followed up.
2. Please return phone calls, even if it's just an email saying that you received it. That's just professional courtesy.
3. If you are interviewing professionals for positions that are going to require travel, why are you waiting until they have only time to give two weeks notice and then no time in between jobs to arrange their affairs? My offer came less than two weeks prior to the date they wanted me to start. If I had not received the previous offer and turned in a 30 day notice already, I would have left my current employers in quite a lurch. Also, most employers are requiring at least a 30 day notice for RNs and if it's not given you can be listed as not recommended on a re-hire.
4. This company never even considered negotiating my salary. They never even asked about health benefits (which I was going to decline) because not having those benefits saves the company at least 10k a year. I was asking for less than 30% of that. This is a very short sighted view of the managers and clearly shows that they are more interested in getting help for as cheaply as they can instead of looking at quality.
All in all, I would not recommend interviewing for this company. Even though I was made an offer, I'm very glad that I was in a position to decline.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What is your usual method of prioritizing your time?
Great interview process. Talked to a lot of staff from entry level to Directors. Very positive and great feedback about the company in general. Only negative is seems like high turnover but they did say they still had a lot of resources to train.
Overall, very easy to complete this process. Interviewed with a cohort out of college. A recruiter streamlined everything and helped us organize a phone screen followed by a group on site interview in raleigh.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Tell me about a time you received difficult feedback and how you handled it
It was a very quick process. I enjoyed talking to the employees. I had a good experience. I got a good look at how the company worked and what my role would be.