I had a different experience than these other folks reviewing. I applied online. Had a few phone interviews. One with a lady who (I believe) was the office manager. One with the hiring manager. Seemed to go well, nice people. Asked good questions and seemed really interested. I made sure to follow up after we hung up. The hiring manager was very kind and gave prompt, thorough responses. He explained that the process was going to be lengthier than I have experienced--but, at any time I had a question, I could reach out and would receive a very detailed, thorough response. We kept in touch throughout the month of July, as the team prepared for two new hires: the content role and a graphic designer role they wanted to coincide, from an onboarding perspective. I felt that I was kept abreast of all the ongoings that a lean, internal team was experiencing--and I really appreciated the transparency! That always speaks volumes about leadership style, which I enjoy: I appreciate clarity vs "smoke and mirrors." I figured this wasn't going to be a typical, corporate "rush-in, rush-out" type of deal. Either at the end of July or early August, they invited me into the office to meet the team and some other staff. Loved the team, felt right at home. The hiring manager also had me spend time with the COO who asked me questions about what I wanted to do in this role--which was exciting and fresh. I'm used to interviews where I'm told: "here's what you'll be doing in this role." Instead, I was asked about what I thought of the current blog, collateral, website, and other content pieces--and what feedback I could provide and any recommendations. Not like a "do free work for us" type of assignment, but more so like they were trying to gauge my critical thinking and content strategy abilities. This was a very different approach than what I'm used to; it was more exciting and showed me how collaborative the environment would be. It showed promise of a job with more creative license and strategy. The whole interview took 2-3 hours. In the end, the hiring manager walked me out and asked how I felt about the position. I said I was excited. About a week later, I got a text from him, saying he was visiting their EU office and if I had time for a chat because "he's old school like that." Put a smile on my face. It was late August and I was on the golf course (not playing well), so this was a welcomed surprise. I picked up the phone and excitedly understood I was being offered the position. I felt like the team did a really solid job of making sure I was the right person for the role. They asked for content samples and did their due diligence. They also asked about versatility and content range. This wasn't just a "blog-writer" position; it was much more intrinsically tied to the business, at large. I'd be creating sales enablement docs, owning "the voice" of the social and web copy, and re-branding the tone. Seemed like an amazing opportunity coming from an agency setting. The interviewers wanted to make sure I understood the position, in full, as well. Nothing felt hidden or phony--they were completely honest and transparent. The interview atmosphere was casual and professional at the same time. I felt like I'd met a group of professionals that I'd already had a long, successful history with. I've never had an interview go this smoothly. The whole process felt like an ongoing conversation and I knew I really would flourish at Finch if offered the job. I think this was the first time in my career that I was this excited to be offered a job. Couldn't be happier that I took the role!
