I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Focus Entertainment (Paris) in Apr 2026
Interview
Le processus prévoit un premier entretien téléphonique pour échanger sur le poste et un second entretien en présentiel afin d’approfondir les compétences avec des test de mise en situation, la motivation et la compatibilité avec l’équipe.
I applied through an employee referral. The process took 2 months. I interviewed at Focus Entertainment in Aug 2025
Interview
there were two case studies to prepare at home with vague explanations about the exercises and no answer from hr when asking for more clarity
No transparency from hr and long processes when the said it would take 10 days max.
I applied online. The process took 3 months. I interviewed at Focus Entertainment in Jun 2025
Interview
I was asked to complete a brief for an in-person interview. The brief had three tasks:
1. Conduct your own evaluation of a game they asked me to play test
2. Present my approach to conducting research for this game
3. Present my overall research strategy for testing a game throughout it's lifecycle
The brief was written in poorly translated English (I am a fluent English and French speaker.) The brief also said to "not be exhaustive" (despite any user researcher who would know that those three tasks together are certainly exhaustive - it's a lot of work just for an interview.) I had to ask three times to clarify the format of the interview, the tasks asked of me and how long I would have to present. The responses I got were vague, and unhelpful. I assumed the interview would only last an hour.
On the day, the interview lasted two hours. They told me they wouldn't be hiring any time soon but that I could email them with any questions. I followed up a few days later with an email to check-in. I got no response from the recruiter. Four emails later over 1-2 months, still no reply. I even left her a voicemail. Eventually, I reached out to the senior UXR who was in the interview with me. After seven days, he responded vaguely saying they still weren't ready to hire.
I was given outstanding feedback during my interview, and it was clear I had put a lot of effort in and was very qualified for the role. After radio silence for two months, they have just rejected me for the role. They didn't do me the courtesy of calling, or discussing with me in more details my ambitions for the role - which seems to have contributed to their decision not to hire me.
I am annoyed that I was ghosted for months on end, after being given reason to suggest during the interview itself that I was the perfect candidate for the role.
Poor recruitment. Poor organisation. Poor experience.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Talk me through how you would approach the research during this game development cycle?
How would you work with designers and devs?
Do you believe it's the role of research to tell designers what to do?