GKW Architects interview questions

The interview process was disorganized and unprofessional. The first round began with a senior staff member, and the owner joined about ten minutes later. Instead of focusing on relevant skills and experience, they pushed for personal stories outside of education and work, which felt intrusive and unnecessary. The second round was with the owner’s wife and a junior designer. Both were pleasant and easy to speak with, but many of the same questions were repeated, which made the process feel redundant. At the end, the owner came in and extended a verbal offer. When I explained that I was still in process with other firms, he immediately withdrew the offer and said I was not a good fit because they only want someone who will accept within 24 hours. This behavior comes across as highly disrespectful to candidates. It sends the message that they are looking for desperate fresh graduates rather than thoughtful, qualified professionals. The owner also repeatedly mentioned the number of Ivy League graduates interviewing, which only emphasized his ego. There is a reason the job posting has remained open for months. Strong candidates will not join a firm that shows little respect for its employees or potential hires.

Fast pace, informal, and very one sided. It was a conversational with lots of gotcha question. In a way, they were bragging about themselves, but couldn't answer certain questions. No information about benefits, no information about work culture, but tries to get you to give very personal stories.