I made it to three rounds total, the third round was the only one where I spoke to a person.
When I initially applied, I was immediately sent 2 online assessments to complete. The first assessment consisted of pattern recognition, word association and math problems. Each section had 40 questions and you had 6 seconds to select an answer (it was difficult, especially doing it in the evening after a full day at work). The second assessment was a quiz testing sales acumen with scenario questions.
After I completed the assessments, I was invited to a second round where I was required to film 2 videos of myself and submit 2 short answer questions. The videos were role-playing scenarios. The first video, I was required to show how I would introduce myself and one of the hotels to gain a follow-up meeting to a local corporate travel coordinator using a comp hotel. The second video was showing how to handle an objection from a potential client using a comp hotel. For the short answer questions, the first was to create follow-up email to a client who's been ghosting you and the second was how you would create a memorable "peak moment" for a client or guest. All four pieces were also required to use Pathfinder's culture of platinum service and peak moments.
The third round was a virtual interview with the Learning and Dev Manager I had been communicating with and a revenue manager (which I thought was strange, I've never had a revenue manager in any hotel salesperson interview I've ever had). The revenue manager was also late to arrive.
At the start of the interview, I went over a brief summary of my resume. The learning and dev manager acted like it was the first time she'd heard it even though she'd had my application and resume for over 2 weeks at that point. Once the revenue manager arrived, I found out that this would not be a traditional interview but yet more role-playing scenarios. I was given a prompt about meeting a travel coordinator who had 10-15 rooms a month at a comp hotel and how would I gain an appointment.
This was not communicated in any email or text message leading up to the virtual interview, so I was completely taken by surprise. I felt after already doing an assignment with written and video answers and a quiz that it was redundant, reductive and frankly insulting. I've been in this industry for more than 9 years, I find having to perform a dog and pony show in lieu of actual conversation is ridiculous. On top of that, the hotels the job would be selling is an Aloft, a Holiday Inn Express and a Staybridge - totally over the top for mid-level select service properties. I decided to end the interview before going through with the role-play scenario and retract my application to Pathfinder.
I had already found the first 2 rounds as red flags and the virtual interview cemented that. If Pathfinder requires salespeople to act like a circus monkey before even getting an offer, I can't imagine the level of micromanagement they will have after employment.
