Very disappointing assessment day experience. It felt chaotic and poorly organised, with five candidates being assessed at the same time, which made it hard to properly engage or stand out. The process came across as unprofessional, especially compared to the expectations set beforehand. I went in with high hopes, but left feeling frustrated and undervalued. Would not recommend based on this experience.
I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Personal Group (Milton Keynes, England) in Feb 2025
Interview
The whole process was very simple, quick and straightforward. The initial application stage was very easy to navigate, and during both interview stages, I had a very positive experience. Everyone was very welcoming and put my mind at ease throughout the process. I felt valued and was treated like a human, not just a number, and communication throughout the whole process was consistent, clear and open. I can confidently say that I had a very positive experience.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Tell me about yourself.
Can you tell me a time where you had to handle sensitive and confidential information?
Can you tell me about a time where you had to handle a difficult situation, and what was the outcome?
I applied online. The process took 1 week. I interviewed at Personal Group (London, England) in Apr 2025
Interview
I applied directly via their LinkedIn advertisement and was subsequently contacted by a recruiter through email to arrange a screening interview. From the outset, I suspected that for a CTO position, the Head of HR should have conducted the interview rather than a standard company recruiter.
The interview was remarkably generic, and the recruiter appeared disinterested from the beginning. I was thoroughly prepared and, frankly, overqualified for the role (assuming the position genuinely exists). Despite feeling confident that I had performed exceptionally well, I received a brief email several days later stating they would not be proceeding with my application. No feedback was provided.
I politely requested feedback, but they have since gone completely silent—it has now been three weeks without response. I can only assume this was merely a training exercise for the recruiter, and I doubt the role is actually available.
This was an extremely poor experience in my view a complete waste of time from a company that claims to uphold strong people values. Something is clearly a miss there. My advice would be to avoid them entirely.