Zaha Hadid Architects interview questions

Disappointing and Exhausting Interview Process The process involved five stages, including: A 20–25 min initial Teams call with the HR Manager A 1-hour in-person interview (with travel, this took me 2h 20min at minimum) with the Head of HR and a Senior Team Member A 50-minute written test - like a proper exam with small essays Another 1-hour in-person interview (again, 2h 20min with travel) with the HR Manager and an HR Advisor A compulsory 20-minute coffee break, positioned as informal but still part of the formal process with a Senior HR Coordinator I arranged my time carefully to accommodate this – including shifting my schedule, attending interviews during my day off, and working evenings to make up for lost hours. Theybwere not flexible at all in organising the interview and it should have been a red flag already. I’m happy to be flexible and committed to career progression, however, this lengthy process felt excessive and unprofessional. The whole process was overly focused on polished storytelling rather than real competence. Throughout the process, no one asked if I needed reasonable adjustments, and I wasn’t offered the option of a virtual interview for either of the in-person stages – something that would have helped manage my time and energy. The questions felt repetitive at times, and one in particular – asking how I would learn about architecture – was surprising. I understand the intent behind it, but it felt like the expectations were unnecessarily high. Structurally, the interview process lacked clarity. After an initial meeting with the HR Manager, I met the Head of HR, and then the final stage involved an Associate (or AD, I’m not sure) along with the HR Manager again. This order felt inconsistent. Ideally, the Head of HR should have the final say. Finally, the “coffee break” 5th stage interview felt misleading. It was mandatory, and I was asked personal questions such as who do I live with, where do I live, whether my partner is the same nationality as me. This crossed a line – even if the person seemed friendly, it raised concerns about whether the goal was to extract personal information under the guise of an informal chat. If it was genuine, it shows a lack of HR training. In the end, I’m left confused and disappointed by a process that felt more like a test of presentation skills than a fair assessment of ability. Candidates' time, energy, and effort should not be taken for granted.

I had an online interview with two senior managers from the Interior Design Department. The interview began with a brief self-introduction, followed by a presentation of projects from my portfolio. Although they had mentioned beforehand that it would be an informal chat rather than a formal interview, their demeanor was quite formal, with minimal comments or friendly interaction. This made the experience somewhat intimidating, especially over a video call, where it was difficult to gauge their reactions. They asked a few questions about my role in specific projects and concluded by asking if I had any questions for them. Overall, the structured nature of the conversation made it feel more like a formal interview than a casual discussion.