GetYourGuide

Vorstellungsgespräche

Verbesserungsvorschläge

Nach der Bewerbung wurde ich zu einem Video Interview eingeladen und danach zu einem persönlichen Gespräch. Das Interview war auf englisch mit HR und einem Team Lead.

Verbesserungsvorschläge

The recruitment process was for the most part well structured, transparent and quick. In total I had five interviews:

1. phone interview with a recruiter
2. technical interview via skype
3. one presentation + q&a in front of five people
4. cultural-fit interview
5. executive interview

In the final round I had to give a presentation about a data analysis problem I have worked on previously. The presentation took about 30 minutes with an additional 30 minutes for questions and answers.
The requirements for this presentation were quite general so I was not really sure what the expectations were on the other side. I expected it to be a bit more fun and relaxed like an open discussion among peers and future colleagues. However, the atmosphere was rather stiff and impersonal because everyone was taking notes while I was talking which made the whole situation seem more like an exam. Moreover, there was no formal introduction of those people who were present (with name and role in the company). It was just mentioned in the invitation email but a short introduction of everyone in the room would have been nice with one person moderating the whole session
One person arrived a bit late and another one joined in via Skype and based on his questions and feedback I had the impression that he only got part of my presentation anyway. At some point this person threw in terms that made it obvious that he did not get the problem at hand.
In the end I have to admit that I probably blew it because I was way too nervous and got irritated by rather simple questions and remarks in the beginning. I definitely should have practiced the presentation at least once or chosen a different topic with more material and slides.

One day after the final interview I received a phone call and I was told that most interviewers had a positive impression and considered me to be a good fit for the position. However, on the following day I received an email with a rejection because some of the other interviewers were not convinced. I had the feeling that this came a bit unexpectedly for the recruiter as well. I think otherwise he would not have called me the day before with an optimistic outlook and asked me for references. This call was a bit premature and made my disappointment about the rejection definitely bigger.

I received very detailed feedback after each step of the interviewing process. In general I appreciate that because this is not always the case.
Some of the feedback, especially the feedback regarding my experience and skills, was really helpful and to the point, whereas some parts of the feedback were rather subjective, mixed, surprisingly harsh and in my opinion not constructive (e.g. "his communication skills are going to be a struggle for him for a while" vs. "pretty good explanation on the white board","very introverted" "probably nervous", "he was stating the obvious a bit too much in the setup of his analysis, as if we had never thought about these things before” )

Most of the interviews and interviewers were really nice and respectful, though.
To sum it up, I would have preferred to receive only one call after the final round with either an offer or a rejection. The intermediate update call was misleading and frustrating.
Furthermore, some of the feedback could have been more constructive and concise leaving out comments on personality traits for example. Since some of the interviewers had very different impressions of my communication skills it is quite hard for me to conclude anything meaningful from this part of the interviewing process.

Bewerbungsfragen

Verbesserungsvorschläge

The first interview was after 25 days after I send my application. I have heard they have altogether 4-6 interviews for any position: 2-4 by phone and 2 meetings in person.

The questions on the first phone interview were strange... The process was like:
- describe me an ideal worker?
- (me: bla-bla-bla)
- thanks. Describe me your ideal job?
- (me: bla-bla-bla)
- thanks. Describe me a working day in our company?
- (me: bla-bla-bla)
- thanks.//
And so on...

No one question about a previous job experience, absolutely no feedback on your answers, no time to ask your own questions. In the end of the interview I had a possibility to ask about working hours (HR person said, no more than 40 hours in a week, flexible start between 8 and 10) and the connection was suddenly interrupted. I've restarted the phone and called back in 3 minutes, but there was no answer anymore and then I've received a message that the HR was already busy with another interview (?!!). After 1,5 hours more, when I had been already also busy with smth else, HR person called me back to ask if I have any questions. But thanks, I didn't.

Just in case if smb from the company read our feedbacks here:
It could be probably more productive if a HR person could keep the time limit in his head and could say about it to applicants. And may be to spend less time with questions about ideal life, but to keep this time for questions of applicants instead of interrupt a conversation in the middle.

On the next day I was going to write a refusal letter, but the company declined me first. Anyway thanks for such experience, interest in me and a good luck with the business.

Bewerbungsfragen

Verbesserungsvorschläge

Overall: incompetence of the tech lead of the department / other involved parties who first are answering the questions in one way and later changing their answers during the interview process.

I've applied for the job as a software developer.

Initially, everything seemed to be smooth. The first talk with the HR department, typical questions, next stage.

Then coding challenge arrived. Everything was good again and they invited me to the interview in the office.

I've answered to almost all the question I was asked.

After the first technical interview with tech lead I've asked him if I that is ok if I am not very familiar with technical secondary skills, but ready to learn that (I was applying as a frontend developer and they asked for backend skills which are not relevant to frontend at all). I've got the answer - "Yes, it's completely fine".

After all the 4 interview passed HR person came to me and told me the person who 3 hours ago told "yeah, it's ok not to have backend skills" suddenly changes his decision and now requires those skills.

Another bad thing - they've asked me a couple of personal questions they should not have asked. That's a very bad sign.

That's absolutely unacceptable! I don't know if it's the miscommunication between departments (HR and tech in that case) or just incompetence of one person, but that should not be how the things work.

Treat candidates well - and they will treat you well too!

GetYourGuide, you are just worsening the status of Berlin as tech capital of Germany. Don't do that, please.

Verbesserungsvorschläge

I got the interview invitation per e-mail, which I confirmed and everything was OK. Couple of days after that, I got a declining e-mail from a second person telling me that my application wasn't a fit. That was my first red flag, this tells me that the company has major communication issues, and if it happens in the HR dpt, I'm not excited to see how the others are doing. Even so, I still got my interview call (from now what is a 3rd person involved) and I must say, for a "innovative, creative and young team" the interview is filled with standard-Human-Resources-since-forever-questions and very little space for a quick feedback on your own questions. The person was just saying "thank you" to my answers, instead of analyzing them or going back-and-forward.... didn't try to get to understand me as a potential employee and didn't try much to show me how it is to work with my future team. I said yes to another job because I wasn't willing to sit around waiting for them to schedule me for other 2 or 3 interviews as the month goes by and you just can't be even sure you are getting somewhere with them. I've heard that they make 2 phone interview and 2 meetings in person. This is really amateurish. I speak fluently many languages and have tons of experience, but at the end of it, it's clear that they search newbies with 0 work experience and students, which won't get loud about low wages.

Bewerbungsfragen

Verbesserungsvorschläge

Habe viel Zeit in eine aufs Unternehmen abgestimmte Bewerbung investiert und zwar eine Empfangsbestätigung aber dann nie eine Antwort erhalten. Echt schwach...

Verbesserungsvorschläge

Die meisten Gespräche waren auf Englisch. Es gab insgesamt 2 Vorstellungsgespräche und 4 Telefonate. Alle meine Ansprechpartner sind sehr sympathisch gewesen, haben mir nach bestem Wissen über die Position und die Projekte des Unternehmens informiert, und mich mit interessanten Fragen herausgefordert.