Hello, I’m Diana, a new member of the Pronovix tribe.
As I found the company to be unique in many aspects, I would like to offer some glimpses into how things are going around here.
This post is about the steps I went through before I got hired. I think it can be useful for future applicants and everyone looking for new ways to customize the hiring process to find the best fits for a company.
I applied for the technical writer position, and went through three rounds of interviews with the company’s owners on Skype. Preparing for a Skype interview is a bit different from preparing for a live introduction. I spent most of my preparation time setting up the lighting in my living room, as the light of the ceiling lamp doesn’t do me justice over camera. I also had to pay extra attention to avoiding any distractions that might come up when you’re at home. As the position and Pronovix in general requires great English skills, all interviews were held in English.
The interview process and questions were different from what I’ve experienced in previous job interviews. The first interview was a behavioral interview, where the interviewer chose the skills required for the job and asked me how I behaved in situations corresponding to the chosen skills. It was a refreshingly new experience, and I felt that the interviewer was really interested in my skills and personality instead of just giving me the same old job interview questions. All along, I had a feeling of equality in the aspect that it wasn’t only about the future employer deciding if he needed me in his company or not, but also about me getting all the information to decide if I wanted to work there. This is a much healthier approach to getting a job, and I think this beginning will help me a lot when actually doing my job.
After having successful interviews with the owners, I was invited to the last stage of the application process, a group interview, where all colleagues can meet the applicant, ask questions and decide if he or she would fit the group. You only get hired if your future colleagues see you as someone they would like to work with. It’s something like a tribe initiation ritual and aims to decide whether you would fit the company as a person. By that time, my skills had already been tested, so this was really about my future co-workers having the chance to meet me, and me having the opportunity to meet them, look around in the office and get a first impression.
My very first impression when I arrived was that the atmosphere was very relaxed. I got a nice hot cup of tea while they set up the interview. Again, colleagues working remotely joined on Skype. When I sat down in front of my future colleagues, and the interview started, I had the feeling that the best approach was to just go along with it. As having about twenty people in front of you ready to fire questions at you about yourself could get a bit intimidating, I’m glad they didn’t rush anything and took the time to come up with questions and listen to my answers. I will always remember the feeling of being the one interviewed by the group, and I think the reason this worked out so well is that all my co-workers went through the same before they joined, so they could really identify with my situation. As the questions came naturally, in no particular order, I had to be able to switch between topics quickly. Topics included my previous work experience, my strengths and weaknesses, where I see myself in 3 years, and if I prefer cats or dogs. When this session ended, remote colleagues sent me questions on Skype. By that time I felt like some kind of celebrity with all the attention focused on me. Of course I also had the opportunity to learn more about the company and my future colleagues.
After the group interview ended, I had to accomplish a task similar to what I’ll be doing as a technical writer.
When I left, the group had a discussion about me, and fortunately their feedback was positive. I was glad they told me the decision about my hiring very soon, right the same day.
Now as I’m starting to settle in, I really see the benefits of a group interview like this. Had I gone through a more common interview process, my first workday would have been the first time I meet my colleagues, and none of us would have had the chance to actually think about whether I could be a valuable member of the group. It’s a very reassuring feeling to know that the team I joined was looking forward to welcoming me, just as I was looking forward to working with them.
