I applied on the Square website with my resume and cover letter (which is optional). I received an email from a Square Recruiter to submit a written response to two different prompts. I attached these written responses shortly after receiving the invitation to move forward in the interview process. After a few days, I was asked to provide my availability for a short phone interview. The first part of the phone interview was comprised of typical interview questions for a customer support position. The second part was a "mock call" conducted by the same customer support representative. I was given the necessary information to answer a call before the mock call began. While I initially tried to absorb as much information as I could to answer the mock call, I found the call to be more about application versus memorization. How well could I imbed the information I was given to make the customer feel heard and assisted...even if I didn't have the exact answer the caller needed? This mock call helped me to understand Square's culture as I moved forward in the interview process. It's not about answering a call perfectly or giving a rehearsed answer, but about your ability to think critically when there might not be an easy answer. I felt confident my phone interview went well enough to get me to the next round, but also knew I could do better. Next, I was asked by email to participate in a group interview. Square is process-oriented and so their interviews exude that core value. I went into the office reminding myself not to compare myself to the other candidates. Group interviews are the best and most efficient way to interview candidates for a position (or multiple open positions). I heard negative comments from both those physically interviewing with me, as well as on Glassdoor, that the group interview is lazy, impersonal, and creates a hostile culture between candidates. I fully believe this creates confirmation bias and clouds your ability to form your own opinions and create a positive experience. Rather than sizing others up, get to know those sitting close to you. There's many reasons a person might not be hired, but that doesn't mean you can't make the most out of the opportunity to interview. I met a lot of new people and heard a lot of strong responses in my interview group. After finishing the group interviews, which were conducted in a few smaller rooms, all of us were asked to regroup in the large conference room for a brief Q&A. After questions were done being asked, we were told we would hear about whether or not we would be invited to continue to the final round of interviews after lunch. The final interview was conducted privately between 1-2 of the leads and each candidate. I personally do better in groups, so this portion of the interview was hardest for me. I met many competent candidates throughout the day and reminded myself that if I don't get a job offer, it's not necessarily that I'm a horrible fit, but that someone else is a better fit. The Glassdoor reviews led me to believe there was a "look" or an "age" that Square was prioritizing in their hiring process, but there was a wide range of people, representing a multitude of identities and diverse professional experiences, invited back after lunch. I am fully aware unfair, prejudicial, and often coded hiring practices exist despite discriminatory hiring being made illegal. In fact, I have experienced less than tolerant work environments in the past. However, that was not my experience at Square. I didn't so much as experience a single micro-aggression during my interview process, and I also know that sometimes it's easier to attribute a rejection to something we can't change, such as our age or appearance. Tech companies have a bad rep when it comes to ageism and diversity, and I also believe Square is one of the places that is definitely trying. Sorry this post is so long. I never post on Glassdoor and hadn't planned on writing such a long post, but mostly everyone in my interview group had the Glassdoor interview posts nearly memorized and continued to obsess over the past posts during lunch as decisions were being made. And as I heard from a lead during my interview, people create culture. This means people can be empowered to change a company's culture through building relationships and being transparent about their experience. Don't bring negativity into the interview process. Don't hold yourself back from giving it a real shot. Be open-minded and enjoy the process.