Farallon Consulting interview questions

Teams call with in-house staffer, lasted about an hour, shared about the company and asked about my experience in the field. Very conversational and friendly. I just wasn’t something they needed at the moment.

I had an interview mid last year (2022) for a Field Position (collecting samples mostly) based out of the Issaquah or Seattle, Washington offices. Although the HR manager was fantastic, the engineering team I interviewed with asked an inappropriate, sexist question which is why I rated the interview experience so low. I wasn't going to do anything about it, but I feel like people who apply here (especially younger females) should be warned of potential issues. But first, let me outline my entire experience with this company from submitting an application to getting their hiring decision. I first applied online with a resume and cover letter. A month or so later, I got an email that notified me that they had a lot of applicants (around 100), that they'll possibly hire two people for the position, and that I should respond to some questions to narrow down the applicants (mostly why do you want to work here and why are you a qualified applicant questions). I responded to he questions and a week later, I was selected to go forward and have an initial interview (max 45 minutes with an HR manager). She made the company seem fantastic, gave all details right off the bat (including pay and benefits - which was very refreshing), and she was very personable and enthusiastic. She was a perfect interviewer for potential hires (she works through ClearCompany talent management). She mostly went through what to expect on the job and she asked general questions to get a gauge on my experience and enthusiasm for the position. I ended up being cleared for another 45 minute video interview with two male Principal Engineers who would presumably oversee the new hires (at this point, they narrowed their applicants from 100 to 5). I also had to send in my 3-5 references before the interview. The interview was a bit awkward (I will admit to being an awkward person myself too) and I could tell we weren't exactly meshing, but I was going through my (admittedly limited) experience. I'm right out of college so I was mostly talking about my capstone and classes and other jobs I've worked. Then, one of the Principal Engineers asks me about my hobbies so I tell them I enjoy gardening. They asked what types of tools I've used and he goes on to explain that he was asking if I've used heavy machinery or only "women's tools". I was immediately taken aback (after all, the job description didn't say anything about being able to use "mens tools"). The other interviewer didn't say anything about this either and so I just kind of brushed it off and talked about how I just use normal things like a rake and shovel. The interview went on and then ended without too much fanfare. It wasn't a surprise that I was not hired. It may seem like something small, but this slip and the refusal to acknowledge it by either Principal Engineer (who probably oversees a team) tells me there's likely other systemic issues that would arise from this company as it stands (note that this was a year ago so hopefully they've worked on their culture since then). Even if I was given an offer, I would have declined (which says something since I was fresh out of school and looking for my first job as an environmental engineer in a pretty tough market). I thought I wasn't going to say anything and I genuinely don't like conflict, but this interview kept bugging me. Things turned out for the best since I have been employed at a wonderful, accepting company for the past six months now, but I hoped that in writing this that it would help not only the people that apply here, but also help the employees of this company to nurture a new attitude towards equality and helping new hires grow.