I applied through an employee referral. I interviewed at Patriarch Partners
Interview
Phone interview with an entry-level screener. The thought that my candidacy hinged on the opinion of an inexperienced screener via a phone interview seemed to be quite an arbitrary way to assess potential candidates for such a critical position. I basically had to take the lead on the call and it was unclear what information she was looking for to determine if I was worth seeing in person. It turns out I never had the courtesy of speaking or meeting any decision-maker in person despite being referred by a number of key people affiliated with their organization.
I applied through other source. The process took 1+ week. I interviewed at Patriarch Partners (New York, NY) in Mar 2014
Interview
The greatest positive was that everyone at the firm that I met was upbeat about how the company was turning around. The interviews were detailed and maintained a continuous focus on the needs of the CEO. It was stressed that she was “needy” and had high demands for perfection. The timing and response rate was also outstanding; there was no question about were one stood, in regards to the interviewing process.
Ms. Tilton was a great messenger of her own needs during the interview and her personality ripe with success and intentions to grow her firm even larger. She was honest and forthcoming in expressing what she truly wanted to achieve with her new assistant. It was a breath of fresh air to hear such openness by a CEO.
An offer was made verbally on a Friday after a final interview on Wednesday earlier that week. An express to get me into the office sooner rather than later was expressed though I wanted to give my current position proper notice. I started making plans based on this verbal offer that included shifting my entire life and declined two other offers.
Several days past and the written offer letter never arrived. This became an issue of concern for my family and finally I reached out. After reconsidering the CEO’s needs my verbal offer was rescinded for the reasoning that my writing was not strong enough.
Where today’s economy is without a doubt completely in favor of the employer, you should nonetheless ONLY make an offer to a candidate you are completely satisfied with; should there be any doubt, error on the side of caution and pass on that person. Do not make offers, particularly to individuals who are out-of-state, and then rescind them because of an internal afterthought.
Word travels quickly and soon your verbal commitments become circumspect, losing all value to future potential employees. In my case, I have since found out that my written skills were questioned from day one but your desire for an outstanding operations person clouded your decision making process. If you are seeking an assistant who can double as a Pulitzer Prize winner, than only interview those candidates.
My best to the firm and its management, as it was a VERY useful lesson for myself.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
None -- they were very straightforward except where I detailed above.
I applied through a recruiter. The process took 1 week. I interviewed at Patriarch Partners (New York, NY) in July 2013
Interview
Great bunch of people interviewing, although not technical enough to interview for such a senior role. The interviewers spent a tremendous amount of time telling me about the company and the role. The position itself seems to be extremely focused on the owner of the firm and that is probably a significant drawback.