I applied online. I interviewed at Tableau Software
Interview
After applying online the recruiter contacted me quickly afterwards, expressing interest in my application.
After this great start, it went downhill: Every email had to be sent twice before getting any reaction with regards to finding a suitable date for the initial interview.
Once we've had agreed on a date, the recruiter neither called nor answered my follow-up email.
Tableau should be aware, of this erratic behaviour - especially as a company which values its employees.
1
Average interview
Application
I applied through an employee referral. The process took 3+ months. I interviewed at Tableau Software in July 2014
Interview
I have been following Tableau for some time and have been extremely impressed with their product. I was thus excited to have the opportunity to interview for the Sr. Practice Manager position within their Professional Services organization.
The interview process was the most disorganized and frustrating experience I've ever encountered.
The first step of the process was that the Recruiting Coordinator setup an interview with the Recruiter. Even though the phone interview was scheduled a week in advance, the recruiter didn't call in for the interview. I went back to the recruiting coordinator who apologized and reset the interview for a couple of days later. The recruiter again didn't call in to the interview. Finally, the third time, I was able to speak with the recruiter.
The interview with the recruiter was very conversational. We explored different positions within the organization that would provide the best fit for my skills, interest, experience, and target compensation. We decided that the Sr. Practice Manager role would provide the best fit.
My next interview (about a week later) was with the Sr. Director of Professional Services. The interview was again very conversational as we explored my experience. The next two interviews (about a week later) were with two individuals who would be my peers. Both individuals were very candid about their experience working with Tableau. The feedback I received was that if anything, I was overqualified for the position. One of the individuals told me that he would recommend me for the position. I finished all of these interviews by the end of July.
And then there was silence.
About a week later, I tried to contact the recruiter by email and phone to understand the next steps and the timing of their hiring for the position but didn't receive any responses. I circled back with the recruiting coordinator who was very responsive but ultimately not very helpful as he said that the recruiter would be in contact with me. A couple more weeks and still no contact from the recruiter. I again reached out to the recruiting coordinator who told me that he would personally follow up with the recruiter. I finally received an email from the recruiter in late August that stated that final interviews for the position would be scheduled either in mid to late September.
I again reached out (emails and phone calls) to the recruiter in mid September to see how they were tracking on their original schedule but didn't receive a response. I reached back out to the recruiting coordinator who responded but again deferred to the recruiter. Finally, frustrated with the lack of communication, in the beginning of October, I tried to call the Sr. Director of Professional Services to see if he could provide any insight into the hiring process. I left a message with his receptionist but never received a response.
I contacted the recruiting coordinator to express my frustration and asked him if I would be contacted if I were no longer being considered for the position. He assured me that they would contact me either way. He apologized for the confusion and said that a new recruiting coordinator had been hired and he would have her reach out to me.
Another week passed without hearing anything. During the second week of October, I reached out to the original recruiting coordinator, apologizing for pestering him but letting him know that he was the only one who would return my calls or emails. Within 45 minutes I received a generic email from the new recruiting coordinator thanking me for interviewing but that they decided to pursue other candidates.
Questions abound.
When did they make the decision to not pursue my candidacy? How could they make such a decision with such little information? I had only had three, one hour interviews regarding my skills and experience with no face to face communication and the feedback from those three interviews had all been extremely positive.
The core competency of a professional services organization is setting and exceeding appropriate expectations. This requires constant and effective communication with customers. How could a professional services organization fail so miserably to communicate with potential hires? Do they treat their customers with the same disrespect and arrogance?
I still love Tableau's product but wonder how long they can survive with such organizational incompetence.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
All questions were very conversational. The discussion centered around my experience and why I thought I'd be a good fit for the position.
I applied through a recruiter. I interviewed at Tableau Software in Jan 2016
Interview
I was provided a telephone interview much like the others. The interview lasted approximately 40 minutes. I felt it went very well at the time. I was asked the standard screening questions and provided with a job description. At the end of the interview, I was told that I would be contacted by a hiring manager for another interview. Less than a week later I sent in an email thanking them for the interview opportunity. I did not receive a response for another week or so. I sent another email after two weeks and asked if I was still being considered for the position or if I could be considered for a different or future positions. I still have not received any emails from them stating either way to the outcome. I am finding it very unprofessional to not send out some sort of correspondence to the applicants. After all, we are putting Tableau's interview process at the top of our list.