I applied through an employee referral. I interviewed at TikTok (Los Angeles, CA) in May 2021
Interview
Recruiter was very friendly during screen and prompt with scheduling. The second round with Hiring Manager was very difficult. About 10 qs on creating privacy processes, which wasn't part of the job description at all and not part of my resume. Looks like they want a lot of help building from scratch and aren't as established given their growth and brand recognition as other reviews have stated. Followed up after a week and received rejection within minutes.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
All qs were about creating processes, which wasn't part of the job description.
I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at TikTok in Oct 2021
Interview
Interview process was good. I had an initial phone screen, 45 min interview with hiring manager, and then 3 more individual interviews. I enjoyed getting to know the people and they were all really kind.
However, I had an absolutely awful experience with the recruiter. Just know that they will not tell you the salary (not even a ballpark range) until after they tell you that they want to extend you an offer. And once they tell you the salary for the first time, they expect you to give them a yes immediately. I told them that I'm unable to say yes immediately since I just now received all the compensation details, and they guilt-tripped me by saying that my manager is pausing her vacation plans for me until I can give an answer & that I'm being inconsiderate of backup candidates' time. I had to beg for them to give me 48 hours to think over the offer and not even 48 hours in, the recruiter was calling and emailing me late at night... even though I kept telling her that I was busy. And early next morning, she threatens to rescind my offer.
The salary was much lower than what other companies were offering and they didn't offer any relocation as well, despite demanding that I move within a month. (TikTok's RTO is January but they will not let you start working even remotely until you move to the LA area for tax reasons, I believe). I told the recruiter that I'd really love to work for TikTok but to please reconsider adding relocation expenses to the offer letter because I couldn't afford the move otherwise & she refused. She told me to "definitely" take the offers from other companies if they're able to pay more. It wasn't empathetic at all. And when I asked for 1 more hour to make my final decision, she laughed. Very rude and aggressive recruiter. They also refuse to send any details over email and are very secretive about the entire compensation package.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Why Tiktok?
What kind of work environment do you desire?
How do you balance/maintain mental health in your personal life?
I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at TikTok (Los Angeles, CA) in Aug 2021
Interview
Very odd experience. The interview was virtual but the interviewer never joined the call. I followed up with the recruiter after ten minutes and got no response. Followed up again that next day and nothing. A week later I followed up and again and the recruiter said she would check in on the position and was never heard from again. Kind of funny when I think about it...rejection is one thing but full out ghosting is another.