I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Yelp (San Francisco, CA) in Apr 2015
Interview
The first phone interview with the recruiter was fine. She asked me some basic questions about my background and what I was looking for.
The second phone interview was okay. It was rushed because the department head double-booked me. She seemed to like my experience and I was invited for a live interview.
The Yelp corporate office is really cool looking, so that was exciting, but the actual interview process was very unorganized. The recruiter said that there was some sort of room change so I had to wait a while before meeting the first set of department members that I was "interviewing" with. One of them was very superficial and the other seemed somewhat more professional. We didn't talk too much about my skills other than what I do at my current job. Same sort of thing happened with the next couple of folks I talked to. By superficial, I mean that they asked me about where I got my nail polish and if I enjoy Pinterest. They seemed more interested in seeing if they liked me as a person rather than if I was actually qualified...which is fine, I guess.
I lastly had a conversation with the department head whom I already had a phone interview with. She was definitely more professional but she also said she was more concerned about hiring a candidate who would "fit in" with her "girls" rather than someone who was qualified for the intellectual aspects of the position.
Well Yelp, the feeling was mutual.
I was initially contacted by a recruiter and completed a phone interview, which led to an invitation for an in-person interview. I accepted and attended the interview, but the experience felt rushed. During the interview, our conversation was interrupted when people entered the conference room to prepare for another meeting, which made the process feel somewhat disorganized and distracted from the discussion.
At the conclusion of the interview process, I was told that they were just beginning interviews and expected to make a decision within about a week. I was informed that the recruiter would keep me updated. After a week passed without any communication, I reached out to the recruiter and was told that the team liked me and that I should let him know if I received any other offers so he could potentially help expedite the process.
I responded promptly, but after that, I received no further communication. I followed up again and never received a response.
While I understand that companies have many candidates to consider and hiring timelines can change, I believe candidates deserve the courtesy of a final update, even if the decision is not to move forward. A simple email takes very little effort and demonstrates professionalism and respect for the time candidates invest in the interview process. Unfortunately, the lack of communication left me with a negative impression of the overall experience.
I applied through a staffing agency. I interviewed at Yelp
Interview
Easy, painless interview process. Phone screen with a recruiter then an in-person interview with about 4 to 5 people back to back, makes for a long day but only have to come in once.
I applied in-person. I interviewed at Yelp (San Francisco, CA) in June 2017
Interview
Contacted by recruiter and moved on to a 30 minute phone screening. After passing the phone screening, I was given the opportunity to move forward to an in person interview. Interviewed a total of 6 people from the team at 30 minute each. The in person interview took over 3 hours.