I applied to this position online and got interviewed back in December. I had a phone call scheduled the following week, so it was definitely nice to know they are on top of hiring for all positions. The phone interview was relatively normal with no curveball questions. However, the HR manager didn't have a clear idea what kind of candidate the product team is looking for or the relative status of the company as though she was hiding something. She was not particularly excited about interviewing either and it was easy to tell she was just reading a script as though as she was just trying to get it over with. After the initial phone screen, the second round was with a product manager on the team. The second round was pleasant but lackluster as well with no genuine interest in the candidate or in the direction of the product. The interviews were scripted unlike the other startups in the area so every interview with the team felt awkward and dishonest. After further research on the internet and with old team members on Linkedin, it is easy to tell why the team and the product itself was so underperforming. Any quick dive into the Glassdoor reviews and Google reviews of the company uncovers the company culture and mindset they do not want you to see. Glassdoor reviews and Google reviews are often gamed by company employees and nonreliable sources. The product itself has great potential but I would recommend any interviewee to take caution and do your research before submitting an application. It is also easy to conduct some informal informational calls with nonessential employees to get a sense of the culture behind the scene.

I was recruited by a recruiting agency for this position. After an initial call with the recruiting agency recruiter, I had a GREAT hour long video call with the Eng/PM in charge of this role where he told me lots about the company/culture and took the time to learn about me. Then had a call with the HR of Fictiv for some logistical and behavioral questions. So far so good and I was SUPER interested in the role. After this I got a timed skills exercise where I had 48 hours to submit back to the recruiter. This was a very extensive exercise which involved exploring the platform, coming up with a 3-6 month roadmap and a detailed PRD for 1 of the features. At roughly the 40th hour, BEFORE I got the chance to submit the skills exercise, I suddenly got (what looked like an automated) email from the recruiter saying the role has been filled. I thought, this must be a mistake, they must've accidentally sent this email to me because theres no way; I'm working on the skills exercise right now. I email back immediately to clarify whats going on and they tell me someone accepted the offer today and thus the role is now closed. IS THIS A JOKE? I'm extremely upset at the sheer disrespect of this company. I understand things happen but to ask me to do an extensive skills exercise and then say the role is now closed at the 11th hour is just sooo disrespectful. I am shocked at the way this company handled quite frankly a normal situation and strongly urge potential interviewees to proceed with caution.