The process took 6 weeks. I interviewed at Invitae (San Francisco, CA) in May 2019
Interview
Multiple phone screens, phone interviews, followed by an on-site with numerous folks with a presentation to the interview panel to kick off the day. Two phone interviews after the on site with folks I could not meet with during the on-site. Hiring manager requested a list of titles and companies I would feel comfortable targeting for business development (i.e., a representation of my Rolodex).
Overall, I rate the experience as negative. I felt like I was being tested for how much time and effort I put into reading their website and regurgitating it back to them, using their own slide decks & scripts to present offerings back to them rather than show them a strategic educated mind, and other potential ways to do things. It’s not like I was sitting on the bench dying for this job...I had a demanding senior level job elsewhere and there is only so much time one can do preparing for an on-site where their expectations were mis-aligned with mine.
After all was said and done, it was clear that they potentially wanted my “Rolodex” and my ability to use my hands and feet according to their plan. They didn’t seem to value what is between my ears. Much of the staff on this team came off as sales/BD inexperienced, yet arrogant. One in particular seemed to be the diva that needed to be impressed in order to get a job offer...this proved true based on the feedback I received later. Typical of a San Francisco / Silicon Valley culture.
In fairness, Invitae is a solid company with smart people doing good for the world. This particular team came off as a pretty underwhelming from my perspective so when I heard candid feedback from the hiring manager as to why they are choosing not to proceed forward, it was laughable...like two people who went on a long bad date trying to get away from each other. I won’t go into details but the hiring manager shared some petty reasons (true or not...they were just petty to share), which cement my belief about the immaturity of the team I interviewed with.
This experience taught me to avoid interviewing for roles where you’re punching below your weight class with the the interviewers. The HR team should do a much better job up front ensuring alignment to career levels and compensation rather than let a process proceed and waste everyone’s time. I have since learned to do the same. The HR side of things came off disjointed as I was asked to do some extra phone interviews after the interview on-site that clearly did not factor into their judgement of my candidacy. These hours spent were pure wastes of my time and theirs.
I write this review to hold Invitae to some accountability on their candidate experience, which I hope helps the company improve.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
How long after your start date would you feel comfortable speaking with potential clients and developing business?
Excellent experience, really clear about current initiatives and explanation of expectations. Genuine interest in finding someone with the right fit. Company values seem to come through.
Approximately 5 rounds of interviews.
Business Development applicants have rated the interview process at Invitae with 4 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest level of difficulty) and assessed their interview experience as 50% positive. To compare, the company-average is 53.1% positive. This is according to Glassdoor user ratings.
Candidates applying for Business Development roles take an average of 45 days to get hired, when considering 2 user submitted interviews for this role. To compare, the hiring process at Invitae overall takes an average of 33 days.
Common stages of the interview process at Invitae as a Business Development according to 2 Glassdoor interviews include:
Group panel interview: 20%
Other: 20%
One on one interview: 20%
Presentation: 20%
Phone interview: 20%
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