I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at FREIHEIT Architecture (Bellevue, WA) in Mar 2020
Interview
First interview with the President and one of the partners, second interview with a managing partner (tagged to be the future President) and the accountant.
The first interview was a nice long chat reviewing my experience, the role, and their hopes for the company's future. Having the HR and operations experience they were looking for and a history of building a healthy company culture during periods of rapid growth, I left with a great feeling about the position and company.
The second interview felt like being hazed to join a frat in college, or some kind of Twilight Zone bait & switch. I couldn't tell if the the good cop/bad cop routine was intentional, but the accountant barked questions at me like a drill sergeant, attempted to put me on the spot with sudden blasts of anger and sarcasm (making her appear unhinged), and weasled out of answering most my questions. I took no issue with the content of her questions, but her tone and combative attitude was nothing short of abusive; I felt she was intentionally trying to humiliate me, and considering this was our first meeting, I was taken aback to say the least.
The managing partner was a nice enough guy, but seemed unfazed by the accountant's tone and didn't have a clue who I was or why I was asked to interview - I seemed to know more about their company than they knew about me (odd, when interviewing at that stage for a key position). Frankly, I was shocked by the entire exchange. As a hiring manager and recruiter of many years, I would NEVER treat a candidate this way!
Interview questions [3]
Question 1
As we were saying goodbye, the (male) partner looked me (female) up and down and commented that he appreciated my outfit and how my nails, jewelry, and portfolio all matched... *sigh* I think he was genuinely trying to be nice, but I was absolutely stunned that anyone in a leadership position wouldn't know better in the era of #metoo. I honestly almost said, "Oh, honey (some sarcasm of my own).... You need to take the "Don't get us sued training!" But I just thanked him and left, as I had already decided that if they did offer me the position, no way would I take it.
I have honestly never experienced a more jarring, disjointed interview process in my 20 year professional career - it was nothing short of BIZARRE and incredibly unprofessional.
I feel sorry for anyone who has to work with these people, especially the first two folks that I interviewed with (who were really smart and wonderful!), and for the other partners who are being subjected to such incompetence. I am sure they design buildings better than they run their company, but if the 2nd interview was any indication of where this firm is headed, beware!
