I applied online. The process took 4 months. I interviewed at Gates Foundation (Seattle, WA) in Sept 2016
Interview
The process was quite drawn out. I applied online in early May, then did an initial screening interview with one recruiter in early June. She passed me on to a second recruiter who arranged for me to do a phone interview with the hiring manager in late June. Things then came to a standstill in July/early August, probably due to vacations and difficult travel schedules, but it was hard to know. I heard in early July that they wanted to invited me for in-person interviews but coordinating schedules on their end took a long time and I didn't end up in Seattle for the interviews until early September. I met with 5 people from 8:30 until about 2 pm. Things moved quickly after that when they decided to make an offer.
Interview questions [3]
Question 1
Describe a work project that you found pleasurable.
Some of the interviewers had a 2- or 3-page guide with typical behavior/fit questions, and they chose one or two from those questions. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Congratulations and welcome aboard!! As you likely already see, many program staff travel extensively and it makes interviewing a challenge. We continue to try to find ways to make improvements to our candidate experience. If you'd like to share some feedback with me directly, please reach out to me. pam.yanchik@gatesfoundation.org
Other Program Officer interview reviews for Gates Foundation
Spoke to a recruiter, had initial conversations with two employees then a two-person interview. Very little follow-up, was told I would hear back in a week, and heard back only after I requested information a month later.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
How I would solve a problem that emerges from a process-focused perspective.
I applied through a recruiter. I interviewed at Gates Foundation
Interview
Multi-staged interview process with. multiple levels of conversation with different stakeholders. Interviews stretched over the course of 5 months with gaps in between. Received good updates in-between. Very competitive with a lot of applicants.
Lovely and respectful interview process. I did not ultimately get the role, but felt cared for throughout, and was kept in mind for future roles. The interview helped me prepare for future interviews.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Whether or not I would be willing to relocate to Seattle
