The interview process was incredibly disorganized. I had 2 recruiter phone screens, followed by 3 phone interviews, after which I was given an assignment to complete and was invited to the DC office (for a position in the Palo Alto office). When I asked who I was meeting, the recruiters refused to tell me.
When I went to my DC office, I met with 1 person and 3 via video conference. Not a single one of these people asked me about the assignment and when I mentioned it, they all said "Oh, you had an assignment?" After my DC office interview, I had another phone conversation with the team lead, and was invited to the Palo Alto office. They certainly set me up quite nicely - booked the exact flight I wanted, provided transportation to/from the airport, put me up in a VERY NICE hotel, and covered all of my expenses.
I should have seen the red flag when I got an email literally the night before I was supposed to fly out from a recruiter telling me that my entire interview (with 4 people) needed to be pushed from Thursday AM to Friday PM. I called her to address and ask if I had any other time options and she told me no. Okay then, more time in the Palo Alto area. Not a problem. Again, when I asked who I was meeting, the recruiter refused to tell me.
My trip was incredibly smooth until I arrived at Palantir - I waited over 30 minutes in a waiting room for a recruiter I had never even met or discussed the positions with, who passed me off to the 1st team member I met with. She was THE ONLY person I met in person. Again, I met with the team lead via video conference as she was in NYC that week and then another person (who wasn't even on the team) who was in DC. Why didn't I meet that person when I was in DC? I have no idea. And the 4th person I was supposed to meet with - oh he (a legacy) had something come up and couldn't meet me. "Sorry! You'll skype with him next week" the recruiter said. And then she proceeded to tell me about how excited she was to go on vacation for a week with her girlfriends to Cabo and party all week. "Oh, so I'll hear from a different recruiter next week [my 4th at this point]?" Oh yes, definitely, I was told. I didn't even get to see a product demonstration as I was told I would.
The recruiter took my skype info and never gave me this guy's. "He'll call you," she said. I return home, my interview time roles around and 10 minutes go by - nothing. I've emailed with the recruiter twice at this point who tells me to wait, and that he'd be calling. He finally calls, tells me he was waiting for me to call him, asks me 3 questions while very clearly multi-tasking on his computer.
I'm told I'll hear within a week whether or not I've received the offer. When I don't hear anything for a week and a half, I send a follow up note to all of the recruiters I've worked with, including the one who I started with who just left for a month and the other who just got back from Cabo. Radio silence.
After a few days, I get an email from another recruiter who I had never even heard of inviting me to the DC office. AGAIN. The email is literally the exact same template email I already received THE 1ST TIME they invited me to the DC office. I respond to her email telling her there must have been some kind of mistake. I try to call the DC and Palo Alto offices - the DC office tells me not everybody has phones, and the Palo Alto office tells me they are not permitted to transfer people. WHAT?! I then forward the note to all of the recruiters asking them what's going on. It's Friday AM east coast time. Radio silence.
I follow up Monday and get a note from the recruiter asking if I have time to talk. I give her several options. Radio silence. I send her more options. She finally picks one. When I get on the phone with her she gives me some canned response about how I'm perfect for Palantir, but they just don't know where I fit. How about the job I applied for perhaps?
This entire process was completely and utterly disorganized. I took it so seriously and brought my a-game and was tossed around like a tennis ball. If their recruiters are at all representative of the company, this tells you that they are growing way too fast and are a total mess. I would've rather not wasted three months of my time going through this experience.