HR screening: Standard Zoom call covering position requirements (30 min).
In-person interview: Three individual 30-minute interviews with the Vice President of Creative and two Product Design Directors (Girls Toys and Boys Toys).
Vice President, Creative: Very passive-aggressive and timid. Overall demeanor was very dismissive/detached.
When prompted for questions, I asked:
-How would you describe the corporate culture here?
-What was your biggest accomplishment of the year?
-What was your biggest challenge of the year?
He struggled to answer all three concisely, promptly excusing himself for a meeting after the third.
Girls Product Design Director: Aloof, but receptive.
Boys Product Design Director: Incredibly friendly and focused.
Workflow clarity: Asked several times throughout the screening and sit-down interview if their workflow process was structured or informal. Never received a firm coherent answer, which would strongly indicate informal.
Team size: Stressed at all stages that the company works in very small teams (1-3 people). About 50-60% of the interview time was spent rehashing the same question: "Are you comfortable working in a small team?"
Emphasis on team size suggested a high degree of autonomy, but limited support or mentorship structure.
Overall assessment: They clearly had a need for the position listed, but seemed unsure on how to coordinate internally to find the right person efficiently.