I applied through a recruiter. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Benefit Cosmetics (San Francisco, CA) in Jun 2016
Interview
I was interviewed by two Art department managers who have been working there for a long time. They were both very approachable, clarified the job responsibilities for me and answered my questions about the company culture. It was a brief 20 minute interview and I received a prompt response to my thank you email. It was a welcoming experience overall.
I applied online. I interviewed at Benefit Cosmetics
Interview
I had a call with a recruiter who called 15 minutes late. She seemed like she was off from the very beginning of the call. She was acting like she didn't trust any of my answers and asked me the same questions over and over again. I felt like I was being tested... and not in the regular interview type of way.
She kept asking me why I wanted to work at Benefit, and what made me like Benefit, etc. I mean I get that candidates should be excited about the opportunity... but is that the only thing that is important about working there? She barely even asked about my skills or anything that would see if I was qualified for the actual job. It seemed like she wanted me to be an expert on Benefit cosmetics, which isn't really possible from someone who has never worked there. And don't get me wrong, I actually probably know more than most people about Benefit, as I honestly use their products, and even my answers didn't seem like enough for her.
She just seemed like she wanted to get off the phone and as if I was wasting her time... It was overall a really weird experience. I am only writing this review because I felt like I didn't really get a fair chance at the interview because it seemed like the woman didn't like me from the moment I answered the phone... Maybe she was having a busy day or something had happened (hence the late call) but seems unfair to let that alter an interview.
I got an automated email back saying that they were going to go with other candidates from a noreply email. I have had a lot of interviews and phone interviews and I've never gotten an automated reply after actually talking to someone. Seemed a little low-effort.