"I was contacted via LinkedIn by a recruiter from New Relic’s talent acquisition team. The first step was a screening interview with the recruiter, which went smoothly and focused on my background, motivation, and fit for the role. I was then invited to a second-stage interview with the hiring manager. Unfortunately, that conversation felt rushed and transactional — more focused on rapid-fire questions than meaningful discussion. There wasn’t much space to talk about the product, my experience with similar technologies, or my motivations for joining New Relic. The process ended there. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Pros: The company has a strong product with deep roots in observability, and being a consistent leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant is no accident. The recent focus on AI-powered observability and OpenTelemetry alignment shows they’re keeping pace with the industry. From a technical standpoint, I respect what New Relic is building. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Cons: The interview process is where things fell apart. I was genuinely interested in the role and came fully prepared — I researched New Relic’s tech stack, market position, and recent strategic moves, and tailored my preparation accordingly. Despite that, the conversation with the hiring manager felt rushed and cold, with no room to discuss product alignment, motivation, or relevant experience. There was little curiosity about me as a candidate, just a narrow checklist mentality. Their feedback accused me of not showing interest in New Relic — which is ironic, considering the structure of the interview didn’t allow for that interest to be expressed. There was no real discovery, no collaboration, and no sign of a “builder” mindset. It felt like they were screening for compliance, not contribution. ---------------------------------------------------------------------Advice to Management: You’re creating a new team in EMEA with a brand-new manager — this is a pivotal moment where hiring the right people is everything. But good talent doesn’t just check boxes; we bring context, adaptability, and experience. If the goal is to build a strong team culture, the interview process needs to be more human, more structured, and more aligned with what real-world sales success looks like. Ask yourself: are you hiring salespeople who memorize scripts, or those who understand business pain and create value? The current process doesn’t reflect the company’s ambitious goals — and unless you empower real leaders and rethink how you engage candidates, the reputation issues of the past may stick around longer than you'd like. "
