I applied online. I interviewed at Planning Center
Interview
My experience with the initial screening interview was disappointing.
The Talent Acquisition representative appeared disengaged throughout the conversation. The interview was very scripted - questions were read off a list, and after each of my answers, the response was simply “ok, great,” followed immediately by the next question, with no follow-up or genuine interest in what I shared.
Once that part was over, I was given a general overview of the company and role, which basically repeated information already available in the job description. When I asked more specific questions, I was told that she was “not a technical person” and couldn’t provide further details.
This experience felt inconsistent with the company’s reputation, as many reviews highlight a strong culture of caring about employees. If that were truly the case, I would expect more attention to the quality of candidate interactions, starting with engaged and well-prepared recruiters.
Overall, the interview felt impersonal and transactional, to the point where it genuinely felt like speaking to an automated system. Ironically, I believe even an AI could have provided a more interactive experience.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We strive to create a respectful experience for every candidate, and that matters to our team.
Our initial conversations are focused on hearing from candidates while also providing an overview of the role and process. We also make space for questions. There are times when certain questions are best answered by the hiring manager, and we’re happy to pass those along or include them in a candidate’s profile so the hiring team is aware.
We do appreciate the feedback and will keep it in mind, as great candidate care is a high priority for our team!
I applied online. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at Planning Center in Sep 2024
Interview
The Planning Center has a transparent interview process and keeps candidates updated throughout. First you submit your application and resume, followed by a week to complete a take-home assignment. If accepted, you're invited to a blind Zoom interview. If you pass that round, you’re notified within 48 hours about a technical interview.
In my opinion, the take-home assignment should come after the cultural interview, as I spent a lot of time on it, only to find out I wasn’t a good cultural fit. The blind Zoom interview was efficient, with a list of questions provided in advance, which I appreciated. However, the interview felt rushed and scripted, with no room for casual conversation. The questions were a bit jam-packed and focused more on professional relationships, mentors, and inspirations rather than hard skills or experience. They also included a critical thinking question with a short time limit.
I didn’t make it to the technical interview. While I’m disappointed, I consider it a valuable learning experience. Some feedback would have been helpful, and I would suggest moving the take-home assignment to after the cultural interview
Interview questions [2]
Question 1
Is there a word or phrase that comes to mind when you think back through your career?
Candidates applying for QA Engineer roles take an average of 30 days to get hired, when considering 2 user submitted interviews for this role. To compare, the hiring process at Planning Center overall takes an average of 24 days.
Common stages of the interview process at Planning Center as a QA Engineer according to 2 Glassdoor interviews include:
