Job interviews are stressful. But if you can glean some intel ahead of time, you stand to gain an edge. That's why we asked Marty Murphy, the director of talent acquisition and community engagement at Vokal, to tell us what candidates should expect if they ever interviewed there. The digital agency develops mobile apps, responsive websites, UX design and branding. Here’s what he had to say.
WHO YOU'LL MEET: Each candidate will typically meet with five people at Vokal. We always have candidates meet with the team director, a couple team members, at least one member from another team and the CEO. It's important for candidates to hear different perspectives about Vokal, and for us to have multiple people and teams weigh in on their candidacy.
ONE THING HE'LL ASK: “Do you prefer to work alone, or as part of a team? Why?” This question is crucial because Vokal is an extremely collaborative environment.
TESTING, 1, 2, TESTING: When interviewing engineers, we have them take a code challenge. The candidates solve contrived coding conundrums with members of our team. The exercise is not about brain teasers. It’s about finding out how you work with people to solve a problem.
BAD SIGN: When a candidate doesn't have any questions about the position or the company, that’s a red flag.
GOOD INTERVIEW MOMENT: I once interviewed a candidate who referenced her portfolio during the interview. When I opened the link, I saw she had made her website and portfolio specific to the interview — with our company's logo, the job title and more. I thought that was a nice touch.
YOU’RE HIRED: On a new employee’s first day, they can expect to be greeted with a warm welcome. They’ll get balloons, swag, donuts and introductions. And, they’ll cap their first day off with a company toast.
