Recently had a final round PM interview at Etsy — L3. I met with 6 different people. Each had a different theme — collaboration, leadership, etc. The format was: Tell me about a time you did X? Tell me about a time you did Y? Tell me about a time you did Z? For nearly 5 hours straight. No actual problem-solving questions, no presentation, strictly behavioral. Someone please tell me — ideally someone at Etsy — the point of this. It seems like they are testing for likability, how well you can tell a story, and how well you can stand up to being peppered with questions all day. I just don’t get it. Also, I didn’t get the job. So there’s that. TC: $210K #etsy #pm #productmanager
I had screening with them Did a good job and got rejected surprisingly! Cery cool evacuation system overal!!
it's a matter of luck. we rejected one superstar recently because one of the interviewers wasn't happy about some answers
Luck of the draw is a big factor for sure. Can you share a little more around why Etsy is so focused on ‘tell me about a time…’ behavioral questions in interviews?
Had the same experience and for a much much lower seniority tole. Seems like they just throw as many people at you as they can so they can say they vetted. The recruiter called me on the day they were supposed to tell me if I got it; instead they told me the mngr needed more time to decide. Not a fan.
I had the exact same interview experience 2 years ago for a DS manager role
Some companies hire for soft skills knowing that the right person can learn anything tech wise. Of course they want you to have a strong foundation. No clue if that is what Etsy does, but it’s a reasonable strategy.
“The right person can learn anything tech wise” is a huge assumption that doesn’t always pan out. And I wouldn’t say five hours of “tell me about a time” interviews is a good screen for soft skills either
@apx4 I would agree with both points. I’ve had luck hiring people that demonstrated a history of self learning. Not all though…