My recruiting and interview experience at Snapchat was top-notch. I've been a hiring manager in the past and understand the process from both sides. I hold sincerity, honesty, responsiveness, and how the end game is conducted in higher esteem than the process itself, or how I think something should go.

My recruiter handled me perfectly. He was not high pressure but let the company and opportunity speak for itself. I was a group manager at the time, and he was clear from the onset that the role had more of an individual contributor requirement. He did ask me if I was interviewing at other places and, if so, what stage I was in. I was not at the time, but I understand this question is necessary to establish appropriate urgency; it's a compliment to the candidate.

He gave me a crystal clear flight path through the interview process, which admittedly had a couple of minor road bumps, each of which was handled by him and the Recruiting Coordinator with aplomb. One evening I emailed the Coordinator at 11:45 PM with a question, and she was calling me with an answer 2 minutes later. Amazing level of service.

The in-person at the corporate office was cross-discipline, with multiple QA, multiple devs, and a lunch interview with a Snapchat Customer Advocate. Each brought a different set of needs and requirements, and each screened accordingly. The questions were mainly describing real-world testing and product problems and how I would approach them. The transitions between interviewers were crisp, and I was never left wondering what the next step was. As soon as the last interviewer left the room, the recruiter came in, and we started to go over salary expectations and such. All conducted with a personal touch that made it clear he understood my particular needs (leaving family, relocation, selling of a house, etc.) and in no way took a cookie-cutter approach.

The offer was delayed from Friday to Monday, and the recruiter communicated that to me so I wouldn't be left wondering over the weekend. It was well-organized.

The VP of Engineering provided context on the direction of the company, team dynamics, and his personal experience with the Snapchat recruiting process. He then followed up with details of the offer sheet, next steps, and established a start date.

The next few days with my family were intense, as we reached the decision to accept and relocate from Seattle, a city we love. My recruiter helped me along the way, referring me to other families with similar concerns and relocation stories. At a point where recruiters will often disengage and start counting their commission, the recruiting team stayed in close contact and made the transition smoother than my family could have ever expected.

Approach to automation