I was referred by a current employee and routed to the recruiter responsible for that specific role. As a mid-level manager at a FAANG company, I believe both factors helped me get on track for a quick interview.

I met the senior recruiter for an initial screen. We didn't talk extensively; most of the interview time was spent going over the company itself and its progress over the years. I was able to mention my experience using the Twilio API on a few projects back when they were getting started, which seemed to go over well. The recruiter asked if a certain salary range would be acceptable, I agreed, and received a follow-up after the interview to schedule a screen with the hiring manager.

I attended a screen with the hiring manager, who was another manager with whom I would be working. He was a pleasant fellow and spent the first few minutes discussing his past experiences and current role. He asked mostly softball management questions, such as, "Tell me about a time you failed to deliver, managed a conflict, or had trouble explaining something." I got the sense he was trying to move through as many questions as possible. He didn't leave time at the end for me to ask questions, so I asked if he had a few extra minutes to stay; he graciously agreed to stay on for exactly one minute.

After the interview, I sent a polite note thanking the recruiter for their time and expressing my eagerness to continue the conversation.

The recruiter passed my note on to the team.

I never heard from them again.

Tell me about a time you failed to deliver.