The hiring process took longer than expected and was long drawn. However, some of it could be attributed to stakeholders traveling.

I was very enthusiastic about the company, its mission, and my role. I applied for the job through multiple channels and finally got a HR phone screen. Subsequently, I had technical phone interviews with the hiring manager and then with the director. I was then called in for an onsite interview. I had a presentation followed by one-on-one interviews. After about a week, I reached out to the recruiter, who then set up a call with the VP.

A different recruiter handled the offer negotiations, as the person I was interacting with went on vacation. I did not get a feeling that Zoox values vehicle engineering as much as their autonomous driving teams. I discussed this with current Zoox employees who had dealt with the recruiter during their recruitment, and they had forewarned me. The recruiter repeatedly pushed for more information to base the offer. However, he ended up low-balling and absolutely brushing off my specialization and the experience I had to offer. I had to reluctantly reject the offer.

Having good brand ambassadors is important. Although I am enthusiastic about Zoox's mission, I am utterly disappointed with this experience.

My best interview was with the director. He posed a question based on his past experience on a vehicle program about an issue that came up during pre-release. Most of the employees I spoke to were very good to interact with.