Hello, Samantha, thank you for joining this call. Does this time still work for you?
Yes, thank you.
Wonderful. Well let’s get started then. I’m the hiring manager for the Engineering Manager role we are looking to fill. This is a first round interview which we are conducting across many pre-screened candidates. My aim is to get to know you, your skill set, and let you know more about this role in the next 3- or so minutes. To keep things unbiased, I’ve liked to start each interview in the same way which is asking you how you found this role and what made you want to apply for it.
Ok, well I found the role initially on LinkedIn. I’m currently working for a different firm, but there have been directional changes from leadership, and while I enjoy my role, I’m interested in looking at other options that I feel like would align better to my values. Johnny, on your recruiting team, reached out after I applied and spoke to me more about the role. I’ve grown increasingly interested.
Great, what I hear from you is that you found the role on LinkedIn and are looking for a possible change to align more with your values. Is that right?
Yes, I do really well in smaller, growth oriented companies. And I’m nervous my current company is moving outside of that direction.
I’m sorry to hear things have shifted in ways that don’t work for you. But jobs aren’t lifetime commitments, it’s important that people do work they love. That’s one of our core values here at Engineering USA: Do Work You Love. And luckily, we could align to what you are looking for in your next role. Engineering USA is a small but quickly growing firm. I joined when there were only 20 employees, and we have grown to 50 employees in the last year.
Excellent, that’s wonderful to hear.Yes, thank you.
Next, I’d like to ask you some specifics about your resume, which I have pulled up here. You said you were manager for two years overseeing a group of engineers. Describe how that relationship worked with your reports, and one thing you feel you did that was unique to your management style that really worked.
Yes, I managed a team of four engineers for two years. In that time we bid on, won, and completed two major projects with the city. Under my guidance our team met deadlines, stayed within 5% of our anticipated budget, and earned personal referrals from our work. I have been really proud of the work we have accomplished. One unique thing I did as a manager that really worked was I hosted in-person kick off meetings for all stakeholders at the beginning of a project. In this way people could voice their ideas, concerns, and considerations up front which allowed us to move more quickly as a team later when the project was in full motion.
Can you quantify the impact that had on the business?
Hard to quantify precisely. But getting work done on deadline definitely minimized cost overages in both human resourcing and in terms of permits, equipment rentals, and tons of other stuff. I’d say our biggest business impact was reducing costs by 5% as compared to other groups by working efficiently.
A penny saved is a penny earned they say! I want to switch gears here a bit, and ask you a few questions specific to your interest in Engineering USA. As you mentioned, our company might be better aligned to the size and pace of a company you want to work for, but why Engineering USA? There are plenty of other firms in the region that are small and quickly growing.
To be honest, I’ve pulled a number of Glassdoor reviews and asked my peers about various firms, and this one seems the strongest. People have liked working at Engineering USA, and overall you have a strong brand reputation. I trust the word of exit-ed employees most of all. And since this is a career decision that I would like to have for the last three to four years, it’s important I land in an environment I can trust from the outset will be the kind of place I like to work.
Thank you. I appreciate people that do research about the company before interviewing. It shows your interest and commitment to this company, which is something we are looking for. We have only a few more minutes left in the interview. I wanted to save some time for you to ask me any questions you may have. Any question goes. As the hiring manager, it’s my firm belief that the interview goes both ways. We both have a responsibility in sussing out whether this employee : employer relationship would work out.
Thank you, yes I did have some questions. First, what makes Engineering USA a place you continue to work for?
In my life, it’s very important to have freedom to work in ways that resonate with my personality. Engineering USA nurtures that. I am able to work remotely, in an asynchronous work schedule that allows me to focus on other interests such as family, cooking, and travel. When my personal life feels full, I am better able to show up to work fully invested and engaged to do my best work.
Oh that’s so refreshing to hear! Thank you. I feel the same way. Another question I have is what would be my career growth at Engineering USA?
We work hard to give people career growth opportunities, but as a small company there aren’t a lot of rungs to climb. Instead of improving your title, you’ll improve your skill set and in the future, when you’re ready to make a move I have no doubt you’ll be able to jump one or two titles easily. Is that possible here? Frankly, I don’t know. People come and stay for a long time, making internal promotions rare. But I can commit to providing mentorship and guidance on the things you would need to know if you ever make a switch.
Ok, thank you.
No thank you! I’ve very much appreciated this time talking. If you have any other questions please don’t hesitate to ask. And, you’ll be hearing from our recruiting coordinator in the next day or two about whether you’ll be in line for a second interview. Thanks for your time, Samantha.
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