Initial screening call - Typical call with recruiter; discussed career objectives and background.
Phone Interview 1 - Hiring Manager- Interview went very well. She really didn't ask me very many behavioral questions, we discussed my background, skill set, and current role. She seemed very excited about moving forward, and I was as well. I had the opportunity to ask good questions about company culture, core values, day-to-day functions of the job and organization/culture changes since the SAP acquisition. I also asked about metrics and performance appraisals. At the end of the phone interview, the HM set the expectation that I would be moving forward with the interview process. Subsequent to the call, the recruiter scheduled the next two interviews.
Phone Interview 2 - Manager of other regional team - I felt this interview went very well, as my background was very much aligned with the position. Once again, I was asked about my background, working with sales, experience conducting product demonstrations, etc. I also had the opportunity to ask some of the same questions that I asked Manager 1. I was looking for any inconsistencies to the answers, as well as getting a different perspective. Again, I felt good about this call.
Phone Interview 3 - Regional VP of Sales -- This interview started off on the wrong foot, because the recruiter gave me the incorrect time that I would be receiving the call; the VP called about 5 hours earlier than I expected, while I was still at work. I felt this put me at a disadvantage because I was not as prepared as I would have liked to have been and had to scramble for a quiet place to talk. He asked me about my experience with product demos/presentations, if I had any previous demonstrations go awry, and the value proposition of Successfactors' products. I asked a few questions when we wrapped up -- sales process questions, discovery call process, etc.
Subsequent to this call, I advised the recruiter that we had a miscommunication about the time (his mistake) and to please convey that to the VP so I would not appear incompetent with my personal calendar. Overall, I felt good about all three phone interviews. About a week later, I received an email from the recruiter that we would move forward with the final interview/presentation in person at a regional SAP office and details would be provided shortly for travel and logistics.
About 5 days after that I received a call from the recruiter advising me that the hiring manager had changed her mind about moving forward and that I was no longer being considered as a candidate. The only feedback I received was that the hiring manager didn't feel I had enough energy for the position -- I didn't feel this was in line with the conversation that I had with her originally, where there was clearly a mutual excitement.
A few miscellaneous items: Overall, the recruiting process was very efficient. I felt the recruiters were very responsive and I was happy to receive some feedback. I was able to talk with 2 members of the team that I could have been potentially working for, and it was a pleasure to speak with them and learn more about the role and the company culture; I really appreciated the HM making arrangements for me to talk with them. While I was disappointed with the outcome and was a bit confused from the feedback, it was a very productive interview process and I was happy to have the opportunity to learn more about Successfactors as an organization.