I applied through a recruiter. I interviewed at Smooth Media in May 2026
Interview
Their HR person contacted me on LinkedIn and the initial call with her went well. Then I was asked to complete an assessment which asked me to provide insights and ideas on their brand. The assessment took at least 10 hours of work. Then, exactly a week later I was told they hired someone else. I should have known something was up when I was asked to do an assessment like that without even talking to the hiring manager!
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
To complete an assessment that asked for my industry insight and thoughts on their brand.
I applied online. I interviewed at Smooth Media (Aurora, CO)
Interview
Recruiter contacted me, two phone interviews, lots of email back and forth. After some back and forth, a one-one interview on site. The 1:1 interview was more of an aggressive interrogation than an interview. Wow. This was very unpleasant.
I applied online. I interviewed at Smooth Media (Aurora, CO)
Interview
Contacted within 2 days by a recruiter after submitting for the role online. Extensive 2 call (~3 hours) process with the recruiter to see if there was a professional and cultural fit. Calls went very well so I expected and got an interview with the CEO. We scheduled the interview for the end of the day expecting that if things go well, we would go beyond a typical 1 hour interview. We met and talked for close to 4 hours. Great rapport and things seemed to go exceptionally well. The fit seemed right on both sides (required strong blend of technical and management skills). I didn't expect to hear from the CEO for approximately a week whereas trade shows are a big part of this company's portfolio and he would be out of town. I never heard from them again. I followed up with the CEO and the recruiter multiple times with absolutely no response. Very unprofessional considering the level of the role. Very disappointing.
I also heard from a former colleague a month or so later who had also interviewed for the same role and they had almost exactly the same experience. Big red flag.
The job posting as been re-posted on the job boards for the past 6 months along with a lower level version of the same role. I suspect this is a role that is more about personality fit than a specific skill set. Seems like a very interesting company and role, but I would worry about transparency and communications.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Provide me some examples of how you fit with our guiding principles (provided on a laminated 8.5x11 sheet of paper).