I've been through dozens of interviews, and I've never seen anything like DDG's process. Quirky and questionable.
Now with a bit more hindsight and a couple of months to reflect on it, I don't know if the job they posted was actually real. And after reading the other 17 interview experiences — and not one person got an offer and most had strange experiences — it kinda seems like a sham.
Here's how it went down for me:
• Saw their posting on a job board and applied on their site. Submitted my resume, a cover letter and answered four fairly standard first-interview questions (How did you hear about us, what excites you about DDG, why are you a good fit and what questions do you have for us).
• A few days later, I received an email that invited me to do a Zoom interview with HR. The email vaguely explained the position and went into much more detail about the actual interview process and — to my utter surprise — gave the non-negotiable salary for the job. Super early in the process for this, IMO. But it seemed more than fair. Almost too good to be true, actually.
• The interview process was set up like this: Step 1 – Zoom call with HR; Step 2 – A paid test project; Step 3 – A second test project; Step 4 – Meeting members of the team/interviews; Step 5 – Offer.
(Of course, steps 3–5 are all theoretical because I never made it past step 2. And it doesn't sound like anyone else on here has either).
• So, I had my Zoom call, and it was mostly me asking questions about the project (which I was assured would make more sense once I actually saw it) and the company.
• I agreed to move forward with the Test Project. I mean, at this point, I just wanted to see what it was. It was apparently a "strong filter" for their hiring process and something they really stood by as a way to screen for all their positions. I was also told that if I didn't make it to the next round that my journey was over. There would be no explanation why, and I wouldn't get the opportunity to ask for any feedback.
BIG. RED. FLAG. I mean, it seemed a little early in the process to be giving an all-or-nothing project like this, right? I hadn’t even talked to anyone meaningful yet. Sink or swim, I guess.
• I received the Test Project and had seven days to complete it and send it back. The test ended up being a very specific task focused on UX writing. And while UX writing was discussed in the Zoom call, it was only one of the responsibilities that fell under this role.
The thing that really threw me was the suggested time limit put on the project — four hours. A complete joke! Not only did DDG want the project done in this time limit, but they also asked for a detailed explanation of my methodology and writing process. Plus, any research I did and a list of questions for the invisible team that I wasn't allowed to collaborate with or talk to.
Any writer worth his or her salt would spend more than four hours on this project. And DDG has to know this. Just the background research was a good four hours. Good creative takes time...and real thinking. The question is: Is this actually part of their test? If it looks like you put too much time into your project, do they count it against you? I hate mind games like this.
• Anyway, I sent my project in a couple of days later, got my payment and found out within three days that it was the end of the line. No feedback on why I wasn’t moving on. No more communication from DDG. Nada. It felt like getting ghosted. While I did get paid, it was unsatisfying. All creatives thrive on feedback and want the chance to defend our work.
So here I am a couple of months later left wondering if it was an actual position or if this is DDG’s way of farming out work. A buddy of mine (who’s also in the creative field) is 100% convinced that the position was never real.
So job searcher beware!
They do have a pretty cool search engine, though.
