I interviewed at ZS Associates (Frankfurt am Main)
Interview
It took a bit less than 3 months from the time I was contacted for the telephone interview to the point, when i was invited for the final round. The organisation of the interview process was not corresponding to the reputation, the company tries to build. To start with, during the second round, when i had to take an interview over the conference call, the video didn't work, so the interview had to be rescheduled for the office visit. Secondly, after the second round, the company did not provide me with a feedback for 2 weeks, saying that they need to conduct a background check on my immigration status. From the perspective of interviewee, I believe, that such questions should be resolved either before the interview process starts or upon making the offer. Lastly, it was a normal practice to schedule interviews, once the date was mutually discussed. In the course of two months, it took place 5 times.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What do you miss the most about people in your country?
I applied through college or university. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at ZS Associates (Los Angeles, CA) in Oct 2017
Interview
Upon seeing a good amount of negative reviews on here, I was hesitant to apply/interview for ZS. However, I applied and was asked to come in for an interview days later! I didn't experience "disorganization" or any "unprofessional" behavior. In fact, I interview at the Thousand Oaks office and was really impressed by its seamless operation. After the interview, they followed up with me very promptly and professionally, and I even got a few congratulatory/introductory calls and emails. I recently accepted a very generous offer to work for ZS on the East Coast, and hope more people will give this company a chance because so far it's been great!
Interview tips: behavioral and case interviews were fine, but the "unstructured case" interview tripped me up a bit. Make sure you're able to answer general/broad questions about starting/running a business.
I applied online. I interviewed at ZS Associates in Nov 2017
Interview
You can only apply through the online application form. Before applying you are prompted to submit a full disclosure of your current income and an overview of your financial details for the past 5 (!) years.
This may or may not be normal practice in the US but in Japan this is not an acceptable question to ask. It violates one's privacy and certainly isn't relevant at the start of your application.
I concluded three things:
1) the ZS hiring process does not match the markets they're active in
2) this will most likely be the case for their market strategies as well
3) your salary will be based on what you did for your previous employer and does not reflect your value to ZS
I canceled the application.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Your current salary and financial statements for the past 5 years?