Interview started more than 15 minutes late. I initially interviewed with HR, who completed the interview with me. After that, the COO joined and asked largely the same questions that HR had already covered. Midway through, a third team member joined and again asked very similar questions. As a result, I had to repeat my background and experiences multiple times. It felt inefficient, as the interview could likely have been completed much faster if all interviewers had been present from the start and aligned on the questions. The full interview lasted almost an hour, though much of it was repetitive.
From the discussion, it was clear the company is looking for someone who will stay long-term. The COO scrutinizes resumes closely and may question industry changes, even within engineering fields. This may be something to be aware of if you have a more diverse background.
While the job advertisement states working hours of 9am–6pm, conversations during the interview suggested longer hours are common (e.g. 9am–8pm or later), with overtime expected. Team member mentioned staying as late as 1am in the past. This aligns with other Glassdoor reviews indicating frequent OT.
Additionally, due to the nature of the work (solar panels), HR mentioned that in emergency situations, employees may be expected to return to work even if they are on approved annual leave.
Overall, the team seemed very stretched, and candidates who value work-life balance may want to clarify expectations carefully before joining.