This review of the interview was my honest experience and should ONLY be taking as such. This is NOT to speak negatively about the company. This is NOT even a warning because I am sure people before me and after will have a positive experience with or without a job offer. I rated the overall experience as positive because of the lesson learned. With that said:
I received an email on Tuesday, 1-9-2024, from a manager at Aggreko expressing interest in my resume and proposing a discussion regarding the Data Center Sales role. We scheduled a conversation for Thursday, 1-11-2024.
During our call, we delved into a discussion about my background and its alignment with the role. The manager outlined the subsequent steps in the process, which included a conversation with HR and a panel interview where I would present a prepared deck. Following this conversation, HR promptly reached out to schedule a meeting. During the interview I asked why the role was vacant, and for how long. The manager said that Aggreko has a great job turnover ratio, but that in the Atlanta Market not so much. I equated that to Atlanta Ga. being a place where people migrate to but after some time the city looses its luster and people move. Also Georgia is a right to work state and a lot of people that move here are NOT used to that.
On the holiday of 1-15-2024, I engaged in a productive discussion with HR, wherein we further explored the intricacies of the role. The HR professional provided valuable insights to aid me in the upcoming panel interview and shared a PowerPoint presentation deck for me to update with my information. We set the panel interview for 1-19-2023, and I committed to submitting the updated presentation by 1-18-2024. HR also communicated a start date and indicated that a verbal offer would be made after the panel interview.
However, on 1-16-2024, HR informed me of a change in the interview date from 1-19-2024 to 1-17-2024. Despite my current full-time job commitments, the positive experience and excitement about the role motivated me to burn the midnight oil, and I submitted the completed presentation that evening.
On the day of the panel interview, 1-17-2024, I met with four team members and presented my background, 90-day plan, SWOT analysis, and sales territory approach within a concise 20-minute timeframe. The panel engaged in a discussion about my background and work history, providing positive feedback on my presentation. However, HR did not join the meeting to extend an offer.
Subsequently, I expressed gratitude to the panel via email, copying HR. HR responded, acknowledging my appreciation, while the hiring manager assured me of imminent communication.
Post-interview, I dedicated time to study the industry and familiarize myself with Aggreko. After logging into the Aggreko website to my surprise, I noticed that my application for the position I interviewed for was not acknowledged on the website. I applied to the role and promptly informed HR and the hiring manager, and HR confirmed the receipt of my resume.
However, on the same day, a few minutes after 5 pm, I received an email from Aggreko regretfully informing me that I was not selected for the role. Despite my initial disbelief, at 6am the hiring manager by email subsequently confirmed the decision, expressing gratitude for my time and explaining that they were pursuing a different direction.
In reflection, while the interview process was insightful and engaging, the subsequent communication regarding the selection outcome left room for improvement in terms of clarity and transparency.
Additionally, I would like to highlight that on 1-18-2024, the HR professional at Aggreko proactively reached out to me, proposing a 30-minute meeting scheduled for 1-19-2024. This occurred before the receipt of the rejection letter and the subsequent email from the hiring manager indicating Aggreko's decision to pursue an alternative direction. The preemptive scheduling of this meeting added an additional layer of uncertainty and confusion to the overall communication process. Furthermore, it is essential to note that after the rejection email, the HR professional at Aggreko inquired about my availability on Tuesday, 1-23-2024. In response, I conveyed my availability after 12 noon but expressed immediate availability on the current date, 1-19-2024. Surprisingly, he promptly scheduled a meeting for the same day.
During this meeting, despite confirming that I was not selected, the HR professional provided no specific reasons for the decision. He mentioned that the panel was occupied with interviews throughout the day, which raised questions about the overall process and whether the changes in interview dates were part of a deliberate setup. This added an element of uncertainty and left me contemplating the transparency of the entire evaluation process.
I rated the overall process as positive because I walked away with a new experience.
