This past weekend, I was called by a Washington Post reporter writing a Capital Business profile on my company’s interviewing style and how it impacts the quality of our hiring. You can read the article here: Unconventional interviews lead to a better company, Appian says.
I originally thought the reporter was going to be focused on the benefits of working at Appian. I’ve been at Appian almost 10 years so it made sense they’d be talking to me. However, the my conversation with the reporter was just about my interview process. Given that happened over 10 years ago, I didn’t have a lot of details. But I’m happy she was still able to find useful and interesting information in what I said.
For people considering applying to work at Appian, it’s true we do enjoy giving puzzles and brainteasers during interviews. But fear not, it’s not about whether you get the right answer but how you think through the problem. Also, we don’t use trick or “gotcha” brainteasers. If you can focus and talk through your thought process and don’t give up at the first roadblock, you’ll be fine. And we do ask other questions besides puzzles (maybe we’ve gotten soft in our age).
Speaking of which, we currently have tons of openings at all levels. We even have an open position in London! Contact me if you want a personal referral.