Account Manager role in Beverly. Truly one of the most outdated, out of touch and mind-boggling interview processes I have ever seen. Job was posted with different titles across various platforms (LI, website, GD, etc.) as Client Relationship Manager, Account Manager, Leasing Officer, etc. so that didn't make any sense... First call was with a peer who was "helping". As nice as she was, she was not able to provide me any important information on the role. Second call was with hiring manager and was standard and fine. Asked me to come in that week for an hour to meet with him and the assistant GM. Went very well. Standard face-to-face interview. I heavily prepared. They then gave me a small paragraph and said there's 20+ punctuation, grammatical, etc. errors in it - edit it. I knew this was coming as I read the reviews and read "Starting Small and Making It Big" book. Did I think it was goofy and provided absolutely no insight into a candidate's ability to do the job? Also, yes. Did it anyway - fine, whatever. They then asked me to come back later that week for a *WRITTEN* test. This was described to me as a "Simple writing exercise where we describe a fact pattern involving a fictional client and ask you to write a letter/email response to the client’s inquiry about its lease. Over the years, it has been helpful in evaluating how a potential employee approaches problem solving and client relationships and writing. We give you up to an hour to write the response (which should be about one page), and then we’ll go over it with you immediately thereafter. It is not something that one would or could “study” or prepare for." So, again, pretty bizarre to ask for more time out of a candidate to come onsite for something like this, but fine. Mind you, the job posting clearly states COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE EXPERIENCE IS NOT REQUIRED. I come in, get handed a pad of paper, a calculator and put into a cubicle. I get handed a paper with a scenario and am told I have 1 hour to complete the assignment. This was an intricate assignment that, for a job that stated CRE experience wasn't necessary, was extremely challenging. The prompt literally did not even make sense and was all over the place. On top of that, having been told numerous times this was a WRITING assignment, I focused heavily on my grammar and writing style. After an hour and the printer not working, I submitted it and sat down with the two of them to review. They told me I missed the mark, used the word "lackluster" and was straight up asked "are you comfortable with math?". Like what? Yes, I am, however at no point was math what we discussed nor what the first exercise OR this assignment was described to me as being about. So, after my intelligence was insulted (I have an MBA), I was asked more irrelevant questions about my endeavors and could feel the excitement fizzling out. I left feeling confused, upset and frankly angry that this was how potential employees were treated. I supplied references to which all were called - why do this before an offer stage? That puts a candidate in a tricky situation and frankly feels irresponsible to do prematurely. They then even mocked and insulted one of my references because he did not fit the cookie cutter image of "the Cummings way" despite being an incredibly successful individual, I was uncomfortable and had to defend him. I'd say this whole process and experience was "antiquated", but I don't think that word even does it justice. Two days later I got a call that despite having the education, hunger and drive here - they want to go with someone with more CRE experience. Frankly, it feels like a bullet dodged. The reviews saying this place operates like it's 1976 are spot on. The office felt uncomfortable, and I am starting to believe the "tenure of employees" selling point isn't so much a good thing.... It is glaringly obvious that once people join, no matter how happy or miserable they are, there really is nowhere else for them to go, especially after 15, 20, 30+ years. I wanted to get an offer and wanted to make the transition from tech to CRE here... I loved what they promote their values are (not reality though) and the book. Reality is that those values are far, far removed from today's Cummings Properties. It isn't about "hiring the person, not the resume" anymore. I barely learned anything about the role and the company - luckily, I learned a ton by my own research, but this process was about as one-sided of a process as imaginable. Also required to work 45-50 hours a week but paid as if its 40 hrs. Zero flexibility. Clearly this organization has not changed with the times, and I strongly encourage anyone interviewing here to proceed with caution. Being in the same role for 15 years with no promotion but a free turkey every Thanksgiving isn't a flex....Internal and external emails/communications have to be peer reviewed by multiple people before being sent for example.... excuse me? The reviews are real. This isn't a real CRE spot. This is property management of sorts. You will deal with angry tenants who aren't happy with the fine print of the leases and the penny-pinching mentality that they preach they don't have but do. I wonder how many grammatical mistakes the copy and paste response person will find in this review. Maybe you can use this as the exercise moving forward? Good luck, Cummings. The future isn't in your favor.
