I applied through an employee referral. I interviewed at Toast Inc in Apr 2021
Interview
I was a referral by a current employee. HR Recruiter reached out to schedule an interview. Was very professional but I personally did not vibe very much. They require AE's to be located in the exact territory, which I was not willing to do. She referred me to a different hiring team for another territory I would be willing to relocate to. She reached out a few times over two weeks to keep me updated on their progress and was great to work with.
I was not chosen to move forward, I am assuming because the location I was willing to work in is very popular so there were better-suited candidates.
She informed me of the interview process: a Hiring Manager interview with a product pitch and a VP/Director interview with a Pitch Presentation. I know people seem to think this is difficult or extensive, but it is quite typical for this type of position.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Why Toast?
Why Tech?
Why Sales?
Are you willing to relocate to your territory?
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
The interview process consisted of four rounds: a recruiter screen, a hiring manager interview, a mock sales exercise, and a final interview. Overall, the process was well organized and professional.
I invested a significant amount of time preparing because this was a role I genuinely wanted. Unfortunately, I was not selected to move forward to the third round. Based on my experience, I believe my limited direct sales background was the primary factor, although the feedback process was respectful and transparent throughout.
Interview questions [3]
Question 1
Describe how the quota was set up from your last job, and at what percentage you hit your quota?
I did an initial phone screen for an AE role. The recruiter showed up a few minutes late but I didn't think much of it. We had a nice conversation and they mentioned they'd like to move me forward. I didn't hear anything for a week or so when they reached out saying they had been swamped and would schedule me shortly. They reached out a 2nd time saying the internal schedule was busy but they'd get something on the calendar soon. Then I received an auto rejection. Not a great experience, it just made the company look extremely unorganized.
First I do appreciate the fact that they got back to me and gave me a “no” instead of ghosting, but the compliments will end there.
The first round with the recruiter was fantastic. She said I sounded like a great fit and was excited to pass me to the next round. Fast forward to that next round and I could tell right away the sales manager had zero interest in talking to me. The most monotone voice, didn’t show interest in my prior experience, asked some questions that i didn’t think were relevant. She definitely was just there to check the box. Not long after I got the rejection email.
understand it’s part of the game but i followed all the interview prep provided to me and it seemed like no matter what I wasn’t moving past that second round.
Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you
