Quite a lengthy process. I was referred by 2 people to a sales manager. This manager immediately passed me on to a recruiter, which was a good thing because during our initial conversation we both agreed I was overqualified for a position on his team. The recruiter, whom I will say was the best part of the process, sent my resume to other managers within Paychex.
A couple days later the recruiter scheduled me for an introductory call with a mid-market sales manager. That call went great, lasted about half an hour or so. Good back and forth, very conversational. Afterwards I received a message from the recruiter saying the manager wanted to set up a virtual interview within the next week.
The virtual interview also went very well. Discussed my background, work history, sales process, the position itself and had plenty of time for my questions. It was important that I tried to close him at the end. He said he would get back to me with next steps.
Two days later the recruiter reached out and told me the manager would like me to talk with his colleague, another manager within Paychex. That call would take place the following week.
The call/interview went great as well. This round was more structured and I could tell that this manager had a list of questions he was reading from. Typical interview questions: history, process, scenarios, objection handling, etc. I tried closing at the end of course. He liked that. He told me he would give his approval to the other manager and that someone would be in touch with next steps.
A few days later my would-be manager reached out to tell me that he received good feedback from his colleague and I would be moving on in the process.This would be a phone interview with the manager of the Southeast. Three days later the recruiter texted me with the day/time for this call, which was a full week out.
Prior to the last interview the manager texted me asking for a quick call to discuss my upcoming call with his boss. We talked the next day and he gave me some hints about what she will focus on: deep into process, my goals, why Paychex, etc.
The call from the boss came and I was prepared. Was able to answer her questions thoroughly, sometimes after she asked me to go deeper into a subject. In the end I felt she was hung up on lack of industry experience as she said this is a very fast paced environment. I assured her I have worked in similar situations and I know how to manage my time in a monthly/quarterly sales driven position. She appreciated my assumptive close and stated that ultimately the decision to bring me on board would be the manager's. The manager was on vacation this week so it would be another 7 days before I could reach out to discuss next steps.
I called, emailed and texted the manager for the first 3 days after his return from vacation. I got a text from him on the third day stating he had not had a chance to talk with his boss yet but it would be in the next couple days. I heard nothing the rest of the week.
The following Monday I left another voicemail in the morning. That afternoon he called me back to say that they are in a hiring freeze and cannot bring anyone on at this time. Early in the process he told me that he has 9 territories under him and only 8 team members. He went on to say that he could get permission to bring the 9th person on if there was a fit. The entire time he told me I was a fit. Unclear to me where the disconnect was.
So in a nutshell, the process was about a month long with several steps, only to find out that there was never a position open in the first place. Lucky for me I had been interviewing at several places during this time and accepted a position elsewhere. Also during this time I had an opportunity to read some of the company and interview reviews. I truly believe I dodged a bullet here. Do yourself a favor and read all you can about Paychex. Here are some highlights: low pay, outdated tech, poor management, in-house competition for deals.
