I applied online. The process took 2 months. I interviewed at PlayQ in Aug 2025
Interview
I interviewed for a Senior Producer role over the course of two months. The process started positively, the recruiter was friendly and the interviews with leadership and directors went very well. Additionally, I took an assessment as well catered to my skill sets and experience. I was happy to do it but with my interview experience, this lengthy take home exercise essentially was giving PlayQ a blueprint on successful ways to run production for a live service mobile game. I was told my feedback was strong and that the team felt my experience was a strong fit.
However, the process quickly became disorganized. My scheduled panel was canceled the same week it was supposed to happen, with only vague communication about why. Eventually, I learned the hiring manager had left after only being at the company for about a month. The recruiter had to reshuffle and rebuild the panel, and although I initially withdrew due to the instability, I was reassured it was “just the manager leaving” and that everything else was fine, so I decided to stay in process.
After my panel, I was told to expect updates within a week, but that timeline repeatedly came and went with no communication. I had to keep following up just to get basic status updates, and each time the responses were vague or delayed, repeating the same message about needing to figure out a manager while reassuring me that my candidacy was still being considered based on positive feedback and strong experience.
Nearly three weeks after the final interview, I was contacted by the recruiter for a call, only to be told the role was being canceled because they needed to hire a new manager before bringing in a Senior Producer. This was deeply frustrating and felt like a waste of time, especially given how much effort went into rescheduling the panel and keeping me warm.
The recruiter’s delivery of this news also lacked empathy and accountability to navigate a situation like this professionally. After maintaining consistent communication since August, I was left feeling misled, disrespected, and disappointed by how carelessly this was handled.
It’s disheartening that a company presenting itself as people-first and collaborative would treat candidates this way. The leadership team (which was almost all of them) I met with seemed great in the interviews which made the mishandling of my candidacy even more disappointing. In the end, it showed a lack of organization, communication, and respect for candidates’ time and effort.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What things are you studying or doing in your spare time to build towards your growth in your career?
I applied online. The process took 2 months. I interviewed at PlayQ
Interview
It seems likely they’re using interviews to get people to do free work for them.
Asked to complete a very lengthy take home exercise essentially giving them a recruitment blueprint. 0 follow up or feedback…
Inconsistent comms throughout the process.
Very poor showing.
I applied online. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at PlayQ in Oct 2024
Interview
Lacking and Confusing Interview Process
My interview experience with this company was disappointing and frustrating.
Take-Home Assignment:
It began with a take-home assignment consisting of two very broad questions. I provided detailed, personal answers and used ChatGPT to refine the language.
Interview with the CTO:
The next step was an interview with the CTO. Early in the conversation, he criticized me for using ChatGPT, despite my explanation that the content was genuinely mine and only the language was polished. The CTO then spent the remaining 45 minutes attempting to catch me off guard with overly detailed technical questions. These questions delved deeply into core CPU programming knowledge, memory management, and specific coding intricacies. It was clear that he had made up his mind to reject me before the interview began, which made the entire process feel like a waste of time. This behavior from a senior leader is a huge red flag.
Recruiter Communication:
Communication with the recruiter was also problematic. Despite multiple inquiries about what to expect in the interview process, my questions were ignored. I never received clear information about the interview stages or the criteria they were looking for.
Conclusion:
Overall, this company disrespects candidates' time and fails to provide clear expectations. The interview questions seemed more focused on tripping me up rather than assessing my actual software engineering skills. I would not recommend wasting your time interviewing here.
P.S. I used ChatGPT to refine my review
Interview questions [2]
Question 1
What is the last technology you learned and why do you think it’s important?
Describe the most complex system you've worked on. Did you build it or contribute to it? If you contributed, explain your specific role and the impact your contribution had on the overall system. What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?