How Hotjar Built A 100% Distributed Company

How Hotjar Built A 100% Distributed CompanyHow Hotjar Built A 100% Distributed CompanyIm a digital nomad, I work remotely 100% of the time. Nearly everyone I know would love this kind of life. But as much as it sounds exciting and easy, it comes with major challenges. From my own experience, bad internet connection which makes you repeat yourself endlessly is just the beginning.I wanted to know how 100% remote working companies handle these challenges. After doing some research, Hotjar kept coming up as an example. A few emails later, I was very excited that Ken, their VP of Operations, agreed to have a chat about how Hotjar mastered remote work.Somebody Needed to Make MoneyKens first week at Hotjar on a company retreat in Malta.At the interview, Ken was working from a standing desk at a Greenpoint Coworking in Cape Town, South Africa. (And the internet connection was exceptional) When asked how he started at Hotjar, he explained that 3 years ago he and his wife decided to change the ir lives and become nomadic. At that time, Ken was in a corporate world which he loved, but despite that, he took a year off and travelled from the US to Central America with the whole family. After a year they realized they loved it, but somebody needed to make money.Then, he saw an ad for a gig at Hotjar. It was a phenomenal match of his background, culture, and passions. When I asked about his first day, he started laughing and explained it was actually a retreat in Malta. He had just accepted the job a week prior while living in Belize. They flew him to Malta to meet his colleagues who hed never even seen in person.Ever since, Kens been leading the operations gruppe, thinking of ways to improve Hotjars company culture, internal processes, HR and, as he giggled, anything that David, our CEO, doesnt want to do.We then moved on to things that make Hotjar a successful remote company.Your work speaks for itself.Since its launch in 2014, the company has grown to 10 million Annual Rec urring Revenue (ARR) in 2017. Their team has grown from the five co-founders to over 40. Asked what makes Hotjar a successful remote company, he said One of the things that is so key and pivotal to make a remote company work is transparency.Hotjars team members know far more about their company than a typical employee, including 100% of the financials and company performance data. Put simply, Theres no hiding. That transparency also extends to all online communication. Whether its Hipchat, email, or Basecamp. Personalities and the way people work show through these tools. As a remote company, we understand that sitting behind a desk in an geschftszimmer together doesnt mean you do a better job. Your work speaks for itself. This transparency builds extraordinary trust and collaboration.In his study, Professor Noam Wasserman looked at 6,500 failed businesses, 65% of which failed as a result of co-founder conflict or a bad company culture. You could count Hotjar as true believers. They ve built their success on strong, well-defined company values.Related articlesPros and Cons of working in a startupThe key to Leanplums epic growth? Company cultureWhat I mastered about remote workingHow do you work? How do you communicate?Being a remote company, everything needs to be well established and thought through for Hotjar, especially the hiring process. As VP of Operations, Ken makes sure everything is well organized and grounded in their values. At different stages of the hiring process, they test those values in each candidate. For example, one of their values is giving and taking feedback. So, they embed tasks and evaluations into their hiring process to learn how each candidate responds to and gives feedback.Giving tasks as a part of hiring isnt that unique (we do it too), so I wanted to know how Hotjar approaches this in their own way. Ken put it simply We pay individuals to complete a task that simulates their role but also provides value to us. And we can turn arou nd and implement even if they arent the right person.Most interesting for me was the team involvement aspect of Hotjars hiring. Many of their hires have never worked remotely, so they often ask How do you work and communicate? Dont you get bored when youre working from home, not an office? Thats why Hotjar simulates remote working for them before they get hired. It helps candidates understand whether or not remote feels right for them. It also gives us the opposite a chance to see how they work in such environment. Are they quick to pick up the tools that we use, the jargon? It also exposes them to our team members and likewise, our team members get to interact with people who are checking us out. An onboarding process that rocksHotjars Trello board for an onboarding process.If Hotjar hires you, the onboarding process starts before your first day. The first thing that occurs is the team member from our operations team reaches out and introduces themselves. Together, they define wha t kind of office set-up or computer the individual needs. Hotjar provides an office allowance to purchase the tools that are necessary for the team members without any restrictions. Then all their accounts are set up and everythings shipped to the new team member.In addition to their new computer, we also send a welcome packet. It includes stuff such as t-shirts, stickers, Kindle, Fitbit, as well as a couple of books that are critical to some of our values.One of the books is Strengths 2.0, which each new hire reads within the first week, completing a survey to define their top strengths, and putting them into a spreadsheet. This helps their remote team to get to know each other better. Just because you see somebody, it doesnt mean you understand their personality type. This is a way to know more about others than youd traditionally know when you meet them for the first time.On their first day, new hires are welcomed with a self-service Trello board that gives them a series of tasks to get set up. This includes reaching out to certain team members to schedule onboarding calls, joining demo and training meetings, and introducing themselves by sharing 10 fun facts about yourself Ken added.If you want to be a successful remote companyMake everybody 100% remote. This was a surprising statement, something we hadnt considered at . We let employees work remotely whenever they like. Also, we have a Dublin office now, with two members(the rest of us are in Sofia). (Read Vessys story on how she mastered remote working). Ken continued, if half of your company works in an office and sees each other every day, and the other half doesnt, this other half will clearly miss the interactions that the others are having physically every single day. Because of that, it kind of creates 2 different company cultures, that are physical and those that are virtual.Hotjar has an official office in Malta where its founders are from, but they only use it for retreats and as a mailing addre ss. Their diverse team lives around the Americas, Europe, and Asia, enjoying a huge variety of lifestyles.We tell our potential hires if you join Hotjar, be preparedto travel 3-4 times a year. As a person who loves travelling, this would be music to my ears Hotjars team travels twice a year to all company meetups, which are usually a week long. They always choose a fun place with fun activities. The last two meetups were in Park City, Utah for a winter meetup and Marbella, Spain for a summer meetup. This brought back memories from our last retreat in Venice. Creating great memories for the team is something both Hotjar and us at are passionate about.Hotjar also organizes smaller meetups for their teams. Our DEV team would meet for hackathons, which are 3 days of heads down, cranking on critical stuff or new ideas. The operations team calls it a docuthon, which means we work strictly on documentation.Sometimes you can feel a bit isolatedEven though I love it so much, I do miss the ability to say Hey, lets go bestattungs a beer after work, or lets get our kids together. That doesnt exist unless you happen to live in the same town, which is pretty rare.Just as it is with our CSO whos alone in Dublin, Ken mentioned that sometimes you can feel a bit isolated. As a VP of operations, he tries to tackle such situations by coming up with different ideas. A new thing that we tried is encouraging team members to write in a chat Hey, in 15 minutes Im gonna have a coffee break. If youd like to join me, come to this google hangout and get your coffee ready. The last time 10 people showed up. Its important to always try new things and scratch the itch, he added.Ultimately, however, its all been worth it for Hotjar. They would be the first ones to tell you that being a 100% distributed company isnt for everyone. It takes incredible dedication. But the results have spoken for themselves. Today, Ken wouldnt work any other way.

20 Situational Interview Questions and Answers to Nail Your Interview

20 Situational Interview Questions and Answers to Nail Yur Interview20 Situational Interview Questions and Answers to Nail Your InterviewHere are 20 top situational bewerberbewerbungsgesprch questions, plus the right/wrong way to answer them. But firstBen Franklin said, If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.That goes triple for situational bewerbungsgesprch questions.The situational bewerbungsinterview definition? Tell me about a time you proved youre the perfect person for this job.Situational interviews are an awesome opportunity to stand above the throng.Most people botch them, so its easy to look good.If you can spend the prep time, you can stand out like Dwayne Johnson in a crowd of Peter Griffins.This guide will give you20 top situational interview questions and answers, with right and wrong examples.How to prep for the top interview questions for hypothetical situations.A formula to ace the toughest scenario interview questions.How to figure out which situational questions you ll face.And if you want to turn every interview into a job offer, get our free checklist42 Things You Need To Do Before, During, and After Your Big Interview. Make sure nothing will slip your mindWant to land mora job interviews? Create the perfect resume in our builderPick a professional template.Get expert resume tips from recruiters.Edit and download your resume in minutes.Start getting more job offers. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume.Sample resume made with our builder See 20+ templates and create your resume hereOne of our users, Nikos, had this to sayI used a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is now one page long, not three. With the same stuff.Create your resume now1How to Answer Situational Interview QuestionsBefore we view the top situational interview questions and answers, heres a tipTo answer situationsAre you team-oriented? The three collaboration interview questions below try to find out.6. Tell me about a time you had to collaborate with a cowo rker who welches tough to please.rightThe other pharmacy tech in our lab always had to have things her way. I picked my battles and actually found out she had some good ideas. When I felt very strongly about making changes to our ordering process, she welches eager to help. We decreased our processing time by 25%.wrongI worked with another pharmacy tech who always had to get her way. I kept my head down and did what she said because it welches easier that way. Eventually she moved on to another job.Employers love to hire applicants who have unique abilities, as in example 1 above.7. Tell me about a time you had to work with an important customer or a difficult manager.Which of the scenario interview questions answers below would you rather give? Which one has more benefit?rightI had an editor who always complained about my work no matter how hard I tried. I added a second round of proofreading on each piece. Since then, Ive received numerous compliments from editors over my level of polish.wrongI had a anfhrer who was always micromanaging me and everybody else in the department. I stayed out of his way and got my job done. It wasnt easy, but I learned to keep my head down.Whats better, an employee who grows through adversity, or one who hides from it?8. Describe a situation where you had to make a good impression on a customer. How did you do it?Prep for situational-based interview questions like this by digging for achievements.rightIn my wedding video business, one client hounded me day and night before her daughters wedding. I asked the venue if I could fire her. They said her photographer, baker, and band had quit, and I was welcome to. I decided to stick with her. She was so happy she hired me to do her other daughters wedding the next year. The venue made me their exclusive vendor.wrongWhenever I have to meet with an important client, I make sure Im dressed professionally and I show up on time.The second of those situational interview questions answers i s like cooked spaghetti. Can you find a win in your past like 1?The scenario-based interview questions below measure your time management. About 57% of hiring managers list that as a must.9. Tell me about a time your workload was very heavy.This is one of those scenarios questions that judge prioritization skills. Spot the difference in these answersrightWe had two big orders at the same time. I delegated one to the assistant lead. He had some problems, but we got both orders shipped on time. We landed $200,000 in repeat business and the assistant lead turned out to be a capable leader.wrongWe had a couple big orders come in at the same time. I worked overtime and we got everything done.Delegation shows both dedication and time management. Working overtime? Just dedication.10. Tell me about a long-running project you handled. How did you manage your time to meet your deadlines?rightMy team had to develop a SaaS app for a major client. We used the Agile SLDC model with 2-week sprints and daily standups/scrums. By delegating time management, we were able to finish the project 20% ahead of time.wrongWe had to develop a SaaS app for a big client. It took a year to get all the kinks worked out. I kept myself on a strict schedule the entire time.Dont forget the benefit. Interview situational questions are always digging for your value.Next up, answers to situational interview questions about a jammed to-do list.11. Describe a time when you had too many to do items on your list. How did you solve the problem?rightOur department downsized and I got twice my normal workload. I found ways to do things quicker by sourcing new transcription software and making a new system for sorting interviews. I was able to do twice the work with the same effort.wrongDuring the holiday rush, I had a lot more to-dos than normal. I had to work some overtime, but I convinced them to hire a temp assistant.What was your biggest time management achievement? Have it ready for your situational job interview.How to Answer Situational Interview Questions About Job-Specific SkillsThe scenarios interview questions in this guide cover general soft skills. Youll also face questions about specific job skills.Identify the skills you need. Theyre listed in the job ad.Come up with a time you used each skill.Identify the problem and how you used the skill to solve it.Figure out a measure for how the company benefited. List dollars saved, revenue earned, time saved, customer satisfaction increased, etc.12. Describe a situation where you used Photoshop to complete a projectExample Job Specific Situational Interview Question and AnswerrightWe had a chance to win over a high-paying client. My design was shortlisted for a Design Week Award. We got their repeat business and raised annual revenue by 15%.wrongIve used Photoshop daily for 10 years. I guess one of my projects was to design a Tri-Fold for a client.Which of those two graphic designers would you hire?These next situational inte rview questions get at your problem-solving skills. More than half the hiring managers surveyed count that as a key requirement.13. Tell me about a tough challenge you faced. How did you solve it?rightWe got swamped with a line out the door and every seat and table filled. I asked the boss if we could serve free soda and breadsticks and explain the wait time to each party. We served everyone in order, and our comment cards that shift were 95% positive.wrongThe elevators went down during a busy check-in. We had to carry all the bags up four flights of stairs all night.Its not just how you handled it, its, how did your idea help?Some behavioral and situational interview questions are booby-trapped. Make sure you find the benefit in this one14. Describe your biggest work failure. How did you handle it?rightI let a big order of defective parts get all the way to shipping. That was bad and created a lot of scrap. After, I suggested we install mistake-proofing so it could never happen aga in. We created some dies with pins in them so the parts can only be put into the machines one way. We havent had a single defect since.wrongI shipped a big order of defective parts to a customer. It cost the company a big contract.You want the silver lining to be bigger than the cloud. Which of the situation questions answers above works best?More than 56% of hiring managers require effective communication skills. The next group of situational job interview questions judges yours.15. Tell me about a time you made a great presentation.Facing situational-based interview questions like this means knowing if the employer prefers PowerPoint, Keynote, or plain old public speaking skills.rightWe had to convince a big client to go with a costlier alternative that would ultimately make them higher profits. I put together a demonstration based on 10 real-world applications. They not only went with our suggestion, they became a long-term client.wrongI had to make a presentation to a client to convince them to pick the costlier of two alternatives. They did, and we got a bigger payment for the deal.Some answers to situational interview questions reveal hidden facts about you. Which of the two applicants above seems more ethical?Here are three more scenario-based interview questions.16. Tell me about a time you used written communication skills.rightI wrote reports as part of my daily shift. My department head frequently commented that my reports were the shortest and easiest to understand of all the officers.wrongI used written communication skills to write reports every day.That first one shows a workplace hero. The second probably wakes up tired every morning.Our next situation questions and answers focus on communication and interpersonal skills.17. Describe a situation where you needed information from a coworker who was slow to respond. What did you do?rightThe sound engineer in our company took a long time getting back to me with vital details. I started taking coff ee breaks with him to catch up. I got faster answers and completed projects 15% sooner.wrongOur sound engineer always took a long time getting back to me. I had my manager talk to him about being more prompt.Theres nothing wrong with answering situational interview questions like that second example. However, the first answer shows valuable interpersonal skills.The next of our scenario interview questions gets at your persuasion skills.18. Tell me about a time you had to persuade someone to see your side of things.rightThe owner was convinced our gift shop was a moneymaker. I analyzed our cash flow and found it was running at a 10% deficit. I built data visualizations that showed we could increase store revenue 40% through focusing on more popular products.wrongThe owner thought our gift shop was profitable. I sat him down and explained to him that he was wrong. He saw my side of things and agreed.That last example proves persuasiveness. The first also shows measurable results plus communication skills.Pro Tip All hypothetical questions are a chance to share achievements. Well actually I faced that situation and excelled, beats I would assess the situation and act accordingly any day.The next of our situational interview questions looks at flexibility. How do you adjust to change? 51% of hiring managers want to know.19. Tell me about a situation when your job went through big changes. How did you adjust?rightWhen our company grew, I went from a network administrator to a full system administrator. I read 5 books on systems admin and took a class to get a handle on my new responsibilities. I then used automated system monitoring and strategic hardware location to save us $50,000 a year in lost time and materials.wrongI was upgraded from a network admin to a systems admin. It was a lot more work and responsibility, but I adjusted well.Can you see the benefit in example 1? That scenario question unearthed a super-employee.Next on our list of situations questions and answers confidence.20. Tell me about your proudest professional accomplishment.rightI made an educational video for a consultant that brought in over $1 million in revenue.wrongI made an educational video for a consultant that brought in over $1 million in revenue. I only made $1,000 for it but I asked him for a cut of the profits on future jobs.Sometimes answering situational questions for interviews means knowing when to stop.21. Describe a situation where your boss was 100% wrong. What did you do?Are you confident enough to step up to the boss? Do you have the grace to accept when she says no regardless?rightMy boss said we couldnt afford a bigger machine, but I knew the small one was hurting production. I took her to the shop floor during a production run and showed her all the defects and rework caused by forcing our equipment beyond capacity. She said, price out the larger one tomorrow. We got one, and our production costs dropped 30%.wrongI knew we needed a bigger TV to h elp video sales. My boss said we couldnt afford it. I said we couldnt afford not to. I stood my ground and he finally gave in.Again, problem, solution, benefit to the company.Pro Tip Does preparing for situational behavioral interview questions and answers sound hard? You only have to do it once for any number of interviews.Thats that in terms of situational interview questions. Time to prepare for the rest.Start withCommon Job Interview Questions and Best AnswersNext, move on to behavioral questionsSTAR Method for Acing Behavioral Interview QuestionsFinally, move on to specific answersHow to Describe Your Current Job ResponsibilitiesTell Me About YourselfWhat Are Your Strengths?What Is Your Greatest Weakness?What Is Your Management Style?Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?Why Do You Want to Work Here?Why Should We Hire You?Want dozens of other tips to take your interview performance to pro level? See our guide 50+ Successful Interview Tips, Advice GuidelinesKey TakeawayHeres a recap of situational interview questions and answersPrepare for situational questions in advance. Identify the key requirements in the job ad. Then find achievements in your past that match.Answer hypothetical interview questions with a problem you faced, a solution you came up with, and a benefit to the company.Get ready for scenario questions around popular soft skills like dependability, work ethic, and collaboration.Expect scenarios interview questions about job-specific skills shown in the job ad.Do you have questions about how to answer situational interview questions?

Job growth cools raising concerns and caution for next month

Job growth cools raising concerns and caution for next monthJob growth cools raising concerns and caution for next monthJob growth cools raising concerns and caution for next monthOn Friday, September 2, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its monthly employment situation report for August, which is a widely used indicator for the health of the labor market. The August report raised concerns and created mixed signals as job growth slowed. The overall labor force further expanded as more people entered the workforce keeping the unemployment rate steady.Key TakeawaysU.S. adds 151,000 new jobs in August below expectations and raising caution about Septembers jobs reportThe unemployment rate held steady at 4.9% as more people continued to entered the labor force in search of workThe labor force participation rate welches unchanged at 62.8%The size of the labor force has increased by about 177,000 in the past five months2nd-quarter GDP expanded at a slightly faster 1.1% paceWant to kn ow more about the top trends in the job market? Check out the US Labor Market Update from Intelligence.