We’re in a really lucky place at Buffer the place we at all times have an incredible group of people that apply once we submit job openings. Consequently, we’ve to make some fairly troublesome selections. Not too long ago at Buffer, we’ve employed for a number of positions and had tons of of functions for every:
- For Workers Product Supervisor, 657 folks utilized
- For Senior Engineering Supervisor, 564 folks utilized
- For Advertising and marketing UX Designer, 516 folks utilized
Based mostly on these outcomes and previous expertise, we thought there was a possible that we’d see a excessive variety of candidates for the Content material Author position. Plus, we anticipated that a lot of our wonderful prospects and group members can be enthusiastic about and certified for a task like this, and that’s exactly what occurred.
We initially wished to depart the Content material Author position open for 2 weeks to obtain functions however determined to shorten it to 1 week due to the unbelievable response we acquired. To be able to be clear about this, we put the brand new deadline proper on the job posting just a few days prematurely.
Ultimately, we had 1,518 candidates for the Content material Author position in a single week.
This was each thrilling and a bit of overwhelming. We’re a fairly small workforce at Buffer — at present 79 folks — and in our case, we had 4 folks reviewing 1,518 functions, so it was an enormous process.
We managed to answer to everybody inside three weeks of closing the appliance, however that was nonetheless a fairly lengthy timeline so far as this stuff go.
Making use of for a job will be time-consuming, and we had an in depth utility course of. It’s comprehensible that after receiving a rejection electronic mail, some candidates have been eager for suggestions to study why they weren’t moved ahead. We will’t reply to everybody at that quantity of functions — although I want we might!
As a substitute, we’ve put collectively this weblog submit with extra about our utility course of for the Content material Author position at Buffer and a few normal themes we seen in functions we have been rejecting. These may not apply to everybody, however we hope this may be useful to some of us who need readability on this course of, or who’re making use of for future roles at Buffer or elsewhere.
In regards to the utility
Earlier than we share the key causes we didn’t transfer functions ahead, right here is a bit more concerning the utility we had candidates fill out. That is the principle piece of knowledge that our workforce reviewed alongside each applicant’s resume.
Along with asking the applicant for his or her identify, pronouns, portfolio or web site, and resume, the appliance touched on three areas: expertise, information of Buffer and our house, and alignment with Buffer values.
How we assessed expertise
Listed here are the 4 utility questions we needed to assess expertise degree:
- Please choose all areas you may have advertising and marketing expertise with: (You aren’t required to have abilities in every of those areas, that is simply an evaluation.) Choices have been: Content material writing, Content material advertising and marketing, Social media advertising and marketing, Video advertising and marketing, Video creation, Graphic design, Analysis, Knowledge evaluation, Conducting interviews, E-mail advertising and marketing, Audio modifying, Podcast internet hosting.
- Please share three URLs for articles that you simply’re pleased with:
- Write a brief pitch for the form of piece you’ll wish to write for the Buffer weblog (buffer.com/sources): (Max 250 characters)
- Why did you pitch that subject? (Max 250 characters)
You’ll discover that we requested for a most of 250 characters right here — that’s primarily as a result of we wished to check candidates on whether or not they might condense their concepts, which is a crucial talent for this place, and secondly as a result of it’s simpler for our workforce to evaluation shorter inputs.
How we assessed information of Buffer and our house
We had 5 questions that have been extra centered on Buffer, our trade, and information of the house we cowl on our Content material workforce:
- Have you ever used Buffer earlier than? (Y/N)
- If sure, what did you utilize Buffer for? Why was Buffer the instrument you chose? (Max 250 characters)
- What’s your strategy to rising your private model? (Max 250 characters)
- What’s a latest development in advertising and marketing or social media that you simply’re a fan of? (Max 250 characters)
- How would you incorporate that development into your content material creation course of at Buffer? (Max 250 characters)
How we assessed values
Values are an enormous focus for us at Buffer, and we’ve had a wide range of methods we assess values over time. This time, we requested three high-level questions that will give us an honest thought of whether or not an applicant was a match for Buffer’s values and distant tradition. Nonetheless, a values evaluation continues all through the interview rounds.
The three questions we requested have been:
- How do you strategy speaking successfully in a distant setting? (It’s okay to speak about instruments, however please assume past that, too.)
- Please share your strategy to selling an inclusive work setting, and embrace an instance out of your skilled previous.
- Please share a time once you realized you is perhaps flawed about one thing. What was the end result? What did you study? (Please use knowledgeable instance, when you’ve got one.)
Themes we noticed in functions we didn’t transfer ahead
A couple of greater themes got here by with functions that we didn’t transfer ahead that transcend not demonstrating the talents we have been on the lookout for, or being misaligned with Buffer’s values. This checklist received’t cowl all the causes an utility might need been rejected, however it’s a broad reflection of what we have been seeing.
1. The appliance was incomplete
A number of functions have been incomplete or the place an applicant selected to skip a query, typically even writing, “I don’t have a solution for this.” All the functions we moved ahead have been accomplished fully.
2. The appliance didn’t comply with the rules
Loads of questions had a 250-character restrict. We didn’t instantly reject folks over the restrict, as a result of some folks misinterpret it as 250 phrases and saved to that all through their utility. Nonetheless, many functions wrote over a number of hundred phrases, and people didn’t get moved ahead.
3. The pitch wasn’t particular sufficient or was not tailor-made to our weblog
We requested each applicant to pitch a subject for the Buffer weblog, and we put lots of weight behind this query as a result of developing with concepts for weblog posts and sharing them with the remainder of the content material workforce is an enormous a part of this position.
A variety of functions didn’t pitch a particular subject or pitched one thing unrelated to another content material on our weblog. We appeared for pitches crafted with our present content material in thoughts and for strong explanations of these pitches.
4. The writing samples weren’t related to the position
The primary bullet level below the necessities for this position was that we have been on the lookout for folks with expertise writing about social media, advertising and marketing, and enterprise matters. We learn every utility first, however in the end when the writing samples weren’t related to these matters, we’d not transfer an utility ahead.
5. The appliance was clearly written by AI
Extra usually than I anticipated, we’d encounter a block of textual content written very unnaturally. We used a instrument known as Copyleaks to substantiate whether or not or not it was written by AI. After all, no AI detector is 100% correct however there are broad patterns we seen amongst content material flagged as written by AI. Ultimately, we had a bigger variety of functions written by AI than I anticipated. We’re all for utilizing AI in our content material creation course of, however we by no means publish or submit last variations fully written by AI.
6. The particular person was very unfamiliar with Buffer
We ask whether or not or not somebody has used Buffer earlier than as a result of for Advertising and marketing roles particularly, we’ve discovered a considerable profit to working with individuals who already perceive Buffer’s product and goal buyer.
We didn’t instantly reject folks in the event that they hadn’t used Buffer, however it was a large profit to any utility to have used Buffer earlier than and researched how we function at Buffer earlier than making use of. In lots of functions, it might be clear the particular person wasn’t aware of Buffer, and we didn’t transfer these functions ahead.
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It’s attainable you utilized for the position, and also you’re studying this figuring out that none of those apply to you — in that case, I wish to say I’m grateful for the time you spent making use of and that you’d think about Buffer as a spot to work.
Personally, I utilized to Buffer thrice earlier than I joined the workforce, and that has been the expertise of a lot of others on the workforce as nicely. You’re very welcome to use to Buffer sooner or later if Buffer nonetheless calls to you as a spot to work, and within the meantime, we’d be thrilled to have you ever as a member of our group.
We’re wishing everybody who utilized all one of the best with what’s subsequent for them and, once more, are so grateful for the overwhelmingly constructive response we acquired to this job opening. ❤️
