The most important decision you make for your business is the people you hire. We know this because when we hire people at DeepRoot, we tend to keep them (we’ve grown over the years and have many recent hires, however some of our longest employees have been with us since the early 1990s). It is their dedication, creativity, and drive have brought us to where we are today.

When we add people to our team we’re usually not looking for specific degrees, but rather for skills, attitude, and experience. This post is designed to give potential applicants some insight into the hiring process and the culture of our company. While the application process may vary by position, this will give you a good general idea of what to expect.

Culture

Who thrives at DeepRoot? People who are self-directed and self-motivated, who are ready to jump in wherever they’re needed, and who can identify areas for improvement and growth (whether in their own role or for the larger business) and act on them. We’re a relatively flat organization, so while we don’t have established paths to the c-suite (hint: there is no c-suite) what we do offer is enormous opportunity to own your position fully and to explore areas of the business outside of your immediate area of responsibility.

We all genuinely like each other, so while the work comes first there is plenty of silliness and socializing too. We like to find people who, at the end of a long day, we’re still happy to share a meal and a drink with.

Managing the process

The department head who the new team member will report to generally takes the lead on hiring – including writing and/or approving a job description and making an initial review of all applicants. Having said that, various people from other departments will also participate, whether by helping review resumes, setting up initial phone calls, or joining in-person interviews.

The application

Job applications will at minimum ask for both a cover letter and a resume; some jobs may also ask for additional materials. Communication matters a good deal to us, and so we really care about good cover letters. We love ones that are specific, that demonstrate that you’ve thought about the position and how your experience and skills are a fit for it, and explain why you want to work here. While our headquarters are in San Francisco, we have offices throughout the U.S., as well as in Canada and the UK. We also work with clients all across the world. Thoughtful and clear written communication is extremely important in every role here, whether in sales, marketing, finance, or operations.

Phone interview

The first step in the hiring process is usually a phone call. This is fairly quick – 15 to 30 minutes – and a chance for us to hear about your interest in the position and for you to provide some background about your experience and skills. The phone interview helps us narrow down who we think is the best fit for the position and the company.

In person interview

Anyone who we want to continue the conversation with will be invited to participate in an in-person interview (for positions based outside of an area where we have an office, this is often done over Skype). This interview will last around 30 to 45 minutes and is an opportunity to discuss the specific of the role and the applicant’s experience in greater detail.

For some positions, we’ll do two in-person interviews, but this can vary. We’ll let you know what to expect at the end of each step (but if we forget to tell you, please don’t be shy about asking us what comes next!).

Offer

Once we’re ready to make a final offer, we’ll ask you to provide references so that we can talk to previous employers. Then we’ll provide you with a formal offer and employment agreement to review, sign, and return.

If it doesn’t work out

We try to respond to all applicants who we have engaged with us in a timely and courteous manner – ideally within a few days of an interview or within up to three weeks of receiving an application. (Note that we may not respond to everyone who applies for a position – only people who we have decided are a potential fit.) You are encouraged to follow up if you’ve reached out and haven’t heard from us – it’s not that we don’t want to get back to you, but occasionally we’ll get buried in email and something will go missing!

Open conversation

We know that evaluating a job is about more than just the written description talking about the day to day responsibilities and ideal qualifications. If at any point you want to know more about benefits, culture, or expectations, please just ask.