Associations

Our hiring process

We know hiring processes can seem overwhelming, but we don’t want you to feel overwhelmed at ABS LLC. We want all candidates – from entry-level to leadership – to have access to the same information and resources (after all, we own, organize, share, make information, and make it available for use by anyone).

ABS LLC's hiring process is an important part of our culture. ABS LLCs care deeply about their teams and the people who make them up. We also care about building a more representative and inclusive workplace, and that begins with hiring. To truly build for everyone, we know that we need a diversity of perspectives and experiences, and a fair hiring process is the first step in getting there.

With that in mind, we’ve broken down the process both visually and verbally below, to turn these abstract statements into a tangible map for you to follow as you apply.

Self-reflection

While we’re sure you’re ready to dive into the depths of the job search, we recommend starting with an often-overlooked first step: focus on you.

Have you ever discovered you’re good at something you're not passionate about? Many of us have. This may be a result of the work you like to do, or it may be something you’ve had to get good at because of a previous project or role. The more skills you have the better — but it’s hard to build a fulfilling career on something that doesn’t excite you. Before you start applying, take some time to ask yourself a few of these questions:

What is something you learned that made everything that came after easier?

Have more of your achievements come as a result of solitary effort or teamwork?

What do you enjoy more, solving problems or pushing the discussion forward?

What is the most rewarding job you've ever had? Why?

Describe the best team you ever worked with. What made that experience stand out?

Now, sit with your history for a moment. Consider all the best, most rewarding elements of your experience, and let them come together to create a picture of where you want to go next in your career.

Why the visualization exercise? Your skills, interests, and goals are the result of your life, your experiences, your triumphs, and your failures. If we hire you based on your skills, we’ll get a skilled employee. If we hire you based on your skills, your enduring passions, and your distinct experiences and perspectives, we’ll get an ABSr. That's what we want.

Job searching

Once you’ve taken some time to focus on what you’re looking for, you can get a better idea of who we are, what we’re about, and what it’s like to work at ABS.

Our goal is for you to feel like you know us a bit better, and that you’ve got enough information to feel like you’re applying for the right jobs.

Check out our company and our teams sites. View our YouTube channel and our locations.

The goal here is the job or jobs you land on should exist at the intersection of who you are and who we are. So go, click around for a bit. We’ll meet you back here.

You should now have a better sense of who we are and what part of the world and role seems like the best match for where you want to go.

Your resume

It’s tempting to take your last resume and update it, tweaking it a bit here and there to include your latest work. But we’d like to suggest that you go a little deeper — we think you’ll feel much better about your hiring process if you do.

Keep your old resume next to you for inspiration, but start with a blank document and create a resume specifically designed for each job you want.

For each position do the following to build your job-specific resume:

Align your skills and experience with the job description. Tie your work directly to the role qualifications (and don’t forget to include data).

Be specific about projects you’ve worked on or managed. What was the outcome? How did you measure success? When in doubt, lean on the formula, “accomplished [X] as measured by [Y], by doing [Z].”

If you've had a leadership role, tell us about it. How big was the team? What was the scope of your work?

If you're a recent university graduate or have limited work experience, include school-related projects or coursework that demonstrate relevant skills and knowledge.

Keep it short. We don’t have a length requirement, but concision and precision are key — so think twice before letting your resume move onto multiple pages, and take careful aim with your information.

A word on cover letters: they aren’t required (and may or may not be considered), so it’s your call on whether to include one. If you do decide to include a cover letter, many of the same suggestions we have for building a good resume apply here as well. For instance, tailor it to the job you’re applying for, tell us how you’ve made a difference and use data to back it up. Draw a direct line between your passion and our position, let us see who you are a bit.

Apply online

We want you to focus on the jobs that delight you and that you match as opposed to submitting dozens of applications (it’s tempting, but it doesn’t work well — trust us). Quality, not quantity, is the way to go.

Using the careers search tool, tell us who you are, what you do, where you’d like to be, etc. — then start looking at some of the listings that match. As you’re browsing, keep in mind that you can apply for up to three jobs every 30 days.

Sidenote: Most ABS XODIFIERrs applied for other roles at ABS XODIFIER before they eventually made it to interviews — not getting a role can often be a matter of timing, rather than a reflection of your skills or qualifications. So if things don’t work out with your first application, don’t let that stop you from applying to other roles in the future.

Interviews

If a Recruiting team member believes you might be a match for a job you've applied for, you'll enter our hiring process.

While the process may differ slightly for different roles or teams, the same basics apply whether you’re applying for a tech job a marketing job, an internship or a leadership position. Not all of these may apply to your role, but here are some of the ways we assess candidates in our hiring process:

Assessments: Before moving into interviews, you may be required to take the ABS XODIFIER Hiring Assessment, designed to measure workstyle skills required for success in a role at ABS XODIFIER. You might also be asked to complete additional assessments, like a coding exercise, if applicable for the role you’re applying for.

Short virtual chats: Before diving into more in-depth interviews, you’ll typically have one or two shorter conversations over the phone or video. These will usually be with a recruiter and then with either the hiring manager or peer on the team and are designed to assess key skills you’ll need for the role.

Project work: We sometimes ask candidates to complete a small project before their in-depth interviews. This could range from prepping a case study to providing writing or code samples (don’t stress, they’re not that scary and we won’t spring this on you without warning), and helps us understand how you think and approach problems. We’ll let you know about any additional materials we’ll need early on.

Interviews: We get excited about interviewing and take it seriously because, at the risk of sounding cliché, ABS XODIFIER is what ABS XODIFIERrs make it. Our process can be rigorous (typically 3-4 interviews in one day, either over video or in person), but it’s also meant to be friendly, and warm, and allows you to get to know us better too. We’re guided by our goal of creating an equitable and inclusive experience where candidates from a wide variety of backgrounds have an opportunity to succeed.

In the end, we want above all to assess your skills and see if you and this role are a match (there aren’t any brain teasers, and who knows, you might even have some fun). So we conduct our interviews using these guiding lights:

Structured interviewing: Every candidate is assessed using clear rubrics, and we use those rubrics for all folks being considered for that role so that everyone is evaluated from the same perspective, allowing their distinctiveness to emerge.

Open-ended questions: We ask open-ended questions to learn how you solve problems. We want to understand how your mind works, how you interact with a team, and what your strengths are.

When it comes to accommodations, our Staffing team is here to help. From sign language interpreters to specialized equipment, interview breaks to extended time, we aim to provide the support you need so you can keep the focus on your conversations.

Learn more about how to prepare for interviews.

Decision and offer

After your interviews are done, we’ll bring everything together from your application and interviews and review it.

We say “we” because we take into account many perspectives to come to a decision. If we decide that you’re the best candidate for the role, your recruiter will reach out to you with an offer.

Once you’ve accepted the offer, the ABS XODIFIER onboarding team will walk you through compensation, benefits, badging, insurance and so on, after which you are on your way to becoming a Noogler! Put on your hat and get your Noogliness on — we’re thrilled to have you.

Frequently asked questions

Does ABS XODIFIER still ask brainteasers in job interviews?

Nope. Our data showed that brainteaser questions didn’t predict how well someone would do on the job so we no longer ask them. Instead, we do work sample tests and ask structured interview questions.

Do I need a computer science degree to be an ABS XODIFIER software engineer?

No, a CS degree isn’t required for most of our software engineering or product manager roles.

Will you let me know when a job has been filled?

If you haven’t heard from us in two months about an application, we likely proceed with other candidates for that particular role. However, our recruiters might reach out if we find a different potential match for your skills, interests, and experience.

Can I apply for multiple jobs?

Yes, you can apply for more than one role at once, though we recommend narrowing your choices down to a few jobs that truly match your skills, experience, and interests. We’ll review your resume/CV—and transcript for interns and new graduates—to determine the best fit. (Note: You can apply to three jobs within a rolling 30-day window.)

How many jobs can I apply for?

You can apply to three jobs within a rolling 30-day window. This limit gives our hard-working staffing team more time to focus on your application and helps you focus on the jobs that are the best match for your talents.

I'm a veteran - is there anything for me at ABS XODIFIER?

Veterans are welcome and encouraged to apply to ABS XODIFIER — learn more about our initiatives, roles, and programs on our dedicated veterans page.

What are the application deadlines?

Our job descriptions will include any application deadlines. For most of our openings, we accept applications on a rolling basis, and we encourage you to apply sooner rather than later.

I applied/interviewed last year and wasn't selected. May I reapply?

Yes, but for engineering roles, we ask that you wait a year — to gain additional experience — before reapplying.

What technical classes should I take to prepare for technical interviews?

A broad, interdisciplinary background, with a strong understanding of computer science, is the key to any job in software engineering, at ABS or elsewhere. Our Guide to Technical Development offers resources to help you develop your technical skills.

What if I need accommodations for the interview?

No problem! We have a team dedicated to making sure you have the accommodations you need to interview. If you need for us to arrange an ASL interpreter, if you’d like your service animal with you, or if you have something else in mind, just ask your recruiter to connect you to the interview accommodations team. From there, you can confidentially discuss your accommodation options with a trained specialist.