I applied for Support Advisor in the middle of November, the process took 3 weeks.
The whole hiring process consists of several steps.
1. Application including a typing test and scenario question
2. Online Assessment on Knockri
3. Life Story chat with a recruiter
4. Technical/Gauntlet Interview
5. Reference Check
I came across the opportunity on LinkedIn and applied through their website. I applied with no connection to Shopify besides being exposed to their e-commerce platform before. The application encourages you to create your own test store which I would recommend doing to show you are truly interested in their platform. It also helps you prepare for the technical test.
The Online Assessment asks some behavioural questions e.g. overcoming failure, greatest success etc. These are pretty standard for any interview. This process was really nice because it was an online interview that was not live. You recorded your answers on this platform called Knockri and then it is transcribed, removing your voice/bias from the application.
After this is an invitation to the 'Life Story' interview, like many people have mentioned, this is a laid back interview and lets you talk about your previous experiences with the recruiter chiming in with questions. Just be yourself and be ready to chat about your work! I'm curious how they evaluate this stage though. I feel like it is sort of subjective. I'm not sure if they deny anyone after this stage?
The next step is the technical interview and I'm not going to sugarcoat it, it is difficult but intended to simulate what a day of being a Support Advisor is like. I studied for a few days by watching YouTube videos and playing around with my test store while going through the Shopify Help Centre. I have had previous experience with e-commerce (Etsy, Big Cartel) so I was sort of familiar with how to do certain things and set up on a shop. I would say if you do not have this previous experience, starting a test shop is a must!! You have to answer 2 simultaneous chats at once with a recruiter on the other end acting as a merchant. You will act as if you already work for Shopify. There is a time limit of 15 minutes and then the recruiter asks you how your experience is. Be honest and aware of how you did. Don't just say 'It was good' but dive deep into what you really thought of the experience. The chats was still tough for someone who has fast typing skills and LOTS of studying. Remember to ask the merchant more questions about their business while you find the answer to their question, break down the answer into pieces and help them go through it step by step. I ran out of time on the chats and did not answer the second chat to the best of my ability but at least provided links for them to refer back to later. Remember to thank the merchant for their patience, for myself, I kept saying 'Just give me a moment and we can go through the steps together.' Overall, the experience was quite fast-paced and hectic, but again, gives you a taste of what your day-to-day might be like. I found it to be interesting and stimulating but stressful.
After the chats, you will receive a phone call with the same recruiter and again, act as if you are a support advisor helping a merchant. The phone call was much easier as you could search and talk at the same time but still remember to match the merchant's energy/tone and get the information to them succinctly. The recruiter I chatted with was really nice and made the experience pleasant. He also gave really great feedback after. :^)
After this, you will be invited to submit three references through a third-party so be ready with your references emails and notify them of the process ahead of time.
My technical was on Wednesday, references submitted Thursday/Weekend and I got a call on Monday with an offer from my Life Story recruiter!
Overall, it is quite a long process for a customer support position but looking forward to becoming part of the team!!
