The interview process is over, and I played extensively with Zapier last month. I can still feel the day I created and submitted the task on the application form and waited for a reply from the team. It was a great journey, and I learned more about the product's capabilities and the company's mission.

Thank you to the amazing people I met during the interview - Allan, Bonnie, Casey, Paul, Jamie, and Lauren - who made the process engaging and gave me clear instructions. Lou and Alexis conducted my technical interview, where I got an actual view of how support specialists work on live chat.

I also connected with many people from the Zapier Support team - Jeanny, Edcel, Aleks, Maryori, and Peter. I talked with Nivedha, who previously worked at Zapier. Ankush from the engineering team and Kim from the Talent team also gave me insights into how Zapier works as a company.

I have just crafted this page to share what I learned along the way and to document the process.

Introduction about me.

I’m Hari Nandanan! I’m a Computer Science graduate and technical support engineer from Kerala, India. I’ve always been naturally curious and love figuring out how things work. I discovered that I enjoy talking to customers, empathizing with their challenges, and finding creative ways to educate and empower my users. I believe in the philosophy of teaching how to fish!

Why do I want to work at Zapier?

In my previous jobs, I used Zapier with other applications and services to make our LMS product fully functional. Playing with Zapier was a great part of my career, and I can imagine different combinations to solve problems.

The idea of making automation accessible to everyone and making computers do more work is something that I strongly advocate for. I always like to think of ways to improve a system, and Zapier's is moving toward that futuristic mission.

I researched more about Zapier’s culture and realized how much it aligns with my values. I thrive in environments where feedback is encouraged and used as a tool for growth, and I deeply value empathy, especially when viewing things from the user’s perspective. This alignment with Zapier’s values pushed me to apply for this position.

How do I approach Technical Support?

I have been working on technical support roles, and here's a refined process based on all the feedback I have received. I'm also open to feedback and align my process to the company's expectations.

Understanding before solving: Ask clear questions and gather as much information as possible to narrow possible issues. Replicate the issue to think from the user's perspective.

Communicate clearly and proactively: provide the replies in an empathizing tone to make them feel heard. Use simpler jargon-free language according to the user's technical level. Setting resolution expectations and offering proactive solutions.

Teaching more than fixing: I believe the goal is to educate the customer and empower them to resolve the issue independently next time. This can be done by providing detailed guidelines and documentation and encouraging self-learning.

Learning every day: There are always new problems and challenges. It's an opportunity to learn, which is the best perk of support roles. I would like to stay in the game by attending webinars and workshops and reading new documentation about new apps.

PS: I'm attending the Zapier Agent workshop with Bryce to learn more about using agents to increase and improve productivity.

The journey:

From the very first interaction, Zapier’s hiring process was unique. I had a very good interview process with clear communication and materials. I could see the Zapier values while talking to each of my interviewers.

Recruiter Screen: The first step with Allan. This was my chance to showcase my previous job roles and Zapier experiences. I shared my experiences in customer support, my passion for automation, and my ability to simplify complex problems for users. We also touched on API basics, which I learned after the process.

Skills Interview: A live debugging session with Alexis and Lou. I was asked to troubleshoot actual Zapier workflows, explain solutions in simple terms, and demonstrate how I would handle a live chat customer. Here, I also learned about how Technical Support specialist operates, and I got to know how their day is structured.

The Final Interview: I talked to Lauren, the support director. I was asked about some specific situations and how I have handled them. She also gave me general insights into Support roles at Zapier.

Things I learned:

Along the journey, I have talked with some amazing people who work at Zapier. They have been really helpful in giving insights into what exactly it is to work at Zapier.

Empathy: Customers often reach out because they're frustrated or stuck. A great support specialist doesn't just provide solutions. They acknowledge the customer's frustration and reassure them. This builds trust and makes the customer feel heard, which improves their overall experience.

Clarity is Key: Responses must be structured and clear in an asynchronous environment like Zapier's support model. Be it with customers or teammates, we don't have immediate back-and-forth interactions, so they should be able to understand. Writing concisely and jargon-free ensures that even complex technical explanations are understandable.

Proactivity: Exceptional support is not just about solving the current issue. It's about anticipating potential roadblocks and providing extra guidance. It could be linking to relevant documentation, suggesting best practices, or highlighting common mistakes to help customers avoid future problems. Being proactive turns a good support experience into a great one.

In my interviews, I felt I was being tested more on how I think rather than getting into the actual answer or solution.

Looking forward.

I am more excited than ever about the possibility of joining Zapier. The hiring process itself felt like an immersive journey with the Zapier team. I'm looking forward to being a team player at Zapier and working towards the mission of making automation for everyone.