Activision Blizzard interview questions

The interview was more technical than I expected. Although I was prepared for technical questions, I expected to lead a team with the technical ability. The interview also included a presentation the the entire group that interviewed you. What I liked about the interview was that they knew what they were looking for in terms of technical experience. This made the decision process easier because you knew after the interview if this was something you want to do.

I was set-up with an interview with the Strategy team, after being referred by someone. Fortunately I didn't have to get screened by HR initially. My interview was over the phone with a fairly senior person. I spent a lot of time preparing for this interview, speaking to friends in the industry, reading up on research and gathering insights. The interviewer was very terse and direct, which was fine, although I find phone interviews to be difficult at the best of times because you have no visual cues. So his approach made it even more awkward. Not sure why they wouldn't bring me into the office. Questions revolved around the company strategy, what I thought of it, things they should/could be doing and a discussion of my background and how it fit. Certainly some questions I handled better than others - it wasn't my best interview, just ok. I was held to a strict 30 minutes and certainly felt rushed trying to touch on what were very large and complex issues facing the company. I had no time for questions of my own. I was told they would get back to me with further steps, but was offered no contact information. I never heard a word from the company or my referral person. It's a shame that companies feel they can treat candidates with such disrespect, especially when so much effort is put forth to prepare. What I heard was that the role has been open for a while, so clearly they are having trouble finding the right person. Based on my (limited) experience with this company, being treated as completely expendible, it didn't strike me as a place to focus on.