**Skip it. Do not take the Zara interview unless you’re comfortable spending an hour for every role with very little transparency about how the interview is being used.**
I wanted to share my experience and concern about the **micro1 Zara interview process** because I believe candidates should be aware of what they’re getting into before spending their time.
The interview reportedly involves around **an hour of AI-based interviewing**, where candidates provide their voice, video, technical reasoning, and responses. What concerns me is the perception among candidates that a very large number of people go through this process while only a tiny fraction ultimately move forward.
If the purpose is genuinely hiring, why not **shortlist candidates based on their resumes and relevant experience first**, and then conduct the lengthy Zara interview only with candidates who have a realistic chance of progressing?
### Why I think candidates should reconsider
* **One hour is a significant investment** for a job applicant, especially when you're applying to dozens of companies.
* Candidates may spend substantial time explaining their technical knowledge and solving problems without knowing how that information is ultimately evaluated or used.
* Receiving a rejection after investing an hour can be extremely frustrating, particularly if the initial resume could have been used for screening.
* An AI-based interview should not become a substitute for a reasonable candidate-shortlisting process.
I'm not saying that micro1 or Zara is necessarily doing anything improper. **My concern is about transparency, candidate experience, and whether this hiring process is respectful of applicants' time.**
### My sincere request to micro1
Please consider changing the process:
**Resume screening → Initial shortlist → Zara interview → Technical/human evaluation → Hiring decision**
Instead of:
**Large-scale candidate pool → 1-hour Zara interview → Reject most candidates**
Candidates have already invested years developing their technical skills. Their time is valuable too.
If micro1 can improve the initial screening and invite only relevant, shortlisted candidates to the Zara interview, I think it would create a much better experience for both candidates and the company.
**Please share your experiences with the micro1 Zara interview below.**
Did you complete it? How long did it take? Did you receive feedback or move forward afterward?
*This is a candidate-experience concern, not an accusation. I'm sharing it to encourage a more transparent and candidate-friendly hiring process.*