Pushpay is one of Summer of Tech’s prominent sponsors based in Auckland. Marcus Bristol, Engineering Manager, has mentored a number of students through our programme over the years. This year, he is sharing his interview tips and tricks for students from the perspective of an employer.
Pushpay is one of the best companies for payments and engagement solutions for schools, non-profits, and religious groups. As a fast-growing tech company, Pushpay is changing how these groups get donors and members, keep them involved, and collect donations.
With rapid expansion and a strong company culture focused on innovation an interview at Pushpay can be exciting yet challenging. Understanding the types of questions you may encounter and how to prepare thoughtful answers is key to excelling in your Pushpay interview.
In this article, we will explore the top 15 most common Pushpay interview questions providing tips and sample responses to help you highlight your qualifications and stand out from the competition.
Overview of Pushpay’s Hiring Process
The hiring process at Pushpay typically involves:
- Initial screening call with a recruiter
- Technical assignment or case study
- Multiple interviews including technical, behavioral and role-play scenarios
- A day of job shadowing in some cases
- Reference and background checks
The process aims to thoroughly assess candidates’ skills, cultural fit and problem-solving abilities across a series of interactions. While it can be lengthy, preparation and showing genuine interest in Pushpay’s mission can help secure a role.
15 Common Pushpay Interview Questions and Answers
Here are the 15 most common interview questions at Pushpay, along with tips on how to answer them in the best way possible:
1. How would you approach building and maintaining strong client relationships in a high-tech industry like ours?
As a company providing sophisticated payment and engagement solutions, Pushpay relies heavily on positive client relationships. Interviewers want to know you can balance technical expertise with genuine relationship-building.
- In your response, explain how you would:
- Initiate regular communication to educate clients on new features/updates
- Solicit feedback to tailor services to their needs
- Provide training/support to build trust and shared understanding
- Stay current on industry trends to provide strategic recommendations
Sample Answer: “I would focus on proactive communication to educate clients on our solutions while soliciting their input to customize our offerings. This establishes a collaborative dynamic where clients feel invested in our relationship and know I’m dedicated to their success. I would also commit to continuous learning around industry trends to provide clients with strategic guidance tailored to their goals.”
2. Walk me through your process for identifying and engaging potential leads.
Pushpay seeks sales professionals who take a targeted yet adaptable approach to prospecting and lead generation. Your response should convey strategic thinking and interpersonal skills.
- In your response, explain how you would:
- Conduct market research to identify high-potential leads
- Create personalized outreach strategies based on prospects’ needs
- Track interactions in a CRM to enable timely, relevant follow-ups
- Continually refine strategies based on response rates
Sample Answer: “I would start by thoroughly analyzing the target market to pinpoint leads that align with Pushpay’s solutions. Using a CRM, I would track outreach while continually refining my approach based on engagement levels. My process would involve thoughtful personalization, communicating how Pushpay can solve prospects’ specific pain points in a consultative manner and quantifying the potential value.”
3. Tell me about a time you implemented a complex software solution. What steps did you take?
This behavioral question evaluates your technical project management abilities. The interviewer wants to hear a clear situation-action-result story.
- In your response, explain how you:
- Worked to fully understand the client’s requirements upfront
- Carefully planned the design and implementation phases
- Maintained clear communication with stakeholders
- Handled any obstacles using measured problem-solving
Sample Answer: “In my last role, a client needed a customized CRM integrated with their proprietary systems. I made sure to grasp their desired functionality through in-depth discussions. I then meticulously mapped out the integration architecture, collaborating with their technical team. When unexpected compatibility issues arose, I methodically tested solutions until finding the optimal fix. Despite hurdles, my structured approach resulted in a successful implementation that met the client’s goals.”
4. How would you tailor a product demo to resonate with a prospect?
Pushpay wants customer-focused sales representatives who can creatively showcase their solutions. Demonstrate your ability to engage prospects and adjust your pitch based on their responses.
- In your response, explain how you would:
- Thoroughly research the prospect’s organization and needs beforehand
- Highlight Pushpay features that directly address their pain points
- Engage the prospect with questions to confirm resonance
- Summarize key benefits aligned with their needs
Sample Answer: “I would start by deeply researching the prospect’s organization to understand their goals. During the demo, I would walk through Pushpay capabilities that clearly solve for their challenges, providing relevant examples. Checking for understanding, I would adjust my approach accordingly in real-time. Finally, I would recap the main benefits discussed and how Pushpay can uniquely deliver value to them.”
5. Tell me about a challenging sales target you met. What strategies did you use?
Past success in overcoming sales challenges can showcase your ambition, resilience and strategic thinking. The interviewer is looking for examples of your capabilities.
- In your response, explain:
- The specific challenging goal and why it was difficult (competitive market, ambitious target etc.)
- The strategic, targeted actions you took
- How you monitored progress and adjusted course
- How your efforts directly contributed to success
Sample Answer: “In my last role, I was tasked with growing market share in an extremely competitive industry. To do this, I rigorously analyzed our differentiators and targeted high-potential accounts with tailored messaging. Tracking response metrics, I continuously refined my approach. This, combined with tenacious follow-through, enabled me to onboard 12 new major clients in a quarter – a 57% increase over our goal.”
6. How would you prioritize customer support tickets to balance urgency with great service?
Providing stellar customer service is crucial at Pushpay. The interviewer wants to know you can effectively triage issues while keeping clients satisfied.
- In your response, explain how you would:
- Categorize tickets based on severity and impact
- Use systems to track resolution timelines
- Provide regular, personalized updates to impacted users
- Leverage tools to efficiently manage communication
Sample Answer: “I would utilize a system like Zendesk to appropriately categorize tickets based on factors like user base affected and business impact. I would then establish SLAs based on these categories to balance urgent fixes with ongoing requests. Throughout, I would maintain transparent communication with impacted users, providing personalized updates on timelines and resolutions.”
7. How have CRM tools helped you effectively manage sales pipelines in the past?
Familiarity with leveraging CRMs like Salesforce to organize, track and accelerate sales activities is key. Demonstrate your expertise driving results with these systems.
- In your response, explain how you have:
- Customized CRM tools to match companies’ sales processes
- Taken advantage of key features like workflow automation
- Used data and reporting to identify optimization opportunities
- Achieved tangible improvements in lead conversion, sales productivity etc.
Sample Answer: “I have configured Salesforce, HubSpot and other CRMs to align with companies’ sales processes, creating targeted automations and dashboards. This has enabled me to glean actionable insights to bolster prospect engagement. For example, by tracking lead source effectiveness in HubSpot, I increased conversion rates by 15% in one quarter by refining our outbound strategy.”
8. How do you stay up-to-date on industry trends and developments?
The ability to absorb emerging trends andcompetitive intelligence is vital in the fast-paced payments space. Demonstrate your proactive learning orientation.
- In your response, explain how you:
- Actively research industry news, thought leaders and innovations
- Leverage tools like Google Alerts to surface relevant updates
- Incorporate trends into your sales messaging and product positioning
- Educate colleagues on important developments and potential impacts
Sample Answer: “I stay up-to-date by subscribing to industry publications, engaging with leaders on social media, attending webinars and setting Google Alerts. I incorporate emerging trends into my messaging and share key learnings with my team. This enables me to have meaningful conversations that demonstrate my industry knowledge and ability to provide strategic guidance.”
9. Tell me about a time you turned an unhappy customer into a satisfied one.
CSC and retention capabilities are imperative for Pushpay’s customer-centric culture. Share a specific example that conveys your commitment to service excellence.
- In your response, explain:
- The context of the customer’s dissatisfaction
- How you actively listened and understood the root issues
- Actions you took to resolve their concerns
- How you turned the interaction into a positive outcome
Sample Answer: “A client complained their new payment solution was too complex for staff. I listened closely to understand their team’s challenges. I then had our support team provide re-training focused onsimplifying key workflows. I also set up bi-weekly check-ins to address any other concerns. My hands-on approach resulted in very positive feedback from the client on how the issue was handled.”
10. How do you balance achieving short-term sales goals with long-term relationship
Understanding the interview format
Interviews are usually started with small talk, and these will usually begin with an ice-breaker. The employer will generally lead this part. Even though this part does not seem relevant, it helps build and establish a rapport with the interviewer. It could be a nice touch to keep up with news and events in this area so you have something to talk about with the people interviewing you.
When answering their questions, you might think they are asking some stupid or irrelevant questions. This is usually them trying to get an understanding of how you really are or how you think. It’s possible that some of their questions will get too personal. “Tell me about yourself” is the most common (and hardest) interview question, so make sure you know how to answer it. A good technique for this question to address the following:
- Your background
- Your strengths
- What youre looking for in the role
There are many good questions to ask your interviewers. Just pick a few that you think are the most interesting. Here are some suggestions that you can use as reference:
- Marcus’ current favorite question is: “What kind of person does this job best?”
- What are some mistakes people have made in this role?
- How will my performance be evaluated?
- How has covid affected your business?
Dont come with absolutely no questions otherwise it seems like you arent interested.
Some questions you shouldnt ask:
- Do I get paid to commute to work?
- How much vacation time do I get?
- How long is lunch break?
- Can I work from home?
Students practiced their introduction applying the technique that was shared by Marcus
Interviewing with the right workplace
Marcus started off by talking about Pushpays blameless culture. This means that if something goes wrong, it’s always the process and never the people. Marcus told the students that they should look for a company with a growth culture that fits them and a way to move up in the company. Employers, on the other hand, look for passion, excitement, attitude, and aptitude within their potential interns.
