recently went through the LinkedIn AE interview process for their Talent Solutions division. sharing what caught me off guard because most prep content online is outdated.
the recruiter screen is basically a tone-check. they want to hear you're quota-carrying, not just 'sales-adjacent'. mention numbers early.
phone interview with the hiring manager - this is where people get filtered. expect a deal review. walk me through a deal you closed, what the buying committee looked like, what objections you faced, how long the cycle was. if your answers are vague here you won't advance. i cited a specific $400k ARR deal and they asked follow-ups for 20 minutes.
onsite (4 rounds): mock pitch - they give you 15 minutes to prep and then you pitch LinkedIn Talent Solutions to the interviewer playing a Head of Talent at a 500-person company. this is the filter. you need to actually know the product. i'd watched every LinkedIn demo video i could find. people who walk in cold get smoked. territory planning exercise - given a list of named accounts, build a 90-day territory plan. they care about how you prioritize, how you think about ICP fit, and whether you even ask about available support (BDR, SE, etc.). behavioral/values - standard STAR but they reference LinkedIn's values often. 'transforming' is one they ask about directly. second HM round - more strategic. where do you see enterprise talent tech going. how do you sell against free alternatives. be ready to have a POV.
total timeline from first recruiter reach-out to offer: about 5 weeks.
bottom line: this is not a light process. LinkedIn takes sales hiring seriously. the mock pitch is the crux. practice it on a real product you know well, then switch to theirs the week before.