I’m Kayla. I worked at BARK (yep, the BarkBox folks). I joined first in Customer Experience, then moved into Content. I also use BarkBox at home with my dog, Bean. So I saw both sides. The front door. And the backstage.
You know what? It was fun. And also a little wild.
For another first-hand walk-through of the BarkBox hiring and onboarding flow, you can skim this colleague’s in-depth recap. It’s a neat companion piece to mine.
How I Got In
I found the job on the BarkBox Careers page. The filters were clear. I picked “remote” and “Customer Experience.” I sent my resume. The site ran on Greenhouse, so I got a fast auto email.
A real recruiter wrote five days later. Short and friendly note. We set up a call.
Here’s the interview path I had:
- 30-minute recruiter screen (basic skills, pay range, schedule)
- Zoom with the hiring manager (role play with a mock dog parent)
- A tiny take-home task (rewrite two email replies)
- A panel chat with two team leads and one designer
They asked about tools I used. I shared Zendesk and Notion. I also told a story about a tough customer and how I solved it. I kept it real and short. It worked. I got the offer a week later. The range matched the posting. They also had a stock program, which was new to me, but the HR person walked me through it.
Day One (Bean Stole the Show)
My laptop came by mail. On Slack, folks said “hi” in a channel with dog pics. There was a “new hire dog roll call.” Bean snored through it. Classic.
Onboarding was two weeks:
- Tools: Slack, Zendesk, Notion, Google stuff
- Shadowing on Zoom
- FAQ about toys, treats, and allergies
- Voice training (tone: calm, kind, a little playful)
The rule that stuck with me: “Treat every message like it’s one person with one dog, not a ticket count.” I liked that.
What My Work Was Like
In CX, I answered emails and chat. We used macros, but we always tweaked the voice. Lots of “Hi, friend” and dog names. We sent replacement toys if a seam popped. We helped swap boxes for allergy needs. I tracked targets, like reply time and CSAT. During the holidays, it got busy. I did one Saturday a month. Not every team has that, but ours did.
Later, I moved into Content. I wrote copy for toy tags, emails, and app notes. I worked with designers in Figma. We tested lines and subject lines. A/B tests felt like little games. “Squeak-hungry sidekick” beat “super chewer buddy” one week. Go figure.
The monthly themes were fun. One time we had a camp vibe. We named a plush “S’more to Love.” I still smile at that one.
Stuff I Loved
- Dog-first culture that didn’t feel fake. You can talk about your pet all day, and no one rolls their eyes.
- Real growth. I moved teams by raising my hand. It took time, but it happened.
- Feedback that didn’t sting. Notes were direct but kind. Clear edits. Quick check-ins.
- Perks that felt on-brand. I got a free monthly BarkBox and some discounts. Bean approved. Loudly.
- A small things vibe. Folks dropped “thank you” notes in Slack after long nights. That mattered.
If you’d like to see how other employees describe the same upsides, you can skim through plenty of BarkBox employee testimonials on Indeed for additional perspective.
Stuff That Bugged Me
- Fast changes. Goals shifted with launches. One week, email replies. Next week, chat rules. Then back again.
- Noise. Slack pinged all day. I had to mute threads to think.
- Workload swings. Holidays were heavy. Carriers had delays. Customers got mad. We took it on the chin.
Want a wild benchmark? Our holiday queue felt chaotic, but live video platforms juggle chat tsunamis nightly. This eye-opening case study on how adult webcam sites scale chat infrastructure shows the traffic-management tricks they use under extreme load—and it’s packed with smart lessons CX or engineering teams can borrow for their own peak seasons.
- Pay was fair for me, but not top of market. I knew friends in tech who made more.
- Promo timing slowed during a 2023 shake-up. Not just me. Many people felt it.
Curious how widespread those pain points feel? The anonymous reviews over on Glassdoor echo a similar mix of rapid pivots and seasonal surges.
Reading about other high-volume workplaces helped me put those pain points in perspective—this candid Koch Foods day-to-day rundown shows how shifting priorities pop up even in a totally different industry.
Tools We Used (In My Corner)
- Slack for chat
- Zendesk for tickets
- Notion for docs
- Google Meet and Zoom for calls
- Figma with the design crew
- Looker dashboards popped up now and then for data checks
If you’ve used these, you’ll slot in fine. If not, no biggie. Training was clear.
Culture Notes That Stuck
- Puns. So many puns. If you hate them, this may bug you. I loved it.
- “Assume good intent.” People said it and meant it.
- Customer empathy is not a poster. It’s the job.
- Dog-friendly everything. Even remote. Bring your pup to calls. No one cares if they bark. It adds charm.
Benefits I Saw
- Health, dental, vision
- 401(k)
- PTO that my manager pushed me to use (thank you, Kim)
- Parental leave was there; a teammate used it and felt supported
- Remote setup stipend at the start
- Free monthly BarkBox and discounts
I won’t quote numbers here, since they can change. Ask a recruiter for the latest.
One under-the-radar perk of BARK’s remote policy is the freedom to plant yourself anywhere. A teammate of mine packed up for Baton Rouge to chase lower rent, great food, and a lively after-hours scene—if you’re ever scouting the city’s nightlife yourself, this straightforward Baton Rouge adult nightlife guide catalogs the most popular venues, local etiquette, and safety tips so you can explore confidently and skip the guesswork.
Who Thrives Here
- Dog people (duh)
- Folks who like change and can roll with it
- Kind communicators who can also hit targets
- Writers who enjoy short, punchy lines
- Support champs who keep cool when things break
Who might not:
- People who need strict, quiet days
- Folks who dislike puns or a playful tone
- Anyone who hates Slack pings
If you’re weighing something more hands-on and outdoorsy, the boots-on-the-ground reflections in this Ora Farms career review give a nice contrast to Bark’s remote-friendly, Slack-heavy vibe.
Tips If You’re Applying on the BarkBox Careers Page
- Show a real dog story in your cover note. Keep it short. Make it warm.
- List your tools: Zendesk, Notion, Figma, whatever you’ve used.
- Share a small win with a number. “Raised CSAT by 7%.” Simple.
- For Content roles, add three short samples. Email subject lines work great.
- Ask about weekend or holiday shifts. It’s better to know early.
- In the interview, walk through one hard problem and how you solved it. Clear steps, clear result.
For a wider perspective on shaping standout applications, I found the advice on CareerBuilderChallenge refreshingly actionable.
A Quick Story
One night, a mom wrote in. Her kid named the plush toy “Captain Nibbles.” The pup tore it in a day. She was upset. I sent a free replacement, wrote a small note to the kid from “Captain Nibbles,” and tossed in a tougher toy. She wrote back with a photo. The kid was grinning. That’s the job, right there. Fix the thing. Make it feel human.
My Verdict
Would I apply again through BarkBox Careers? Yes. I would. I’d ask about shift needs first. I’d set Slack to “Do Not Disturb” sooner. And I’d still write a silly pun or two. It’s work with heart. Messy at times, but warm.
Bean would also like me to say: the squeakers slap.