I was lucky enough to be in the interview group last week, here's my take:
Stayed at the Airport Marriott Miami, there are other hotels in the Marriott complex all centrally located and just about a 10 minute drive from the Atlas training center. I arrived about 40 minutes early because I didn't know the area very well and didn't want to fight traffic. Getting there early turned out to be useful; there were a few students and sim instructors who came over and talked with me about the job, etc., very nice people, down to earth. The interview day started at 715 with a company powerpoint describing what Atlas does, their corporate philosophy, and financial performance. There were about 3 individuals from HR there, and when the morning presentation was done, interviews started.
There were about 11 of us in the group, they took us 2 at a time to the interview, although interviews were individually done. Everything was scheduled so you knew from the beginning of the day when your interview was. After the first 2 people went to interview, the rest were given a writing assessment. I could post the topic, but it won't help. They change it. [Same goes for the online assessment]. Could be technical, could be generic. We were given 30 minutes to write a page or so. After that we filled out HR paperwork, not difficult.
The interview itself consisted of 3 interviews: a technical, resume/experience review, and HR/company panel interview. The technical and resume review may either be 1st or 2nd, but I believe the HR panel was last. Technical portion was extremely low threat and, well, actually very informative. I learned quite a bit and when the allotted 15 minutes were up I actually wanted to stay. We went over questions I missed from the online assessment, discussed V1 and abort/reject philosophy since I'd been working on developing SOPs for that (also a test question). I got a 74 which he said was a great score. I still felt stupid for missing so many questions, but you don't need a high score to get hired.
The resume review was just that. Asking questions about your work/education history and confirming you are who you claim to be, and aren't lying about your experience. They don't require you bring logbooks. I brought a printout of my military hours from our ARMS office, but did not bring civilian logbooks. I undercut my claimed times by a small margin just to be safe. Again, this was non-threating and relaxed. I had ample time to ask questions about the company, lifestyle, etc. Also asked about company fuel savings policies, future expansion, and other general questions I had written down prior to the interview.
The HR portion was next, and, wait for it, was non-threatening and laid back. 3 on one panel, each asked a few questions. As 744Driver put it, they want to be sure that you can handle the lifestyle of being on the road for extended periods of time and not turn into a diva. There are standard questions here, nothing tricky. I was asked about a time I did something stupid in the plane. Pick something dumb you did and explain how you learned from it and became a better pilot. Be yourself, be honest, and let the process work. This is a two-way street. You may find out that Atlas isn't a fit, or they may think it isn't a fit for you. Trust their judgement, they've been doing this a long time and can pick out personalities that may not be compatible with their lifestyle. I've done this for the guard and the philosophies are the same: Find the guy/gal who can handle extended trips and won't burn out, will be fun on the road, and will be competent in and out of the cockpit.
A captain came to discuss lifestyle/company questions we had, lunch was catered (very good), and we had a tour of the facilities. Very nice equipment here. After that, those who had already interviewed were free to go, but interviews were scheduled up until around 5pm. The airport Marriott let me keep my bags there and keep the room until 5. You can also store a bag at Atlas during the interview.
My advice for those interviewing in the near future would be to study up on the company. Go to the website and download investor info (they tell you to do this for the interview). Become familiar with what Atlas does and the lifestyle it entails. Review weather, weather charts, RVSM airspace, MNPS, RNP, ICAO, TAF/METAR code, anything you can get your hands on for international/oceanic flying. Remember they browse these forums and change questions for future groups. Your experience may vary. I studied what I was told to study during the phone interview and everything went well.
Hope some of this helps out future interviewees. Everyone at Atlas was very friendly and down to earth; I had a great time interviewing there and learned a few things along the way. Overall a great experience and the impression I left with was Atlas will be a great company to work for. Good luck to everyone,
cheers