Fanatics, Inc. Interview Guide for Data Analyst Position

Company Introduction

Fanatics, Inc. is a digital sports platform that fuels the passions of sports fans worldwide by offering innovative products and services across Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming. Their platform allows fans to buy licensed merchandise, collect sports memorabilia, and engage in sports betting. With a database of over 100 million fans and a network of 900 sports properties, Fanatics stands as a leader in the industry.

Position Overview

The Data Analyst role at Fanatics involves supporting commercial stakeholders with high-level Sportsbook & Casino strategy, financial forecasting, KPI reporting, and other impactful projects. Candidates need strong SQL, Excel proficiency, and experience in data analysis to drive business growth and deliver valuable insights.

Explore our guide on Interview Query to navigate the interview process and prepare for your dream job at Fanatics!

Fanatics, Inc. Data Analyst Interview Process

Submitting Your Application

The first step is to submit a compelling application that reflects your technical skills and interest in joining Fanatics, Inc. as a Data Analyst. Whether you were contacted by a Fanatics recruiter or have taken the initiative yourself, carefully review the job description and tailor your CV according to the prerequisites.

Tailoring your CV may include identifying specific keywords that the hiring manager might use to filter resumes and crafting a targeted cover letter. Furthermore, don’t forget to highlight relevant skills and mention your work experiences.

Recruiter Call

If your CV happens to be among the shortlisted few, a recruiter from the Fanatics Talent Acquisition Team will make contact to verify key details like your experiences and skill level. During this call, expect to answer some basic SQL questions such as joins, unions, and similar queries.

In some cases, the Fanatics hiring manager might join the screening round to answer your queries about the role and the company itself. They may also touch on surface-level technical and behavioral discussions.

The whole recruiter call usually takes about 30 minutes.

Technical Virtual Interview

Successfully navigating the recruiter round will present you with an invitation for the technical screening round. Technical screening for the Fanatics Data Analyst role usually is conducted through virtual means, including video conferencing and screen-sharing. Questions in this 1-hour long interview stage may revolve around Fanatics’ data systems, ETL pipelines, and SQL queries.

In the case of data analyst roles, there is often a 30-minute SQL test included in this phase. This will assess your proficiency in writing SQL queries, understanding joins, unions, handling null values, and more.

Panel Interview

Upon passing the SQL test, you will proceed to another round that might involve multiple interviewers. This round usually goes deeper into your technical skills and your knowledge of data analytics, statistical methods, and experience with tools like Tableau and Excel.

The whole panel interview process may take between one to two hours. You may be asked to discuss your past experiences, how you handled specific business problems, and how you utilized data to drive decision-making.

Onsite Interview Rounds

Followed by a second recruiter call outlining the next stage, you’ll be invited to attend the onsite interview loop. Multiple interview rounds, varying with the role, will be conducted during your day at the Fanatics office. Your technical prowess, including programming and data analysis capabilities, will be evaluated against the finalized candidates throughout these interviews.

Quick Tips For Fanatics Data Analyst Interviews

• Master Your SQL Skills: Fanatics values strong SQL proficiency. Make sure to practice SQL basics and advanced queries, including joins, unions, group by, and handling null values.
• Understand the Company: Fanatics operates in a dynamic sports industry. Get familiar with the company’s various branches like Fanatics Commerce, Collectibles, and Betting & Gaming. This will help you connect your answers to real-company scenarios.
• Behavioral Preparedness: Be prepared to dive into behavioral questions. Showcase instances where you have shown leadership, overcame challenges, or provided significant insights through your data analysis efforts.

Typically, interviews at Fanatics vary by role and team, but commonly Data Analyst interviews follow a fairly standardized process across these question topics.

• What would you do if friend requests are down 10% on Facebook? A product manager at Facebook informs you that friend requests have decreased by 10%. How would you approach investigating and addressing this issue?

• How would you set up an A/B test for changes in a sign-up funnel? A team wants to A/B test multiple changes in a sign-up funnel, such as changing a button from red to blue and/or moving it from the top to the bottom of the page. How would you design this test?

• What metrics would you use to determine the value of each marketing channel? Given all the different marketing channels and their respective costs at a company called Mode, which sells B2B analytics dashboards, what metrics would you use to assess the value of each channel?

• How would you measure the success of a banner ad strategy for an online media company? An online media company wants to experiment with adding web banners into the middle of its reading content to monetize effectively. How would you measure the success of this banner ad strategy?

• How would you investigate a drop in Facebook post activity? Facebook's posting tool usage dropped from 3% posts per user last month to 2.5% today. How would you investigate this decline? If the drop is specifically in photo posts, what additional steps would you take?

• How would you interpret coefficients of logistic regression for categorical and boolean variables? Explain how to interpret the coefficients of logistic regression when dealing with categorical and boolean variables.

• What is the difference between covariance and correlation? Provide an example. Describe the difference between covariance and correlation, and provide an example to illustrate the distinction.

• What are time series models? Why do we need them when we have less complicated regression models? Explain what time series models are and why they are necessary despite the availability of simpler regression models.

• How would you determine if the difference between this month and the previous month in a time series dataset is significant? Given a time series dataset grouped monthly for the past five years, describe how you would assess if the difference between this month and the previous month is significant.

• How would you address a manager's complaint about a packet filling machine not functioning correctly? A manager reports that a packet filling machine, which aims to place 25 packets into a box, is malfunctioning. Customers are complaining about incorrect packet counts. How would you investigate and resolve this issue?

• How does random forest generate the forest and why use it over logistic regression? Explain the process of generating a forest in random forest and discuss the advantages of using random forest over logistic regression.

• How would you justify using a neural network model and explain its predictions to non-technical stakeholders? Describe how you would justify the complexity of a neural network model for solving a business problem and how you would explain its predictions to non-technical stakeholders.

• How would you interpret coefficients of logistic regression for categorical and boolean variables? Explain the interpretation of logistic regression coefficients for categorical and boolean variables.

• Which model would perform better for predicting Airbnb booking prices: linear regression or random forest regression? Compare the performance of linear regression and random forest regression for predicting booking prices on Airbnb and explain which model would likely perform better and why.

• What are the assumptions of linear regression? List and explain the key assumptions underlying linear regression.

• Create a function recurring_char to find the first recurring character in a string. Given a string, write a function recurring_char to find its first recurring character. Return None if there is no recurring character. Treat upper and lower case letters as distinct characters. Assume the input string includes no spaces.

• Write a query to get the average order value by gender. Given three tables representing customer transactions and customer attributes, write a query to get the average order value by gender. Round the answer to two decimal places.

• Identify first-time and repeat purchases by product category. Analyze a user's purchases to identify which purchases represent the first time the user has bought a product from its category and which represent repeat purchases. Output a table including every purchase with a boolean column indicating if it’s a repeat purchase.

• Parse the most frequent words used in poems. Given a list of strings called sentences, return a dictionary of the frequency that words are used in the poem. Process all words as lowercase and ignore punctuation marks.

• Write a SQL query to select the 2nd highest salary in the engineering department. Write a SQL query to select the 2nd highest salary in the engineering department. If more than one person shares the highest salary, select the next highest salary.

What is the average salary for a Data Analyst at Fanatics, Inc.?

Q: What does Fanatics, Inc. specialize in? Fanatics, Inc. is a global leader in the digital sports industry, providing fans with licensed fan gear, lifestyle products, trading cards, sports memorabilia, and a platform for sports betting and iGaming. They partner with over 900 sports properties worldwide, including major professional sports leagues and colleges.

Q: What is the interview process like for a Data Analyst position at Fanatics? The interview process typically begins with a recruiter call that includes basic SQL questions and discussions about your background. This is followed by a phone screen and a 30-minute SQL test. If you pass, there is a final panel interview that may include more in-depth questions about SQL and your understanding of the company.

Q: What qualifications are required for the Data Analyst role at Fanatics? Candidates should have at least three years of experience in an analytics role, proficiency in SQL and Excel, and experience building dashboards with tools like Tableau. Additional skills include a logical and analytical approach to problem-solving, strong organizational and communication skills, and, ideally, an understanding of sports betting or customer behavior analysis.

Q: What benefits does Fanatics offer to its employees? Fanatics provides a comprehensive benefits package that includes Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K, paid time off, and perks like GymPass, Pet Insurance, Family Care Benefits, and Free Shipt deliveries. Additionally, they offer a $500 stipend to set up your home office.

Q: How can I prepare for an interview at Fanatics? To prepare, research the company thoroughly, practice SQL and other relevant technical skills, and be ready to discuss your past experiences and how they relate to the role. Utilize resources like Interview Query to practice and review common interview questions and technical challenges.

If you're ready to make an impact with Fanatics, Inc., you’re in for an exciting journey in the world of sports fandom! From developing groundbreaking data insights to supporting key business strategies, the Data Analyst role promises a rewarding career path. To prepare for your interview, delve into the resources available at Interview Query, including our comprehensive Fanatics Interview Guide. We’ve collected insights and strategies that will help you excel in SQL questions, technical evaluations, and stakeholder interactions.

On Interview Query, you'll find all the tools and professional advice you need to boost your confidence and ace the Fanatics interview process. Don’t forget to explore interview guides for related roles and get familiar with the types of questions and challenges that might come your way.

Good luck with your interview, and get ready to join a team that’s as passionate about sports as you are!