I applied through SEP's website at their specified HR contact email. About a week after my initial email, I was contacted for an in-person interview at the Pickering office.
SEP's website actually has a fair amount of information regarding their company and even the physical layout of the building. I felt very prepared going into my interview with maybe a little extra bit of anxiousness due to really wanting the position.
From an outsiders view the company culture seemed tight-knit -- the open layout and plentiful meeting rooms & recreational spaces were all very inviting; coupled with the fact that the office location is in a great place commuting, it seems like a great physical location.
The interview lasted about 30 minutes and was fairly typical of a developer position, though they seemed to completely disregard any of my previous experience with freelancing, citing my previous in-house developer position as my 'only real work' developing. There was a lot of discussion about what the role entails and what the office culture was kind of like. I felt fairly informed of what to expect upon being hired.
After the interview I was promptly told to please contact HR if I had any questions whatsoever. Upon my arrival home, I had already received a follow-up email which in my opinion showed further interest in my application and asking for my salary expectations. I was told the next round of interviews would not be until next week.
Fast forward a week and I did not receive any contact. Slightly confused considering the email I had received from HR, I waited until mid-week to contact the company back. I asserted that I was under the assumption the position was probably filled by another candidate at this point and inquired into the best method to keep tabs on new opening positions.
As of right now I have not received a reply and I am still unsure if the position was filled or if I was shortlisted due to my salary expectations -- I was under the assumption it would be a salary negotiation, not a method of shortlisting. but again, that's an assumption.
Overall I still feel SEP would be a great place to work for someone with strong work ethic. It's just a little unfortunate that the Search Engine People may not want to take as much time for people as they do search engines.