Preparations

Interview Process

Introductory Call

Preparation

• Company Research
• Job Description Analysis
• Resume & Portfolio Review
• Practice Self-Introduction
• Technical Knowledge Refresh

During Interview

Stage	Duration	Considerations	Evaluations
Rapport Building	5 minutes	Briefly introduce yourself	Communication style Enthusiasm for the opportunity
Background & Experience	10 minutes	Provide only relevant to the role information Craft Elevator Pitch (60 sec) about yourself and your experience Focus on how you can contribute	Alignment with the role requirements Problem-solving skills through past experiences Ability to grasp technical concepts Evaluate interpersonal skills: Leadership qualities. Ability to inspire and motivate Company fit How deep candidate understands culture, products, processes
Questions	5 minutes	Ask clarifying questions about the role and company Understand role: Tech stack, team structure, and key projects	Interest level and engagement Initiative and curiosity What interests most
Wrap Up	5 minutes	Next steps: brief summarization and next steps	Overall impression of the company and opportunity

Final Evaluation Checklist

Section	Criteria	Description
Background & Motivation	Understanding of Role	Does the candidate demonstrate a clear understanding of the specific role and its responsibilities?
	Company Research	Does the candidate show knowledge of the company, its products, and its mission?
	Motivation	Does the candidate express a genuine interest in the role and the company? Why are they interested in this specific opportunity?
	Salary Expectations	Does the candidate have realistic salary expectations aligned with the role and experience level?
Technical Skills & Experience	Technical Background	Can the candidate articulate their technical skills and experience with relevant programming languages, frameworks, and technologies?
	Project Experience	Can the candidate discuss past projects, highlighting the technical challenges tackled and solutions implemented?
	Learning Agility	Does the candidate express a passion for continuous learning and staying up-to-date with the latest technologies?
	Problem-Solving Approach	Can the candidate describe their approach to problem-solving and debugging?
Soft Skills & Communication	Communication Skills	Does the candidate communicate clearly, concisely, and professionally?
	Teamwork & Collaboration	Can the candidate demonstrate experience working effectively in a team environment?
	Learning Attitude	Does the candidate show a willingness to learn, adapt, and take feedback constructively?
	Professionalism	Does the candidate exhibit a professional demeanor throughout the call (punctuality, enthusiasm)?
Cultural Fit	Company Culture	Does the candidate's values and work style seem aligned with the company's culture?
	Team Fit	Does the candidate seem like they would be a good fit with the existing engineering team?
	Passion & Drive	Does the candidate demonstrate passion for software engineering and a drive to excel?
Candidate Evaluation	Strengths	Identify the candidate's key strengths demonstrated during the conversation
	Areas for Improvement	Highlight any areas where the candidate may need further development or improvement
	Recommendation	Provide a recommendation regarding whether to proceed to the next stage of the interview process

Technical

Preparation

• Theory of Programming Language and Frameworks / Libraries / Tools
• Bitwise Operations
• Regex
• Data Structures
• Algorithms

During Interview

Stage	Duration	Considerations	Evaluations
Rapport Building	5 minutes	Establish a friendly and confident demeanor	Confidence and professionalism Clarity and conciseness
Technical Experience (Option 1)	15-20 minutes	Discuss previous technical roles and responsibilities Explain specific projects worked on, technologies utilized, and contributions made Showcase technical expertise and problem-solving skills Technical skills that are relevant to the role	Depth of technical knowledge and expertise Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly and effectively Demonstrated problem-solving abilities Experience with relevant technologies and tools
Technical Challenges (Option 2)	15-20 minutes	Solve technical problems or coding challenges Explain thought process and reasoning behind the solutions proposed Utilize appropriate algorithms, data structures, and coding best practices Ask clarifying questions	Problem-solving approach and methodology Understanding of algorithms, data structures, and coding principles Code efficiency and cleanliness Ability to articulate thought process and reasoning effectively Adaptability to new challenges and learning on the spot
Questions	5 minutes	Ask insightful questions about the company culture, team dynamics, projects, or any other relevant topics Demonstrate genuine interest in the position and company Seek clarification on any doubts or concerns regarding the role or organization	Quality, maturity, and relevance of questions asked Clarity on role expectations and company culture Company's and team's culture fit

Final Evaluation Checklist

Criteria	Aspects
Technical Skills	Proficiency in programming languages relevant to the role Knowledge of data structures and algorithms Understanding of object-oriented design principles / functional programming concepts and patterns Ability to write clean, maintainable, and efficient code
Problem-Solving Skills	Analytical skills in breaking down complex problems into smaller, manageable components Creativity and innovation in proposing solutions Proficiency in identifying and resolving bugs and errors in code Capacity to optimize code for performance and scalability Experience in troubleshooting and debugging software issues
Communication Skills	Clarity and effectiveness in explaining technical concepts including non-technical stakeholders Active listening skills during discussions and collaborative problem-solving sessions Ability to articulate thoughts and ideas coherently in both written and verbal communication Confidence and professionalism in presenting technical solutions
Collaboration & Teamwork	Demonstrated experience in working effectively within cross-functional teams Willingness to share knowledge and mentor junior team members Adaptability to various team dynamics and project requirements Ability to receive and incorporate feedback constructively
Cultural Fit	Alignment with company values and culture Interest in continuous learning and professional growth Compatibility with the team's work style and dynamics Enthusiasm for collaborating on challenging projects and solving complex problems
Candidate Evaluation	Strengths Evaluate level of seniority Areas for Improvement Recommendation whether to proceed to the next stage of the interview process

System Design

Preparation

• System Design
• Focus on approach, not perfection: There is no right or wrong answer. It's a matter of how you approach the problem
• Keep it simple, avoid premature optimization
• Clarify requirements upfront

During Interview

Stage	Duration	Considerations	Evaluations
Requirements Clarification	5 minutes	Understand the problem statement thoroughly Identify functional and non-functional requirements Determine scope and constraints Discuss assumptions	Ability to ask relevant questions to clarify requirements Demonstrate communication skills to ensure a clear understanding of the problem Ability to identify edge cases and exceptional scenarios early on Clarity in defining assumptions and their potential impact on the design
Estimations	5 minutes	Break down the problem into manageable components Identify key metrics (traffic, storage, QPS) Choose appropriate technologies and platforms Consider growth projections Non-Functional Requirements Performance: How fast is the system? Scalability: How will the system respond to increased demand? Reliability: What is the system's uptime? Resilience: How will the system recover if it fails? Security: How are the system and data protected? Usability: How do users interact with the system? Maintainability: How will you troubleshoot the system? Modifiability: Can users customize features? Can developers change the code? Localization: Will the system handle currencies and languages?	Demonstrate a structured approach to estimation Ability to reason about the scale and size of the system Understanding of trade-offs between different technology choices Accuracy in providing estimations with reasoning
High Level Design (HLD)	15-20 minutes	Identify major components/modules Define interactions between components Discuss data flow and storage strategies Address fault tolerance and disaster recovery Sketch system architecture diagrams	Clarity in defining system architecture and components Ability to design for scalability, reliability, and performance Understanding of data consistency, partitioning, and replication Consideration of error handling, retries, and fallback mechanisms Ability to communicate complex ideas through diagrams
Low Level Design (LLD)	20-25 minutes	Design individual components/modules in detail Discuss algorithms and data structures Address concurrency and synchronization Define database schemas and query patterns Discuss API contracts and communication protocols	Clarity in defining data structures, algorithms, and APIs/interfaces Optimization of resource utilization (CPU, memory, bandwidth) Consideration of caching, load balancing, and routing strategies Understanding of database design principles and normalization Consistency in defining interfaces and communication protocols
Wrap Up	5 minutes	Summarize the design decisions made Address any outstanding concerns or questions Discuss potential improvements or optimizations	Ability to articulate the rationale behind design choices Openness to feedback and willingness to iterate on the design Demonstration of critical thinking and creativity in improving the design Professionalism and courtesy in concluding the discussion

Final Evaluation Checklist

Criteria	Aspects
Understanding Requirements	Comprehension of requirements Ability to identify key features Understanding of scalability Consideration of latency Handling of fault tolerance
System Architecture	Appropriateness of chosen architecture Clarity of component interaction Consideration of modularity Ability to scale horizontally and vertically Consistency with industry best practices
Data Management	Database schema design Selection of appropriate database technologies Handling of data consistency and integrity Consideration of data partitioning/sharding Efficiency in data retrieval and storage
System Components	Clarity of component responsibilities Appropriate use of caching Consideration of system security Handling of system dependencies Integration of third-party services
Performance Optimization	Proficiency in performance profiling Application of optimization techniques Consideration of resource constraints Ability to prioritize optimizations Understanding of trade-offs between performance and cost
Communication and Collaboration	Clarity of explanations Ability to justify design decisions Effective collaboration skills Responsiveness to feedback Ability to adapt to changing requirements
Candidate Evaluation	Strengths Evaluate level of seniority Areas for Improvement Recommendation whether to proceed to the next stage of the interview process

Behavioral

Preparation

• Use STAR structured approach to answer questions
• Use Leadership Principles to guide decisions

Aspect	Definition	Questions	Proportion
Situation (S)	Describe the situation you were in, or the task you needed to do. Give enough detail for the interviewer to understand the complexities of the situation	Where? When?	20%
Task (T)	Describe your responsibility / goal	What needed to be done? Why?	10%
Action (A)	Describe the actions you took. Use an appropriate amount of detail	What steps did you take? What was your contribution? What did you do? How?	60%
Result (R)	Describe the outcome of your actions. Quantify the outcome	What did you accomplish? What impact did you make?	10%

Leadership Principles

• Customer First: Focus on customers, not competitors
• Ownership: Think long term, act for the whole company
• Innovate & Simplify: Be inventive, find ways to simplify
• Be Right Often: Make good decisions, be open to new ideas
• Never Stop Learning: Always be curious and improve yourself
• Hire & Develop Best: Raise the bar with every hire, develop leaders
• Highest Standards: Set & drive relentlessly high standards
• Think Big: Create a bold vision that inspires results
• Act Quickly: Take calculated risks, speed matters
• Frugality: Do more with less, be resourceful
• Earn Trust: Be transparent, honest, and self-critical
• Deep Dive: Get into the details, don't ignore the small things
• Disagree & Commit: Debate respectfully, then fully commit
• Deliver Results: Focus on key metrics and get things done
• Best Employer: Create a safe, productive, and fun workplace
• Responsible Growth: We impact the world, strive to do better

Final Evaluation Checklist

Criteria	Aspect	Description
Communication Skills	Clarity of Expression	Ability to articulate technical concepts clearly Communicates ideas effectively to non-technical stakeholders
	Active Listening	Demonstrates attentiveness during conversation Asks clarifying questions when necessary
	Conflict Resolution	Describes experiences resolving conflicts within a team Provides examples of successful conflict resolution
Problem-Solving Skills	Analytical Thinking	Ability to break down complex problems into smaller, manageable components Describes a systematic approach to problem-solving
	Creativity	Provides examples of innovative solutions to challenges Demonstrates ability to think outside the box
	Resourcefulness	Describes experiences of overcoming obstacles with limited resources Adapts to changing circumstances effectively
Teamwork and Collaboration	Collaborative Skills	Describes experiences working effectively in team settings Shares instances of contributing to team success
	Leadership Potential	Demonstrates the ability to lead without formal authority Provides examples of motivating and influencing team members
	Conflict Management	Shares experiences of resolving conflicts within a team Describes strategies for fostering a positive team environment
Adaptability and Learning Ability	Adaptability	Describes experiences of successfully adapting to new technologies or methodologies Demonstrates openness to change
	Learning Agility	Shares instances of quickly grasping new concepts Describes methods for continuous learning and improvement
	Resilience	Shares experiences of overcoming setbacks or failures Maintains composure and positivity in challenging situations
Ethical and Professional Behavior	Integrity	Demonstrates honesty and transparency in past experiences Describes adherence to ethical guidelines in professional settings
	Professionalism	Exhibits professionalism in both verbal and non-verbal communication Maintains confidentiality of sensitive information
Time Management and Prioritization	Time Management	Describes experiences of effectively managing time to meet deadlines Demonstrates ability to prioritize tasks efficiently
	Organization Skills	Shows evidence of organized work habits and workflows Describes methods for staying organized in a fast-paced environment