Adyen

Software Developer Interview Experience - Netherlands

October 14, 2022

Negative ExperienceNo Offer

Process

Don't waste your time on the assignment. Adyen sent me a development assignment with a detailed list of requirements and expectations, going so far as to provide images of expected UI design.

At one point, I emailed the company to clarify their expectations, and they told me to implement it however I think best. I built the app to tick off all their provided requirements and wrote extensive documentation for the decisions I made.

After one day, I received an email telling me I failed the assignment, and that they'd send feedback shortly. Two weeks later, after lots of nagging, I finally received the feedback. It told me I failed for a number of bizarre reasons, including:

They expected the UI to be better than it was (I implemented it according to the designs they provided).
They didn't like the implementation decisions I'd made, claiming it simplified the requirements (it didn't, and this was explicitly mentioned in my documentation).
They told me the assignment had no tests (it clearly did, and they were documented).

Overall, it feels like they spend a few minutes grading each assignment. It's clear they don't bother running the app or reading documentation – they just skim the codebase and reject based on gut feeling.

A total waste of time and very disrespectful from Adyen. On the plus side, I submitted the same assignment to a different company who loved it! So thanks, I guess!

Questions

Why are you applying?
Questions about things on your CV, like why did you use X technology in Y past project.

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Interview Statistics

The following metrics were computed from 2 interview experiences for the Adyen Software Developer role in Netherlands.

Success Rate

0%

Pass Rate

Adyen's interview process for their Software Developer roles in Netherlands is extremely selective, failing the vast majority of engineers.

Experience Rating

Positive50%

Neutral0%

Negative50%

Candidates reported having mixed feelings for Adyen's Software Developer interview process in Netherlands.

Adyen Work Experiences

Good company to work for

Software Developer • Current Employee

Pros: As a developer, the company is a good company to work with. There is no micromanagement. It can get stressful at times, and the load of responsibilities is high, but overall, it’s good. Offices are nice, and people are also okay to work with. The culture is still good as of 2025. It’s a fulfilling job, and it pays market price.

Cons: No remote work (only 40 days per year as of 2025). Most teams do 3 days a week at the office, which is not necessarily a disadvantage. We get a nice bonus that makes our salary look nicer, but it's a bonus and can be taken out at any time. No bonus as per the company's yearly performance. Performance-based salary increases are very hard to get. You have to really exceed expectations to not get the minimum raise (like an inflation raise).

Good company to work for

Software Developer • Current Employee

Pros: As a developer, the company is a good company to work with. There is no micromanagement. It can get stressful at times, and the load of responsibilities is high, but overall, it’s good. Offices are nice, and people are also okay to work with. The culture is still good as of 2025. It’s a fulfilling job, and it pays market price.

Cons: No remote work (only 40 days per year as of 2025). Most teams do 3 days a week at the office, which is not necessarily a disadvantage. We get a nice bonus that makes our salary look nicer, but it's a bonus and can be taken out at any time. No bonus as per the company's yearly performance. Performance-based salary increases are very hard to get. You have to really exceed expectations to not get the minimum raise (like an inflation raise).

Great place to work, with some caveats

Software Developer • Current Employee

Amsterdam, Netherlands

February 8, 2025

Pros: Almost everyone I met has been very kind and friendly. I get the feeling that the company is quite humane and cares about its employees, probably because of the type of people attracted by the culture that it has developed. Examples include hiring and accommodating someone with disabilities, limited layoffs, allowing hybrid work, and being flexible with personal arrangements. You can be given a lot of ownership right off the bat and freedom to figure things out or do the task well. This can be a negative for some people. Especially as a junior, you learn a lot about payments and how a multinational global company can work. While the organizational structure is not necessarily flat, it does not feel very hierarchical. In general, I feel respected and listened to by superiors. Opportunities to go abroad. The company seems generally flexible and comfortable with change. In the sense that often enough, processes and setups are evaluated to not be working properly anymore, and people seem to be open to and have the freedom to make the needed changes. Free lunch/coffee bar.

Cons: It can feel very unclear how and where you can grow towards. It's not clear how you are evaluated, by what standards, and how you can grow. There is a concept of 'own your own growth,' but in practice, it can mean 'obtain wildly differing evaluations assessed through wildly differing standards depending on who your manager is.' I think your experience can probably vary wildly depending on who your manager is. There are a lot of people in management roles (particularly those who get promoted from developer) that do not have any experience managing, and you might be at their mercy in terms of how competent or engaged they are as a manager. While the company is open to change and dynamic, this can also mean that your team or sub-organization can go through many disrupting changes throughout your employment. On the tech and operational side, there are quite some parts of the system that are far from industry standard or optimal and can therefore slow the development process down significantly.

Great place to work, with some caveats

Software Developer • Current Employee

Amsterdam, Netherlands

February 8, 2025

Pros: Almost everyone I met has been very kind and friendly. I get the feeling that the company is quite humane and cares about its employees, probably because of the type of people attracted by the culture that it has developed. Examples include hiring and accommodating someone with disabilities, limited layoffs, allowing hybrid work, and being flexible with personal arrangements. You can be given a lot of ownership right off the bat and freedom to figure things out or do the task well. This can be a negative for some people. Especially as a junior, you learn a lot about payments and how a multinational global company can work. While the organizational structure is not necessarily flat, it does not feel very hierarchical. In general, I feel respected and listened to by superiors. Opportunities to go abroad. The company seems generally flexible and comfortable with change. In the sense that often enough, processes and setups are evaluated to not be working properly anymore, and people seem to be open to and have the freedom to make the needed changes. Free lunch/coffee bar.

Cons: It can feel very unclear how and where you can grow towards. It's not clear how you are evaluated, by what standards, and how you can grow. There is a concept of 'own your own growth,' but in practice, it can mean 'obtain wildly differing evaluations assessed through wildly differing standards depending on who your manager is.' I think your experience can probably vary wildly depending on who your manager is. There are a lot of people in management roles (particularly those who get promoted from developer) that do not have any experience managing, and you might be at their mercy in terms of how competent or engaged they are as a manager. While the company is open to change and dynamic, this can also mean that your team or sub-organization can go through many disrupting changes throughout your employment. On the tech and operational side, there are quite some parts of the system that are far from industry standard or optimal and can therefore slow the development process down significantly.

Great Colleagues, Cutthroat Culture

Software Developer • Current Employee

October 22, 2024

Pros: Internationaal georiënteerde werkomgeving, leuke collega's.

Cons: Er heerst een ellebogen cultuur.

Great Colleagues, Cutthroat Culture

Software Developer • Current Employee

October 22, 2024

Pros: Internationaal georiënteerde werkomgeving, leuke collega's.

Cons: Er heerst een ellebogen cultuur.

Good company to work for

Software Developer • Current Employee

Pros: As a developer, the company is a good company to work with. There is no micromanagement. It can get stressful at times, and the load of responsibilities is high, but overall, it’s good. Offices are nice, and people are also okay to work with. The culture is still good as of 2025. It’s a fulfilling job, and it pays market price.

Cons: No remote work (only 40 days per year as of 2025). Most teams do 3 days a week at the office, which is not necessarily a disadvantage. We get a nice bonus that makes our salary look nicer, but it's a bonus and can be taken out at any time. No bonus as per the company's yearly performance. Performance-based salary increases are very hard to get. You have to really exceed expectations to not get the minimum raise (like an inflation raise).

5.0
Good company to work for
Software Developer • Current Employee
April 16, 2025
Pros: As a developer, the company is a good company to work with. There is no micromanagement. It can get stressful at times, and the load of responsibilities is high, but overall, it’s good. Offices are nice, and people are also okay to work with. The culture is still good as of 2025. It’s a fulfilling job, and it pays market price.
Cons: No remote work (only 40 days per year as of 2025). Most teams do 3 days a week at the office, which is not necessarily a disadvantage. We get a nice bonus that makes our salary look nicer, but it's a bonus and can be taken out at any time. No bonus as per the company's yearly performance. Performance-based salary increases are very hard to get. You have to really exceed expectations to not get the minimum raise (like an inflation raise).

Great place to work, with some caveats

Software Developer • Current Employee

Amsterdam, Netherlands

February 8, 2025

Pros: Almost everyone I met has been very kind and friendly. I get the feeling that the company is quite humane and cares about its employees, probably because of the type of people attracted by the culture that it has developed. Examples include hiring and accommodating someone with disabilities, limited layoffs, allowing hybrid work, and being flexible with personal arrangements. You can be given a lot of ownership right off the bat and freedom to figure things out or do the task well. This can be a negative for some people. Especially as a junior, you learn a lot about payments and how a multinational global company can work. While the organizational structure is not necessarily flat, it does not feel very hierarchical. In general, I feel respected and listened to by superiors. Opportunities to go abroad. The company seems generally flexible and comfortable with change. In the sense that often enough, processes and setups are evaluated to not be working properly anymore, and people seem to be open to and have the freedom to make the needed changes. Free lunch/coffee bar.

Cons: It can feel very unclear how and where you can grow towards. It's not clear how you are evaluated, by what standards, and how you can grow. There is a concept of 'own your own growth,' but in practice, it can mean 'obtain wildly differing evaluations assessed through wildly differing standards depending on who your manager is.' I think your experience can probably vary wildly depending on who your manager is. There are a lot of people in management roles (particularly those who get promoted from developer) that do not have any experience managing, and you might be at their mercy in terms of how competent or engaged they are as a manager. While the company is open to change and dynamic, this can also mean that your team or sub-organization can go through many disrupting changes throughout your employment. On the tech and operational side, there are quite some parts of the system that are far from industry standard or optimal and can therefore slow the development process down significantly.

5.0
Great place to work, with some caveats
Software Developer • Current Employee
Amsterdam, Netherlands
February 8, 2025
Pros: Almost everyone I met has been very kind and friendly. I get the feeling that the company is quite humane and cares about its employees, probably because of the type of people attracted by the culture that it has developed. Examples include hiring and accommodating someone with disabilities, limited layoffs, allowing hybrid work, and being flexible with personal arrangements. You can be given a lot of ownership right off the bat and freedom to figure things out or do the task well. This can be a negative for some people. Especially as a junior, you learn a lot about payments and how a multinational global company can work. While the organizational structure is not necessarily flat, it does not feel very hierarchical. In general, I feel respected and listened to by superiors. Opportunities to go abroad. The company seems generally flexible and comfortable with change. In the sense that often enough, processes and setups are evaluated to not be working properly anymore, and people seem to be open to and have the freedom to make the needed changes. Free lunch/coffee bar.
Cons: It can feel very unclear how and where you can grow towards. It's not clear how you are evaluated, by what standards, and how you can grow. There is a concept of 'own your own growth,' but in practice, it can mean 'obtain wildly differing evaluations assessed through wildly differing standards depending on who your manager is.' I think your experience can probably vary wildly depending on who your manager is. There are a lot of people in management roles (particularly those who get promoted from developer) that do not have any experience managing, and you might be at their mercy in terms of how competent or engaged they are as a manager. While the company is open to change and dynamic, this can also mean that your team or sub-organization can go through many disrupting changes throughout your employment. On the tech and operational side, there are quite some parts of the system that are far from industry standard or optimal and can therefore slow the development process down significantly.

Great Colleagues, Cutthroat Culture

Software Developer • Current Employee

October 22, 2024

Pros: Internationaal georiënteerde werkomgeving, leuke collega's.

Cons: Er heerst een ellebogen cultuur.

5.0
Great Colleagues, Cutthroat Culture
Software Developer • Current Employee
October 22, 2024
Pros: Internationaal georiënteerde werkomgeving, leuke collega's.
Cons: Er heerst een ellebogen cultuur.

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