Software Engineer Interview Experience - San Francisco, California
April 1, 2015
Negative ExperienceNo Offer
Process
Recruiters at Airbnb are the most unprofessional bunch of people.
They don't reply to emails for weeks and don't attend to candidates during onsite interviews.
In my onsite, one interviewer didn't come to the interview room on time. The other was busy doing her work after giving me a question.
I have interviewed at big and small companies, and have received offers from them, but this was the worst experience so far.
All my respect for the company has gone down the drain.
They publicize their "core values" so much, one of which is "Be a host." They were the worst hosts an interview candidate can get.
Questions
One thing I would like to remove from the Airbnb experience.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 82 interview experiences for the Airbnb Software Engineer role in San Francisco, California.
Success Rate
20%
Pass Rate
Airbnb's interview process for their Software Engineer roles in San Francisco, California is very selective, failing most engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Positive43%
Neutral23%
Negative34%
Candidates reported having mixed feelings for Airbnb's Software Engineer interview process in San Francisco, California.
Airbnb Work Experiences
5.0
Great workplace with interesting problems, applying technology to the real world
Software Engineer • Current Employee
San Francisco, California, United States
December 11, 2014
Pros: Airbnb creates an amazing workplace culture. This permeates the social aspects of the company, making it enjoyable to have lunch, a drink, or just pass by other people in the building. It also permeates the technical aspects. I have great respect for the other engineers and enjoy working with and learning from them every day.
Cons: Management, structure, and processes are still changing rapidly as the company grows. This can add distraction to the workplace, but also adds excitement.
3.0
High expectations, low impact
Software Engineer • Current Employee
San Francisco, California, United States
November 7, 2016
Pros: Good benefits and pay. Definitely a cool company to work for resume-wise.
A good IPO will be a big payday to employees, but if you don't care much about money, maybe other companies can be more challenging and better for your career.
Cons: Engineering management is really bad. Managers do not pay attention to career growth, given that the career ladder is taboo inside the company. Nobody talks about or knows their position, so don't expect your manager to advise you much about how to go from level A to level B, C, etc.
When people get bored in their current position, they either switch teams or branch out into management (lateral moves), which feeds back into the problem where management focuses on reporting green numbers to upper management.
5.0
Fun company, full of wonderful, caring people
Software Engineer • Current Employee
San Francisco, California, United States
January 19, 2015
Pros: The people are amazing: passionate, competent, quirky, and interesting.
The perks are fantastic.
The rapid growth makes it a great place to learn, as you're constantly solving new technical and social problems.
You can really own your impact and find the best projects for yourself. This requires being able to argue for your point of view, but learning how to do that is a great opportunity in itself.
The company really does care about the users and has a fundamentally positive impact on the world.
Cons: The office is crazy crowded, which can make it hard to focus. Hiring lots of new grads means a lot of time is spent answering questions and trying to train the recruits. Also, the interview load is pretty heavy. People tend to work a lot, so it can be hard to define boundaries and disconnect.
- 5.0Great workplace with interesting problems, applying technology to the real worldSoftware Engineer • Current EmployeeSan Francisco, California, United StatesDecember 11, 2014Pros: Airbnb creates an amazing workplace culture. This permeates the social aspects of the company, making it enjoyable to have lunch, a drink, or just pass by other people in the building. It also permeates the technical aspects. I have great respect for the other engineers and enjoy working with and learning from them every day.Cons: Management, structure, and processes are still changing rapidly as the company grows. This can add distraction to the workplace, but also adds excitement.
- 3.0High expectations, low impactSoftware Engineer • Current EmployeeSan Francisco, California, United StatesNovember 7, 2016Pros: Good benefits and pay. Definitely a cool company to work for resume-wise. A good IPO will be a big payday to employees, but if you don't care much about money, maybe other companies can be more challenging and better for your career.Cons: Engineering management is really bad. Managers do not pay attention to career growth, given that the career ladder is taboo inside the company. Nobody talks about or knows their position, so don't expect your manager to advise you much about how to go from level A to level B, C, etc. When people get bored in their current position, they either switch teams or branch out into management (lateral moves), which feeds back into the problem where management focuses on reporting green numbers to upper management.
- 5.0Fun company, full of wonderful, caring peopleSoftware Engineer • Current EmployeeSan Francisco, California, United StatesJanuary 19, 2015Pros: The people are amazing: passionate, competent, quirky, and interesting. The perks are fantastic. The rapid growth makes it a great place to learn, as you're constantly solving new technical and social problems. You can really own your impact and find the best projects for yourself. This requires being able to argue for your point of view, but learning how to do that is a great opportunity in itself. The company really does care about the users and has a fundamentally positive impact on the world.Cons: The office is crazy crowded, which can make it hard to focus. Hiring lots of new grads means a lot of time is spent answering questions and trying to train the recruits. Also, the interview load is pretty heavy. People tend to work a lot, so it can be hard to define boundaries and disconnect.
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