Square does a really good job on the process. Emails are promptly replied to, and recruiters are very friendly. Two initial phone interviews with developers were set up very quickly. They were very friendly, and we got the problems solved in time and efficiently. After that, I was invited to the SF office for the on-site. Three pairing interviews focused on coding, and other interviews focused more on other aspects of the company and the candidate. Most interviewers were very friendly and professional.

However, here ends the good story. A coding interviewer let me know that he was having a bad morning. The coding problem itself was not very complicated, but I could feel he was not particularly enjoying the interview. I felt as if I were responsible for his bad mood. He was constantly looking at his watch and counting the minutes instead of actually discussing the problem and the chosen approach with me. He seemed to have no interest whatsoever in interviewing or assessing the candidate.

Another thing I was very concerned about was the actual "pair programming." I could tell they use it for interviewing purposes. Once hired, you seem to rarely pair with someone. Thus, the interview is better described as "code while someone is watching over your shoulders and making notes on every mistype you make." I guess "pair programming" sounded better than "technical interview," but in this case, there was no difference.

My final thoughts and advice: If someone is 'sharing' his unstable mood with you in an interview, there is definitely something wrong. This was a very BIG WARNING SIGNAL for me. I personally think Square is still a good company, but maybe they should focus more strongly on the people they choose for interviews than on replying to feedback on Glassdoor.

Simple algorithmic questions. (NDA)