Senior Software Engineer Interview Experience - Germany
Process
The good:
(and it is a VERY positive part) I really loved talking to the real engineers. They seem like very bright individuals, relaxed in their conversations and very open personalities. I truly wish I could work with them on some projects in the future.
The bad:
Overall, the process was entirely chaotic and random. My application got lost a few times in their system, and multiple "pings" were simply ignored. Nevertheless, it seems they finally "woke up" and sent me a few auto-generated messages to set up the first meetings.
The hiring personnel feel pretty clueless about what they want from you, so they try to redirect you to others who are less clueless than them. The company feels fundamentally broken at management, because even software managers seem to be helping their HR with the hiring process and finding your application. The overall feeling is that you're dealing with pretty low-grade amateurs who have gotten lost and have no clue what to do with you.
The ugly:
After a number of very positive talks with the tech people and scheduling an on-site final interview, they suddenly responded with an automated junk mail: "We are a fast-growing company, we are very cool, we have overwhelming applicants, you are a loser, try something else" (all that typical Greenhouse auto-generated template stuff) and then went ghost. Not even a personal written "sorry, yeah, but....". It felt totally disgusting and cheap.
Recommendation to applicants:
Listen carefully to Cloudflare themselves. As they say in their own auto-generated no-reply junk mail, they are a "very busy and fast-growing company," and as they say, "a lot of companies are hiring out there." So, do yourself a favor: stick to their advice. Let them grow up on their own and go apply somewhere else instead. :)
The interview question:
It was very easy for me, since all they do is what I do all day anyway. Nothing new or special, something I knew much better than their engineers. But something might be hard for you, though, I don't know...
Questions
As stated above, nothing special. Some of my questions were difficult for them. :-)
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 1 interview experience for the Cloudflare Senior Software Engineer role in Germany.
Success Rate
Cloudflare's interview process for their Senior Software Engineer roles in Germany is extremely selective, failing the vast majority of engineers.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very negative feelings for Cloudflare's Senior Software Engineer interview process in Germany.
Cloudflare Work Experiences
- 5.0Impactful work with a good balance, but layoffs occurredSenior Software Engineer • Current EmployeeLondon, EnglandOctober 10, 2026Pros: Good balance and impactful work. Really cool products for other devs.Cons: Unfortunately, a recent layoff affected the teams.
- 1.0Work nights and weekends. Toxic cultureSenior Software Engineer • Current EmployeeApril 30, 2022Pros: Not seeing any. Took a pay cut to be here. This was a mistake.Cons: Backbiting exists at all levels of the organization. Many employees stagnate here for years on end. Incumbent employees are vicious to new hires. Leadership throws up their hands and/or sides with incumbents. Candidates, you will not succeed here. You can't compete against the cesspool of baggage and backbiting. New hire directors and managers are especially at risk. We've hired a lot lately, and the incumbents have dumped their problems on new leadership and then blamed them for the fallout. This company despises new leadership and fights any good change. HR does not care about anything except covering their own backsides. They will always choose their own convenience over what is right for the company and its people. They pass the buck to the easiest targets, which is usually new hires, and especially new directors or middle managers—the very people that are supposed to be changing this company for the better. They say they have great WLB, but dare to take your PTO, and you will find yourself labeled a "not a team player" or "struggling with ownership." And new this week: engineers have to work both nights and weekends. Many lazy people work here. Incumbent employees delegate their work to new hires, knowing you still have to prove yourself. I've finished projects in two to three weeks that have been bouncing around for years, but then I'm seen as a threat because I showed everyone up. There have also been other ***deeply*** concerning events here that should trigger Cloudflare leadership to do something. Instead, the environment has gotten worse. These problems are endemic across organizations. Product is at the center of it all, with two competing Product VPs and organizations that can't get along. Dozens of PMs cracking the whip and not enough engineers to build the products. They keep hiring more PMs and stretching our engineers thin. Marketing and sales aren't any better. The entire marketing organization disappeared overnight. The bad ones stay, and the good ones leave or give up in despair. It’s hard to trust anyone who has worked here more than a year because they’re usually the problem.
- 4.0pretty decent, disconnected vibesSenior Software Engineer • Former EmployeeSan Francisco, CAFebruary 24, 2026Pros: Smart people, good software, and the edge is genuinely cool.Cons: The back to office thing, and the office is more like coworking/hot desking than anything pre-covid
Cloudflare Interview Questions
