Overall, I would give this interview process a 'meh'. I have conducted numerous interviews over my 10+ years of industry experience, including at companies of this size.

The process is long, and you will likely feel strung along. To preface this, everyone I spoke with was nice. The HR person was quite friendly and accommodating. The hiring manager was also nice, but spoke very fast and seemed to dance around specifics regarding the role's responsibilities or a typical day-to-day.

The entire process has many rounds. I suspect they perceive themselves as a FAANG or similar AI hype-type company.

I had multiple pre-onsite rounds, followed by an onsite that I believe consisted of four to five rounds (it's been a few months, so I forget the exact number).

The 'tech' and 'system design' questions were quite generic and easy. We didn't delve into anything substantial. The questions seemed more suited for a junior-level candidate. My preparation with LeetCode and extensive practical scenarios wasn't ideal. I believe I answered all questions adequately.

Ultimately, they did not extend an offer, but it took them a considerable amount of time (approximately 2.5 weeks) to deliver the rejection, especially after a number of messages indicating 'everyone loved you'. I felt very strung along.

They also have a 'values' interview. Honestly, I think this is where I faltered. It appears to be more of a "does the HR person like you" assessment.

I encountered several 'red flags':

• Any messages I sent to the potential hiring manager or HR were ignored.
• No part of the interview actually assessed my fit for the specific role.
• There were no direct questions about the domain relevant to the position.
• No SQL, performance/scaling, or troubleshooting questions were asked.
• I could not get a single clear answer about my day-to-day responsibilities.

I also got the vibe that engineering is somewhat of a second-class citizen within the organization. This might explain why the organization seems to move very slowly, a point that each interviewer mentioned.

I sense they are looking for individuals from 'bigger company' backgrounds who are more focused on planning rather than execution.

The tech questions are fairly generic, nothing that would not be seen in other reviews. I would ensure you have knowledge of hash maps/nested hash maps and some LeetCode easy problems. The questions are actually so easy you might trip yourself up.