Software Engineer Interview Experience - Cambridge, Massachusetts
Process
I was contacted by an internal recruiter. After an initial conversation, they set up a phone screen. The phone screen involved a coding challenge using a shared text editor tool, as well as a series of technical questions and questions about my experience.
After the phone screen, they set up a face-to-face interview. Upon arriving at their office, I was greeted by the recruiter, offered coffee, and escorted to a conference room – all very nice and polite. Then the interviews started. Their shtick seemed to be interviewing in pairs, or "double-teaming"; I ended up speaking to three pairs of engineers.
The first set was very polite and asked me to solve a whiteboard problem. One person was friendly and engaging, and able to provide a lot of insight into the day-to-day life at the company. The other person in the pair was quiet and seemed inexperienced, perhaps still learning how to interview, which is understandable.
The second pair included one senior engineer and one "uber-engineer". They asked a simple whiteboard problem, which I again solved. Then they proceeded to ask various technical and design questions, making fun of the technologies on my resume in the process – I found that to be very rude. The "uber-engineer" especially made some very smug comments about the fact that I use specific frameworks at my current job and proceeded to tout his own past experiences at IBM as a contrast. When I disagreed with his opinion and said that I don't like unnecessarily reinventing the wheel, he seemed very unhappy with my response and appeared to have lost interest in speaking with me further. At the end of his line of questioning, he seemed annoyed that I had questions of my own. After giving me some short answers about the company, he left in a hurry, along with the other engineer.
The third pair consisted of a VP of engineering and another person. They were much more polite, and the questions were more general – no whiteboard this time. They were both friendly and forthcoming, yet they too managed to poke fun at the technologies I used in the past, albeit in a less rude way.
After a couple of days, the internal recruiter called me to say that they had decided to pass because I wasn't a cultural fit. I was neither surprised nor particularly upset by this. I found the overall experience slightly unpleasant and very off-putting.
Questions
How would you build a knowledge-sharing system?
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 42 interview experiences for the HubSpot Software Engineer role in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Success Rate
HubSpot's interview process for their Software Engineer roles in Cambridge, Massachusetts is fairly selective, failing a large portion of engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very good feelings for HubSpot's Software Engineer interview process in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
HubSpot Work Experiences
- 5.0I love working at HubSpot!Software Engineer • Current EmployeeCambridge, Massachusetts, United StatesDecember 24, 2014Pros: The culture. I fully admit to drinking the Kool-Aid, but darn, it's tasty and refreshing. "Use good judgment" really does cover most of our policies here. It's empowering and simultaneously encourages employees to really think about their actions. The people. They're smart, motivated, humble, and overall a great group. I joined HubSpot over two years ago with the promise of learning more than I had at any previous job, and I am still learning a ton. The perks. They keep getting better and better.Cons: I feel disconnected from the non-engineering parts of the company. Within engineering, things can be quirky/dysfunctional. If you can't adapt to the kind of weird ways we work (or have the moxie to effect the change you want to see), then you will not last long.
- 4.0Great opportunities to learn, limited chances to leadSoftware Engineer • Current EmployeeCambridge, Massachusetts, United StatesMay 30, 2011Pros: Ping-pong, foosball in the lunchroom, slushies, free food, and beer are just some of the great perks in the office. The atmosphere is young and full of energy. You'll never find a dull moment at HubSpot.Cons: The energetic, young atmosphere can bring about a lack of focus and a scattered feel to the business. The flat organization can leave few chances for newer employees to become technical leads.
- 5.0Inclusive Culture, Flexible ScheduleSoftware Engineer • Current EmployeeCambridge, Massachusetts, United StatesOctober 11, 2019Pros: I really like the emphasis HubSpot has made on creating an inclusive and belonging environment. Compared to everywhere else I've worked, the company seems so much more accepting of people with a variety of expressions, backgrounds, and experiences. Management also acknowledges that there is always room for improvement and continues to take action to improve. There are many opportunities to get involved in DI&B initiatives. There are a lot of perks like free food, dogs in the office, an onsite gym, working from home, and expensed team outings. I also view my coworkers as friends. My manager keeps my career growth in mind, and I receive clear and actionable feedback to work towards an eventual promotion. I also have a lot of independence to determine my own schedule/hours and the projects I would like to work on. Initially, I was skeptical of the Unlimited Vacation policy, but I have had no difficulty taking time off. My manager suggested taking off about 4 weeks per year + holidays, which is more than what other companies I looked at offer for my role. I can also extend holidays by working remotely.Cons: As HubSpot has grown, the culture and hubspotlife have not fully scaled. For example, the new office expansions (1C and 10C) have substantially fewer amenities and a much less social atmosphere than the main buildings. It's also been harder to sign up for traditions like Mystery Dinner and company outings. For software engineers, the work-life balance and burden of being on call can vary greatly depending on the team. For example, some teams are almost never paged, while others are paged multiple times a day.
HubSpot Interview Questions
