Staff Software Engineer Interview Experience - Mountain View, California
Process
Recruiter called. They were very professional.
Phone screen: 2 questions.
Onsite: 6 rounds.
- 2 technical coding rounds (one basic question about merging intervals, the other about trees)
- 1 design interview
- 1 craftsmanship interview
- 2 general behavioral/technical talks
Rejected after a 7-day wait.
Questions
The process started with a phone screen, which was easy. I did great in all six interviews, except for one where the interviewer asked me to write code about graphs or trees. I explained topological sort, but she wasn't familiar with it or with graph indegree/outdegree. She had a laptop and kept typing, seemingly pushing me towards a solution she believed was the most optimal.
I felt the company is great, but it was a bit odd that individuals with 14 years of experience were being graded by people with only 2 years of experience.
I would recommend increasing the number of coding rounds and decreasing the general sessions. This way, you can't be rejected by one bad interviewer.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 3 interview experiences for the LinkedIn Staff Software Engineer role in Mountain View, California.
Success Rate
LinkedIn's interview process for their Staff Software Engineer roles in Mountain View, California is extremely selective, failing the vast majority of engineers.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very negative feelings for LinkedIn's Staff Software Engineer interview process in Mountain View, California.
LinkedIn Work Experiences
- 2.0Nice Colleagues, Dying CompanyStaff Software Engineer • Current EmployeeMountain View, California, United StatesOctober 22, 2025Pros: Pay is decent, and local ICs are nice.Cons: Leadership is constantly doing layoffs and trying to reduce the workforce. This place is dying.
- 4.0Review for LinkedInStaff Software Engineer • Current EmployeeMountain View, California, United StatesAugust 2, 2025Pros: Decent work and life balanceCons: Similar to other Silicon Valley companies in recent years, the culture has gone bad recently, mostly due to AI and a lack of innovation.
- 3.0Good people, but slow-moving and bureaucratic. Promotions and raises are unevenStaff Software Engineer • Current EmployeeMountain View, California, United StatesJune 1, 2025Pros: The company emphasizes Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIBs), and still maintains some related initiatives. Once you reach senior levels, there's potential to have more influence and balance—including opportunities to mentor and review others’ work.Cons: Excessive bureaucracy and internal politics make it hard to get things done efficiently. Access to hardware or funding for prototyping is limited and slow. Legacy culture in some parts of the org stifles innovation. Certain long-tenured individuals use their influence to gatekeep and resist change, possibly to stay relevant. Raises are underwhelming, even for strong performance reviews. “Exceeds expectations” doesn’t guarantee fair compensation. Management often cites “macro conditions” as an excuse. Compensation is skewed: new hires often get paid significantly more than existing employees in similar roles. The org structure is top-heavy. There are too many Staff, Senior Staff, and Principal Engineers, and too few IC5 and below, which bottlenecks growth and opportunities.
LinkedIn Interview Questions
