Director of Engineering Interview Experience - Los Gatos, California
September 1, 2010
Neutral ExperienceGot Offer
Process
Netflix contacted me, and after a quick phone interview with HR and the hiring manager, I was flown out to California.
I met with a few people, including their senior leadership team (some of Reed's directs), and it was a fun day.
The questions ranged from management style questions to technical problems to solve.
It was a bit of a different interview style from Facebook or Google, which put more emphasis on coding and architecture, even for director-level candidates. But it was certainly not unpleasant.
Questions
How many people have you fired?
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 4 interview experiences for the Netflix Director of Engineering role in Los Gatos, California.
Success Rate
25%
Pass Rate
Netflix's interview process for their Director of Engineering roles in Los Gatos, California is very selective, failing most engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Positive50%
Neutral50%
Negative0%
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Netflix's Director of Engineering interview process in Los Gatos, California.
Netflix Work Experiences
5.0
Best job I have ever had
Director of Engineering • Current Employee
Los Gatos, California, United States
December 9, 2014
Pros: Excellent environment for smart and motivated SW devs.
Very little politics.
Technology leader.
Very focused on streaming video on demand.
Value smart devs, not 24-7 heroes.
Tremendous opportunity to influence video and entertainment industries.
Cons: If you are a task-oriented dev, if you need an architect or manager to give you a list of deliverables, you will not do well at Netflix. If you are a control freak, you will not do well.
5.0
Best place I have ever worked
Director of Engineering • Current Employee
Los Gatos, California, United States
June 11, 2012
Pros: Leading-edge technology, not afraid to do things differently if it makes sense, agile and low-process overhead for getting things done. Clear focus on a simple business model, with clear responsibilities and freedom on how to deliver.
Cons: You have to be comfortable with rapid change and ambiguity, and have enough self-confidence to cope with the culture. It's not a place for people who like to know what the rules are and follow them.
3.0
Culture is fading, limited career growth
Director of Engineering • Former Employee
San Jose, California, United States
January 3, 2021
Pros: Flat org, single product, data-driven.
Cons: Culture used to be real; now the memo is just a shrine. Performance reviews are highly subjective. Candor can get you a severance. Senior eng leaders have been too long in their roles and are behind cloud tech. Teams are bloated, and talent density is getting seriously diluted. Comp is excellent for average engineers and average for excellent engineers. There is no career path for ICs who do not want to manage people.
- 5.0Best job I have ever hadDirector of Engineering • Current EmployeeLos Gatos, California, United StatesDecember 9, 2014Pros: Excellent environment for smart and motivated SW devs. Very little politics. Technology leader. Very focused on streaming video on demand. Value smart devs, not 24-7 heroes. Tremendous opportunity to influence video and entertainment industries.Cons: If you are a task-oriented dev, if you need an architect or manager to give you a list of deliverables, you will not do well at Netflix. If you are a control freak, you will not do well.
- 5.0Best place I have ever workedDirector of Engineering • Current EmployeeLos Gatos, California, United StatesJune 11, 2012Pros: Leading-edge technology, not afraid to do things differently if it makes sense, agile and low-process overhead for getting things done. Clear focus on a simple business model, with clear responsibilities and freedom on how to deliver.Cons: You have to be comfortable with rapid change and ambiguity, and have enough self-confidence to cope with the culture. It's not a place for people who like to know what the rules are and follow them.
- 3.0Culture is fading, limited career growthDirector of Engineering • Former EmployeeSan Jose, California, United StatesJanuary 3, 2021Pros: Flat org, single product, data-driven.Cons: Culture used to be real; now the memo is just a shrine. Performance reviews are highly subjective. Candor can get you a severance. Senior eng leaders have been too long in their roles and are behind cloud tech. Teams are bloated, and talent density is getting seriously diluted. Comp is excellent for average engineers and average for excellent engineers. There is no career path for ICs who do not want to manage people.
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