Process
I only got as far as the initial conversation with the recruiter before withdrawing my candidacy. There were a number of yellow flags in my brief conversation with the recruiter.
First, the recruiter was about 10 minutes late.
After discussing the role and team, the recruiter asked me a technical question that was passed along by the hiring manager. The question was, "What is the most efficient sorting algorithm for an unsorted array of integers and what is its computational complexity?"
Okay, not really a data engineering question IMO, but I think I remembered the correct answer from my CS 101 days.
The recruiter then explained the next step would be a live coding exercise focusing on data structures and algorithms. I should be prepared to implement an algorithm and talk about the computational complexity of my algorithm.
At that point, I asked if there was any difference between the interview process for that of a Software Engineer versus a Data Engineer. The recruiter clarified that they are in fact the same interview. The lack of acknowledgment that a Software Engineer and a Data Engineer are different roles that should be treated with some degree of nuance was enough for me to not continue interviewing.
Questions
What is the most efficient sorting algorithm for an unsorted array of integers, and what is its computational complexity?
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 2 interview experiences for the Opendoor Data Engineer role in United States.
Success Rate
Opendoor's interview process for their Data Engineer roles in the United States is extremely selective, failing the vast majority of engineers.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having mixed feelings for Opendoor's Data Engineer interview process in United States.
Opendoor Work Experiences
- 5.0Constantly impressed by coworkersData Engineer • Current EmployeeSan Francisco, CAApril 11, 2017Pros: I'm constantly impressed by coworkers. It's awesome to glean experience from people with varied backgrounds, such as mortgage-backed securities, the Fed, OpenAI, and math and physics PhDs. Amazing company growth without sacrificing culture. We have a bunch of off-sites to make sure everyone stays connected. Very collaborative culture. Able to maintain a sense of ownership without "turf". Quite open to cross-team collaboration. I like that company OKR cycles are 2 months instead of quarterly. This gives us freedom to insert a hackathon, takes some pressure off the winter holidays, and keeps us iterating more quickly. Great office environment and office management.Cons: I'm looking forward to more engineering leadership. I love that we've promoted from within, but current EMs are still gaining experience.
- 3.0Moving very fastData Engineer • Current EmployeeMumbaiDecember 15, 2025Pros: The company is moving at a very fast pace.Cons: Focused in USA, and there is no scope for the Indian team.
- 1.0DONOT JOIN OPENDOOREngineering Manager • Former EmployeeHyderābādFebruary 18, 2025Pros: A few motivated and ethical people.Cons: The executive leadership has been playing a game of hit and trial for the last couple of years to stay afloat. They opened India offices, hired 50+ members, and decided to shut them down after inaugurating offices in Hyderabad and Bangalore in just 4 months. This shows the lack of vision, strategy, and foresight of leadership. Any company is made of two assets: people and culture. The people who are left after back-to-back massive layoffs (4 since Nov 2022) are just passing the time each day. Being a recent ex-employee, the motivation of people is extremely low. Don't get clouded by the positivity that's shown during interviews. It's all a facade. And the culture is horrible. 50+ India employees were informed over a 2-minute Zoom call that they were let go by HR. No leader cared to show up and no 1:1's were scheduled with managers. On top of it, the health insurance ended the same day, and a meager 2-month severance package was handed out. On top of this, considering how the housing market is not doing great and the interest rates are still high, the product is just hanging by a thread before it dies.
