I really liked the interviewer of my first-round phone screen, and the recruiters were reasonably clear in explaining what to expect for both the phone screens and onsite. The company has many positive aspects and would be a great place to work and learn overall.

The onsite experience was not as pleasant compared to other places like Facebook or LinkedIn. The questions were more textbook-type and not open-ended, with no depth in problem-solving reflected in the machine learning-type questions. One interviewer admitted that "we don't do long-term research type of work" and hinted at the importance of fast turn-around over depth and accumulation of knowledge. It sounds like they want to hire people with past experience that are desperately needed for current projects and care less about how to build similar experience.

I had to pass on a previous offer to come to their onsite, which I probably would not do if I hadn't liked the first-round phone interview that much. But I guess these are the rules of the game. I do appreciate how the work culture is reflected in the interviewing process. I still think the company makes great products, but it might not be a great place if you want room to grow.

Again, the questions are pretty textbook.