I applied online. The process took 3 weeks.

Pennylane has the best interview process I've experienced so far. The HR team stands out — they guide you through each stage and genuinely want you to succeed, offering clear prep and support throughout. Although I was ultimately rejected in the final round, I appreciated the structure and care put into the process. The interview had three stages.

• The first was an HR screening — a warm, conversational interview where I discussed my background and interest in the role.
• The second stage was a take-home assignment to build a recipe finder app. While it was backend-focused, I was encouraged to consider user experience as well.
• The third stage was a technical debrief, where I explained my design decisions, especially backend optimizations and how they impacted UX. This part felt like a collaborative conversation with a colleague — the highlight of the process for me.

The final stage was with the co-founder and Head of Engineering. It focused on behavioral questions. HR advised me to use the STAR format and emphasize business impact. However, after reflecting, I think it would have been better to focus more on technical depth in that stage.

The rejection feedback mentioned that my communication wasn't clear enough, but also noted that I communicated the UX and my decisions well — which felt a bit contradictory. Additionally, I was told I didn't provide enough technical detail, even though HR had advised me not to go too deep to keep answers concise. Some of the feedback also covered areas that weren't actually discussed during the interview, which made me question whether it stemmed from a lack of personal connection.

During the final interview, it felt like the co-founder was disengaged — at one point, it was clear he was focused on something else on his screen, which made the interaction difficult and awkward. Overall, the process was thoughtfully designed, HR was exceptional, and the experience was mostly positive. But in the final round, there seemed to be a mismatch in expectations, unclear feedback, and a lack of genuine engagement that ultimately made the outcome disappointing.

The first stage consisted of general HR questions and why I was interested in the opportunity.

The second stage was a technical debrief, including questions on optimisation choices, my TDD approach, and what I would have done better.

The final stage covered several behavioral and project questions:

• Tell me about a recent project you worked on.
• What does quality mean to you?
• Tell me about a time you helped a colleague in a dispute.
• Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a colleague.
• What would you have done to improve your recent project?