A few months ago, a person from a recruiting agency contacted me about a senior software engineering role. They believed my background was a strong match. We discussed my resume and current compensation, as well as a current offer. After gathering this information, they mentioned that Roblox is very competitive and would be great for my future. I don't interview regularly and wasn't actively looking at the time.

Almost a month later, a recruiter contacted me for a 1:1 with two hiring managers. I had two separate one-hour interviews with them. They seemed very positive to me, though I may be mistaken. Both hiring managers told me there would be a technical test/phone-screen interview for both teams. The recruiter confirmed I could interview for both. In less than a week since the first interview, the recruiter contacted me again, stating there would only be one take-home test and no other phone-screen for either team. They would arrange an onsite interview with both teams and try to conclude the interviews in one day.

I finished the take-home test within two days, three days before the deadline. The test was relatively easy and interesting. It included several open-ended questions, which I answered. I wanted to discuss these in detail once a response was received.

One week passed without any response, and I had a pending offer to consider. I asked the recruiter for an update and received a response a few days later, scheduling an onsite interview. I was curious about the interview questions and wanted to discuss the outcome. Unfortunately, my requests weren't entertained. I decided to discuss it during the interview. By this point, I had cleared my choice of the position I was interviewing for. A decision based on background mismatch could have saved both of our time.

The interview was scheduled two weeks later, at my preference. I was interviewed by six people, with one lunch session. The first session went well, where I explained my research and work background. The interviewer was very nice and admitted to having little knowledge of my area. It was mostly me explaining the topic with occasional relevant questions. The second interviewer, a tech lead in a different role, asked a programming question. The question was surprisingly easy for the role I was interviewing for, and I finished it quickly. The interviewer commented, "You are too quick on solving the problem; what area do you want to work in?" I expressed my choice. I felt the interviewer had already made up their mind. The 45-minute interview concluded in 20 minutes, and I was asked to browse the internet until lunch, which was surprising.

After lunch, the third interview was also smooth. The interviewer was nice and knowledgeable. We had an excellent discussion on a specific topic, though it wasn't strictly an interview. At the end of that interview, I started feeling uneasy; the experience was too smooth for the kind of role I was applying for. The next interview was with the hiring manager, and it was an excellent conversation as well. This was a proper interview, with several algorithmic questions asked. I believe I performed well. I was asked for the solution rather than the code, though I did code to some extent. I was expecting to discuss the take-home test, but time passed quickly, and the next interviewer arrived.

The subsequent interview involved a programming question, again very easy for the role. I coded to some extent and almost finished it. The interviewer was also pleasant to talk to. The last round was a bit strange, consisting of simple C++ questions and very basic concepts, with no algorithmic questions. After a while, I was allowed to ask questions, including about the social aspect of the product. These were all answered, taking some time but not consuming the entire session. When the interviewer realized, they began asking a new set of C++ questions. I sensed a lack of care for the position and a lack of preparation. A sort of passive compulsion from within the hiring team was evident throughout the entire process. (Continue reading in the interview question section)

After the interview, I spoke with the interviewer about my current offer, and he was quite surprised. He mentioned it would be difficult to match.

Their compensation package consisted solely of base salary and stock options, with no other benefits.

Next week, I received a rejection from the staffing agency, unfortunately without any feedback. I then reached out to the internal recruiter, who kindly agreed to speak with me.

The gist of our discussion was that my background and the role's requirements didn't align. I was utterly surprised. It took so much time, and a full day was wasted for both the interviewee and the team, only to discover this mismatch.

I suspect that because I was a local candidate, they requested an onsite interview, and then I was rejected even before that. I truly wish to save both our time and energy.

My advice to any interviewee at this company is: unless you have a significant amount of time and energy to spare, please clearly communicate your preferences and thoroughly understand their requirements before you waste your PTO, energy, and morale.