Process
The interview was conducted in four virtual phases.
It began with an initial checkpoint with the recruiter, followed by three back-to-back sessions:
- A coding session
- A system design session
- An interview with the hiring manager
The coding session involved two tech employees observing as I created a library to process command-line arguments. Initially, the task was to check defined arguments and their values, with other conditions added later. The main interviewer was very soft-spoken, which meant I spent a considerable amount of time seeking clarification on each step.
The system design task was to create a system for processing credit card charges, ultimately for validation against GPS information.
The hiring manager interview was fairly standard. My impression was that I lacked sufficient experience in the specific areas he inquired about.
I did receive feedback afterward, which was rare but welcomed.
Questions
Tell me about a large project where you led a group of people and what challenges did you face?
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 23 interview experiences for the Samsara Senior Software Engineer role in United States.
Success Rate
Samsara's interview process for their Senior Software Engineer roles in the United States is extremely selective, failing the vast majority of engineers.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very negative feelings for Samsara's Senior Software Engineer interview process in United States.
Samsara Work Experiences
- 3.0Good company, but bad work-life balance and perks keep being cutSenior Software Engineer • Current EmployeeLondon, England, United KingdomApril 14, 2025Pros: 1. Colleagues and managers are friendly. 2. Even though the company is relatively new (compared to other tech recently-IPO companies), it has a very good setup for success in terms of product, infrastructure, and the way of working. 3. Fair compensation. 4. Fully remote.Cons: 1. Recently, the company switched to a new model to plan and execute engineering projects. While the initiative is good because we can go faster, it pushes for tight deadlines and demos for reporting, and it builds up even more tech debt. For example, the shift in roadmapping makes it so that projects or workstreams are sometimes left half-completed before jumping to other priorities. 2. Heavy workload: * The new model of working increases the engineer workload a lot. * Most engineering teams are small, and on-call duty is heavy. * Engineers are overwhelmed with non-engineering work, for example, regular operational reviews and writing up and back-and-forth with stakeholders on documentation such as RFCs, POMOs, ORRs, etc. 3. While the company has a very positive trend in its financial outlook, upper management started to cut perks. For example, there are no more sabbaticals, no more holiday shutdown (10 days of paid holiday in December), and reduced durations for paid paternity, medical, and caregiver leaves, etc.
- 3.0Remote Work, Poor CompensationSenior Software Engineer • Former EmployeeSan Francisco, California, United StatesApril 12, 2022Pros: Decent company and remote work option available.Cons: Comp 2.0 did not set back to industry standard.
- 5.0Great place to workSenior Software Engineer • Former EmployeeLondon, England, United KingdomSeptember 9, 2024Pros: Competitive pay Great teammates Great culture A profitable businessCons: The majority of the tech teams are in the US. Synchronizing decisions can take a while.
Samsara Interview Questions
