The process started in January and lasted until April, encompassing one HackerRank test and four rounds of one-on-one discussions. To be honest, it wasn't a great experience.

I received a phone call after applying through the careers site. The HackerRank test was sent two weeks after the initial call. It was a single question on algorithms, coded in Java. I passed all test cases within 30 minutes, though the test was allocated 90 minutes.

I waited another two weeks for the scheduling of the first one-on-one discussion. There was no flexibility regarding the date; I was simply informed of the required availability.

Round 1 (Technical Round, Zoom Call): Discussions were good, and the interviewer was engaging throughout. Topics covered included Java, algorithms, and data structures. I was asked to code the Singleton Pattern and answered all questions without hesitation.

Round 2 was scheduled for the next day, despite my request for a different date. The reason given was that the interviewer only had a slot available at that specific time. I agreed, rescheduling my meetings and planning my day accordingly.

On the interview day, the interviewer did not appear, and no one joined the meeting. After waiting, I contacted the recruiter, who stated the interviewer was experiencing technical difficulties. A week passed with no communication before I finally received a call to schedule the next round. I was asked to take the round the very next day, which I agreed to.

Round 2 (Hiring Manager Round, Zoom Call): Again, the discussion was good, and I answered all questions. These included questions about strengths, weaknesses, and conflict resolution. I was also asked a puzzle, which I solved. I was informed that I would have a discussion with a member of the US team.

The next call was scheduled three days after Round 2.

Round 3 (Discussion with Senior Tech Person, Zoom Call): The timing was late, at 10 PM IST. There were audio difficulties, which I politely informed the interviewer about. We ended up communicating via chat, with the interviewer posting keywords he spoke. It was a very hectic session, and the interviewer seemed uninterested. I answered all questions except one, which was on a custom tree traversal method. After the interview, I immediately searched for the question and approach but couldn't find it.

By this time, a month had already passed, and I was weary of the scheduled discussions. After two days, the round was named "Cross BU round."

Round 4 (Cross BU Round, Zoom Call): This round was preceded by a wait and further recruitment process. There was no communication for another two weeks. I sent an email asking for feedback. I then received a call from a different recruiter at ServiceNow, as it seemed the previous person had left. The discussion was scheduled for two days later and was also named "Cross BU round."

Round 4 (Cross BU Round, Zoom Call): This round focused on REST APIs and involved technical discussions. I felt I performed well.

Again, there was no communication. I sent a couple of emails.

After sending another email, I received the following message: "We regret to inform you that you haven’t been shortlisted. We’ll have your profile with us and will consider for openings in the future."

After waiting for two and a half months, enduring multiple technical discussions, and having a good conversation with the hiring manager, I was rejected. When I requested feedback on the last couple of rounds, there was no reply.

It seemed they had no genuine intent to hire and were simply prolonging the process. It felt like a complete waste of time. I formed an opinion about the company culture and felt that ServiceNow did not value candidates' time. I was somewhat relieved, thinking perhaps it was for the best.

When a candidate undergoes four technical rounds, it's natural to underperform in some. If I had continued to perform well, they would likely have kept scheduling rounds until I eventually faltered.

Java internals.

Algorithms (Tree, LinkedList, Arrays).

REST APIs.

Behavioral.