Fastest process I've experienced so far (my sample size isn't huge; I interviewed with 3 companies, coming from a giant big tech company that's very slow).

• Initial 30-minute chat with a recruiter. This recruiter described the interview process in detail and determined the best role/level fit. For SWE roles, it seems they try to place candidates in Backend, Frontend/full stack, or UX frontend. This approach aims to maximize success during interviews (e.g., a frontend SWE interview might focus more on HTTP, web development, etc.).

• First interview: Coding assessment/screening. This was very easy; they primarily want to confirm your coding ability before proceeding. No complex algorithms were involved, just very basic tasks. Although booked for an hour, it took only 15 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of me asking questions about their work/life balance.

• Next round: Life story. Many candidates find this round intrusive. I see its purpose in two ways: First, they want to assess you holistically and at a high level. While being articulate and personable can help, it's not used to filter out introverts (I know several quiet candidates who were hired). Second, this round adds a "white glove service" element to their recruitment. Imagine a salesperson in a shoe store helping you try on shoes and suggesting others based on your preferences. If the price is right and you like them, you're more likely to buy, aren't you?

• Full day of "virtual onsite." This consisted of 3 interviews and a few breaks. There were two coding interviews (referred to as pair programming) and one technical deep dive. The coding interviews were straightforward, without complex algorithms. The expectation is to demonstrate your ability to analyze a problem, briefly design a solution, test it, write the code, and ask follow-up questions. The technical deep dive allows you to elaborate on a past project. Provide as many technical details as legally possible. The interviewer will engage in a conversation based on your explanations.

A few days later, they will communicate their decision.

Screening: Very basic map, string, and numbers operations.

Life Story Round:

• How did you get into Software Engineering?
• What did you study at university/school?
• What prompted you to pursue this?

I was also asked about my earlier years, i.e., what was it like growing up, etc. Don't be offended by this; it's not necessarily them trying to probe you, more like a "white glove service" thing. If you would not like to talk about it, talk about something else and quickly skip over this.