The interview process was lengthy and involved seven rounds. The experience was inconsistent and disappointing overall.

Recruiter Call: They ask many questions, which proved to be of no use. My recruiter confused me greatly during the process. I suggest not relying on any preparation documents; instead, refer to online reviews of candidates' interview experiences.

Phone Screen: This involved multi-part questions. I completed two parts with thorough testing. Both the recruiter and the interviewer stated that online lookup for language syntax was allowed. However, I later received contradictory feedback from the recruiter, who claimed this was a red flag. I only looked up documentation because the interviewer instructed me to.

Onsites: Coding: I solved all three parts on HackerRank without internet access and provided test cases. I clearly explained my approach to the interviewer. The recruiter raised this as a red flag, stating that my communication was the interviewer nudging me, which was untrue. The interviewer did not need to point anything out.

Bug Squash: I resolved two bugs in the open-source codebase. I received no feedback from the recruiter and am unsure if this was perceived as negative or positive. The recruiter seemed to imply the feedback was entirely negative.

System Design Interview: I experienced audio issues from the interviewer's side, which impacted communication. The interviewer did not address these issues, leading to misunderstandings despite my raising the problem at the start of the interview. There were no introductions. The recruiter shared similar feedback, noting that the interviewer had to repeat himself numerous times, aligning with my observation of a technical issue on his end. I was not given an opportunity to retake the interview or clarify due to the recruiter's dissatisfaction with my rating in the feedback survey Stripe sends after the onsites, although another candidate was reportedly offered that option by their recruiter.

Hiring Manager Interview: This was unexpected. I was wrongly categorized as an Engineering Manager, which I am not. The recruiter also stated I was an Engineering Manager, despite having my resume and the 45-minute interview focusing solely on the Senior Engineer role. I answered all questions using the STAR method and was a good fit for the role they were hiring for. This outcome was entirely unfair.

Integration Round: The interviewer joined late, citing an extended ad hoc call, and appeared distracted throughout, even ending early for another meeting. Candidates do not have the privilege to behave similarly. Despite this, I solved two full parts and began a third. The interviewer told me to search Google for anything if I got stuck, stating it was allowed. He also mentioned we did not have to complete all parts and stopped me while I was coding the third part. However, the recruiter raised this as a red flag, and I did not understand the reason as she provided no feedback.

I requested a re-round for System Design, but the recruiter sent a rejection email and stated she would provide feedback later due to being pregnant and sick. Another candidate received a re-round and a team match from his recruiter, despite solving fewer parts than I did in the interviews. I did not even receive feedback after investing so much time in the process.

Stripe sends an onsite interview survey. I made a mistake by submitting this survey. I provided only five words about technical issues and no feedback or reason for rejection. The recruiter turned the feedback call into a confrontational one, and I had to hang up as she continuously cornered me about the survey I completed. I had not written anything negative to warrant such hostility. She persisted in confronting me about the low rating. I showed understanding regarding her pregnancy, but she took things too personally. I ultimately did not receive proper feedback or information about a cool-down period.

I later sent her an email, to which she simply replied, "Best of luck for other interviews elsewhere," which was insulting given the time and energy I invested in this process.

General Feedback: The guidelines about what is permissible during interviews (e.g., searching for syntax) were inconsistent. It is advisable to avoid using the internet altogether.

Interview quality varied significantly across rounds. The interviewer in the phone screen was friendly and fair, while those in the onsite interviews were distracted and disinterested. The process is not a level playing field and depends on luck.

Communication from the recruitment side lacked transparency. Feedback, timelines, and post-interview handling should be conducted fairly.

Advice: Prepare for non-standard interview formats and scenarios where expectations are not clearly defined.

Document each round for yourself in case follow-up is needed.

If you are a woman or part of an underrepresented group, be aware that the experience may not always feel inclusive or fair.

Ignore the post-interview surveys to avoid the recruiter jeopardizing your chances for another round or a different team match. Another candidate received both an HM and a System Design re-round from his recruiter, despite solving fewer parts than I did in the coding rounds.

For some reason, Glassdoor is not permitting honest feedback to be posted.

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