Senior Software Engineer Interview Experience - United States
September 1, 2023
Negative ExperienceNo Offer
Process
I applied through a referral.
- 30-minute call with a recruiter. She explained all the interview steps.
- Hiring manager call. She had a set of questions and asked them. I noticed she didn't concentrate while I was speaking.
Received an email after that saying they are not moving forward. They have one of the worst interview processes I have ever seen. This is a very bad experience I have encountered in my career. Please do not waste your time applying for this company; they waste your time even if you have the skills they require.
Questions
Tell me about yourself. Tell me about a situation where you had a conflict and how did you resolve it.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 21 interview experiences for the The New York Times Senior Software Engineer role in United States.
Success Rate
19%
Pass Rate
The New York Times's interview process for their Senior Software Engineer roles in the United States is very selective, failing most engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Positive43%
Neutral29%
Negative29%
Candidates reported having good feelings for The New York Times's Senior Software Engineer interview process in United States.
The New York Times Work Experiences
4.0
Good work-life balance. Difficult to grow career
Senior Software Engineer • Current Employee
New York, New York, United States
October 12, 2025
Pros: People are very nice.
Projects can be challenging and interesting.
Work-life balance is great.
Cons: Moving up to senior or from senior to staff is extremely difficult. There has to be a "business need", not just merit. The technical bar could be higher, and pay isn't that competitive.
4.0
Pretty good experience overall
Senior Software Engineer • Current Employee
New York, New York, United States
August 14, 2025
Pros: Good tech culture, great people, developers and lower-level management. I actually enjoy working there as a tech specialist. Most of the products we develop in the company are not outdated, and tech debt is not growing significantly. Tech workers unionized recently, and that could help to get more leverage on the way we work.
Cons: Upper management strategy and decisions are not clear for lower-level personnel. "We are not a tech company" is a common reason from management to reject some suggestions or complaints made by tech people. Some strange reorganizations are happening on the tech side as well. Many principal engineer roles are unoccupied now after people resigned or were fired, but the roles are not being fulfilled, neither from hiring nor from promoting.
4.0
Freedom, But Low Pay
Senior Software Engineer • Current Employee
New York, New York, United States
June 17, 2025
Pros: Freedom to work at your own discretion
Cons: Lower pay and management demanding higher velocity with fewer employees is hurting morale.
- 4.0Good work-life balance. Difficult to grow careerSenior Software Engineer • Current EmployeeNew York, New York, United StatesOctober 12, 2025Pros: People are very nice. Projects can be challenging and interesting. Work-life balance is great.Cons: Moving up to senior or from senior to staff is extremely difficult. There has to be a "business need", not just merit. The technical bar could be higher, and pay isn't that competitive.
- 4.0Pretty good experience overallSenior Software Engineer • Current EmployeeNew York, New York, United StatesAugust 14, 2025Pros: Good tech culture, great people, developers and lower-level management. I actually enjoy working there as a tech specialist. Most of the products we develop in the company are not outdated, and tech debt is not growing significantly. Tech workers unionized recently, and that could help to get more leverage on the way we work.Cons: Upper management strategy and decisions are not clear for lower-level personnel. "We are not a tech company" is a common reason from management to reject some suggestions or complaints made by tech people. Some strange reorganizations are happening on the tech side as well. Many principal engineer roles are unoccupied now after people resigned or were fired, but the roles are not being fulfilled, neither from hiring nor from promoting.
- 4.0Freedom, But Low PaySenior Software Engineer • Current EmployeeNew York, New York, United StatesJune 17, 2025Pros: Freedom to work at your own discretionCons: Lower pay and management demanding higher velocity with fewer employees is hurting morale.
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