Software Development Engineer Interview Experience - Seattle, Washington
February 1, 2013
Neutral ExperienceNo Offer
Process
Shortly after submitting my application, I received an email asking me to complete and send in a coding test. The questions were simple, including converting a string into an integer and dealing with BST insertion and deletion. After I passed this test, I had a 20-minute phone interview with a couple of quick technical questions. Finally, I was called in for an in-person interview.
I interviewed with three different software engineers, each for one hour. The interviews were mostly technical questions, which I would write up solutions to on a whiteboard.
In one of my interviews, the interviewer asked me a question. As I wrote out and described my solution, I could see him working on his smartphone out of the corner of my eye. When I looked over at him to check in five minutes later, he was dozing off. It was pretty discouraging.
Other than that, the interview process was very thorough. I liked the other software developers I met with, who seemed very bright, friendly, and passionate about their work.
Questions
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 37 interview experiences for the Zillow Software Development Engineer role in Seattle, Washington.
Success Rate
24%
Pass Rate
Zillow's interview process for their Software Development Engineer roles in Seattle, Washington is very selective, failing most engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Positive59%
Neutral14%
Negative27%
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Zillow's Software Development Engineer interview process in Seattle, Washington.
Zillow Work Experiences
5.0
Growing, but committed to a start-up vibe
Software Development Engineer • Current Employee
Seattle, Washington, United States
February 14, 2013
Pros: Great working environment (food, drinks, workspace, noise level).
Commitment at all levels to improving processes and trying new things.
Executives do a good job of communicating the big picture to employees.
Management makes an effort to help you achieve career goals.
Cons: Obstructive policies and processes are few but growing.
As headcount grows, relationships across teams become harder to maintain, and collaboration becomes harder.
5.0
Joined for the Culture, Stayed for the Culture
Software Development Engineer • Current Employee
Seattle, Washington, United States
September 3, 2020
Pros: Lots of internal growth of employee resource groups in the past couple of years, giving minority groups the ability to build a community and push for a more diverse and inclusive environment.
Internal mobility program also allows for personal growth.
Great work-life balance, with many in management setting the example.
Lots of great mentorship opportunities, either as a mentor or a mentee.
Benefits are excellent, especially in terms of health insurance.
Company handled quarantine awesomely; business looks strong for the foreseeable future.
Work-from-home for nearly all employees through the end of 2020, with moves to allow for teams to be more flexible on WFH in 2021.
Volunteering and charity donations are encouraged and can be matched by the company (up to $100/yr per employee).
Cons: Like most companies, your direct manager determines how much of the company culture is applied to your day-to-day. Many are great; however, there are certain teams which may be run a bit differently, so work-life balance may not be enforced or modeled by leadership there.
Lots of "happy hours" and drinking alcohol during celebrations. There have been some moves made in the past year to address this, by offering non-alcoholic drinks at functions. COVID has reduced the rest of the events, so there may be changes in the future.
Work-from-home is not work-from-remote, as your compensation is based on where you live. So moving out of CA or WA to the Midwest would invoke a salary reduction.
Not much diversity on the exec team, even after several years of "addressing it".
There's a humongous gap in compensation between lowest-paid employees and C-suite.
5.0
Best job I've had so far
Software Development Engineer • Current Employee
Seattle, Washington, United States
June 21, 2015
Pros: Zillow gets it.
The management seems to put a lot of thought into what makes a great workplace and does everything they can to empower their employees to be successful and happy.
One thing that always bothered me about previous employers was the lack of internal communication regarding company direction and decision making. I've never once felt like I was in the dark at Zillow, and if something wasn't immediately obvious, I've always had my questions answered honestly.
As an engineer, I've always felt like I've had a clear goal and direction, and I've never had to spend time spinning my wheels wondering what I should be doing. Management works hard to unblock things if any hurdles do arise, as long as you're willing to admit when you're having trouble.
Cons: Zillow is a very team-oriented company, so if you're the type that loves personal glory and recognition, you might not do well.
Achievements definitely get recognized, but arrogance is massively frowned upon. That's not really a con for most people, but it might be for some.
- 5.0Growing, but committed to a start-up vibeSoftware Development Engineer • Current EmployeeSeattle, Washington, United StatesFebruary 14, 2013Pros: Great working environment (food, drinks, workspace, noise level). Commitment at all levels to improving processes and trying new things. Executives do a good job of communicating the big picture to employees. Management makes an effort to help you achieve career goals.Cons: Obstructive policies and processes are few but growing. As headcount grows, relationships across teams become harder to maintain, and collaboration becomes harder.
- 5.0Joined for the Culture, Stayed for the CultureSoftware Development Engineer • Current EmployeeSeattle, Washington, United StatesSeptember 3, 2020Pros: Lots of internal growth of employee resource groups in the past couple of years, giving minority groups the ability to build a community and push for a more diverse and inclusive environment. Internal mobility program also allows for personal growth. Great work-life balance, with many in management setting the example. Lots of great mentorship opportunities, either as a mentor or a mentee. Benefits are excellent, especially in terms of health insurance. Company handled quarantine awesomely; business looks strong for the foreseeable future. Work-from-home for nearly all employees through the end of 2020, with moves to allow for teams to be more flexible on WFH in 2021. Volunteering and charity donations are encouraged and can be matched by the company (up to $100/yr per employee).Cons: Like most companies, your direct manager determines how much of the company culture is applied to your day-to-day. Many are great; however, there are certain teams which may be run a bit differently, so work-life balance may not be enforced or modeled by leadership there. Lots of "happy hours" and drinking alcohol during celebrations. There have been some moves made in the past year to address this, by offering non-alcoholic drinks at functions. COVID has reduced the rest of the events, so there may be changes in the future. Work-from-home is not work-from-remote, as your compensation is based on where you live. So moving out of CA or WA to the Midwest would invoke a salary reduction. Not much diversity on the exec team, even after several years of "addressing it". There's a humongous gap in compensation between lowest-paid employees and C-suite.
- 5.0Best job I've had so farSoftware Development Engineer • Current EmployeeSeattle, Washington, United StatesJune 21, 2015Pros: Zillow gets it. The management seems to put a lot of thought into what makes a great workplace and does everything they can to empower their employees to be successful and happy. One thing that always bothered me about previous employers was the lack of internal communication regarding company direction and decision making. I've never once felt like I was in the dark at Zillow, and if something wasn't immediately obvious, I've always had my questions answered honestly. As an engineer, I've always felt like I've had a clear goal and direction, and I've never had to spend time spinning my wheels wondering what I should be doing. Management works hard to unblock things if any hurdles do arise, as long as you're willing to admit when you're having trouble.Cons: Zillow is a very team-oriented company, so if you're the type that loves personal glory and recognition, you might not do well. Achievements definitely get recognized, but arrogance is massively frowned upon. That's not really a con for most people, but it might be for some.
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