Hey there! As we step into 2022, we wanted to share some exciting updates about our engineering interview process. Back in the day, we wrote about it to give candidates a peek behind the curtain. Fast forward to today, and we’ve grown to a team of 80 spread across London, San Francisco, and New York. Naturally, our interview process has evolved too, so we thought it was time for a refresh!
Why the change?
Scaling up has led us to rethink how we assess candidates. While technical skills are still crucial, we’ve come to appreciate the significance of product thinking and effective feature shipping for our Product Engineers. This shift has influenced how we evaluate candidates, especially in our Hiring Manager interview.
The process today
Although the overall structure of our engineering interview process remains similar, let’s delve into what’s new.
Initial call (45 mins, remote)
For starters, you’ll have a chat with our internal talent partners and our VP of Engineering, Norberto. This conversation is all about mutual discovery—your background, aspirations, and whether incident.io could be your next home.
We’ll also cover logistics like location, timing, and any queries you may have about the role or company.
Hiring manager interview (75 mins, remote)
This stage has undergone a significant transformation since 2022. Instead of the traditional technical discussion on past projects, we now conduct a product-focused session with two of our engineering managers. You’ll get a taste of how we tackle building and launching features at incident.io, taking charge of a hypothetical project.
During this session, you’ll showcase:
- Product problem-solving and prioritization
- Feature scoping and delivery approach
- Balancing technical and product trade-offs
- Collaboration with diverse stakeholders
Rest assured, we’ll provide a detailed prep guide in advance so you know what to anticipate. We believe interviews work best when candidates can authentically display their thought process and decision-making.
Technical challenge (60 mins, remote)
This phase is now overseen by two senior engineers, but the essence remains unaltered. You’ll be tasked with solving a real-world problem, complete with tests and a clear goal. Feel free to use your preferred language (we support Go, TypeScript, Ruby, and Python), and don’t hesitate to bounce ideas off us as if we were your teammates.
We’re still on the lookout for your problem-solving approach, clean code writing skills, and ability to articulate your thought process. And yes, Google is still fair game!
System design (60 mins, in person)
Conducted by two senior engineers, this interview delves into your approach to designing complex systems. You’ll be presented with a genuine product challenge we’ve tackled before, and together, we’ll craft a solution.
We’ll explore topics like:
- Breaking down intricate problems
- System architecture and trade-offs
- Scaling considerations
- Handling potential failure modes
Don’t fret if distributed systems aren’t your forte; we’re more interested in your problem-solving process and collaborative problem-solving skills.
Culture (60 mins, in person)
Our Company Values are now at the heart of our Culture interview. You’ll sit down with one of our founders (often our CTO) and another team member (we fondly call ourselves incidentios) for a discussion centered around our core values: Raise the pace, Make it magic, Find a way, Trust by default, and Win together.
These values aren’t mere words on a wall; they embody our work ethic. We might chat about how you’ve shown resilience in challenging situations (Find a way) or instances where you’ve gone the extra mile to delight customers (Make it magic).
What makes things different?
Several aspects set our current process apart:
- Product thinking is key: We believe exceptional engineers aren’t just tech wizards but also product visionaries who can deliver features addressing real customer needs.
- Values-driven assessment: Our values aren’t confined to the Culture interview; they permeate everything we do. In the Hiring Manager interview, we seek individuals who can elevate the pace and innovate solutions. In the Technical Challenge, we look for teamwork skills.
- Preparation is crucial: We provide comprehensive prep guides ahead of key stages because we want you to shine. It’s not about testing your performance under pressure; it’s about showcasing your true potential.
What’s next?
We continuously refine our interview process based on feedback from candidates and our team. As we expand further, we’ll keep you updated on how we assess and onboard engineers.
For more insights into our interview process for various roles, head over to our Candidate Hub.
If you’re keen on joining us, explore our open positions. We’re hiring across all locations and eager to hear from you!
P.S. We’re all about speed—while our process has evolved, we aim to wrap it up within a week or two.
