Calm Interview Questions
& Process

I spoke with a recruiter first, then the hiring manager, but then they decided not to move forward with me. I suspect I only got the initial call because of a referral from a former senior executive colleague. The job description said Calm was 'remote first' but then restricted hiring to only the Bay Area, Los Angeles, or New York, with no relocation assistance, which doesn't really sound 'remote first'. The hiring manager interview felt rushed and unprepared. This C-suite person seemed to be in a dorm room, asked basic questions, and appeared disinterested.

It took 3 months from initial contact with recruiting and the hiring manager until the interview process started. The interview itself was a 4-hour marathon, ending late on the East Coast with only one short break. It included standard checks for culture fit, a systems design discussion, an iOS knowledge test, and a live coding exercise. For the coding part, I was told by both recruiting and the interviewer to use whatever I normally use day-to-day. Since I hadn't set up a new project in a while due to working on legacy code, I looked up how to use Codable in Google. The interviewer got mad and said using Google wasn't okay, which was confusing given what I was told earlier. I struggled but mostly finished the project within the time limit. I sent a thank-you note with feedback since they were reviewing their process, and I also finished the coding exercise and sent it over. The team liked me, but one interviewer's negative reaction to the coding exercise situation meant no offer. This long process ended badly because of conflicting instructions.

The interview process involved 4 interviews and a 30-minute presentation that required hours of preparation. It took nearly 2 months to complete. While the recruitment company was very pleasant, there was a lack of communication regarding the decision, with multiple deadlines passing without updates. This left me waiting for a month after the final interview, impacting other opportunities and plans. Ultimately, I received a generic email stating they appreciated my effort but couldn't provide feedback, which felt disrespectful given the time and intellectual property invested in the presentation. Although I had another offer and wouldn't have accepted the role, some feedback from a company that claims to value mental health and a growth mindset would have been appreciated.

It was a pretty standard interview process, but with a little twist at the end. I had a recruiter screen, then a hiring manager screen, followed by a full-day panel with people from different teams. The final step was a presentation. It was a really authentic and low-stress process, and everyone seemed to be rooting for me. I got a great vibe from the people there, and it seems like an amazing culture. The recruiting team was also amazing, keeping me updated and even speeding things up when I mentioned another offer. They even suggested I chat with the CPO to learn more about the company's future. I highly recommend applying!