Canonical Engineering Manager Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process included several stages: an initial screening, a technical interview that also had behavioral components, a separate behavioral interview, a substantial writing assessment, and a check on my motivation. While the people were nice and friendly, the more I learned about the company's processes and values, the less I wanted to join. For instance, in 2024, they mandated COVID vaccination for remote work.

It was a typical few steps, pretty specific and fast. They have a lot of offers, so you might get a little lost. The proportions in hybrid work were very unclear to me. I chose another offer that was more suitable for what I was doing.

So, I went through Canonical's early-stage interviews. It was a lot – four one-hour interviews plus four exercises. These included a written task, two psychometric tests, and a coding exercise. The conversations were great, and I really enjoyed meeting the team, which was the highlight. However, after completing everything, Canonical went silent for two weeks, even after I checked in with the hiring manager. When they finally responded, it was just a super generic rejection email: "We are writing to let you know that we have reviewed your application. We regret to inform you that we shall not be progressing your application further for this particular role". It felt dismissive, especially after investing so much time in their lengthy process, and I expected at least some feedback. It really gives the impression they don't value your time.