Duolingo Interview Questions
& Process

It was a really long interview process, took about 1.5 months. Started with resume screening, then two virtual interviews (one with the hiring manager, one functional). After that, there were two take-home assignments followed by a panel presentation. To wrap it up, there were six more virtual interviews. The recruiter was helpful in preparing us, but the whole thing was just too drawn out.

The hiring process has 5 steps: Recruiter first chat, Hiring manager chat, Colleague chat, Technical task (a short take-home project to assess one’s skillset), and Virtual onsite (meet several members of the team virtually). Duolingo connects you to a candidate portal where you can see the entire process and track your progress, which is a thoughtful touch. The recruiter first chat is meant to be a friendly introductory call to better understand your background and interests, and they encourage you to bring your own questions. Duolingo also uses BrightHire to record and transcribe interviews for fairness and consistency (you can opt out, and recordings are deleted after 90 days). Unfortunately, while the recruiter was polite, professional, and friendly, my personal experience was neither organized nor communicative. My initial interview was canceled via email five minutes after it had already started (the recruiter never showed). I was offered alternative times for the next day, but I didn’t hear back for another six days. That delay, combined with the last-minute cancellation, made the process stressful and left a negative impression. Emergencies do happen, and I understand that, but they need to be handled appropriately — timely communication and follow-through are essential in a professional hiring process.

The interview process was pretty straightforward and not too challenging. We talked about the job itself, what the pay is, and if I seemed like a good fit. Nothing really stood out as exceptionally hard. We also chatted about the company's policy on being in the office and the general office vibe. They also asked about what's going on at the company right now. All in all, it was a pretty easy process and went well. Things moved quickly, and I didn't have to wait long to hear about the next steps.

I hope this encourages Duolingo's recruitment/talent team to reevaluate, reassemble, and do better. I didn't get past the first chat with the talent acquisition person. I respected their professionalism but was bothered by how little they knew about the job I was applying for. I really think this person is solely responsible for not bringing in great talent because of their own ignorance on many topics. While recruiters and talent acquisition specialists aren't always experts, it was really disturbing to be asked how my experience was transferable when I not only had a degree in what I was applying for, but also direct experience that I'd carefully listed on my resume. The only differences from what they wanted were previous titles, and even then, only slightly. This person directly asked, “How does this reflect what we need?” I want hopefuls to know that not being selected here doesn't mean you lack skill or quality. Although it's super competitive, having seen firsthand the lack of knowledge from someone meant to present candidates, I can say with 100% certainty that you are likely not being properly considered because of this one person who handles a lot of roles.