Forward Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 101 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at Forward.
Forward
Software Engineer
Entry Average Negative experience No offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Technical screen Recruiter call Onsite
Interview formats
Coding Behavioral Technical System Design
First, I had to pass a coding assessment. After that, I was invited to a behavioral interview. It was a really weird and awkward interview. The interviewer kept asking me about my definition of impact, but they didn't seem to like my answers. They also asked which other companies I was interviewing with, and when I named a few, they started to criticize me. The interviewer seemed really arrogant, and I'm not sure why they're the one doing behavioral interviews. Towards the end, I was also asked some random data structure and system design questions verbally, even though it wasn't mentioned that these would be part of the interview. Honestly, this is one of the first companies that rejected me, and I'm glad because I wouldn't want to work there after that experience.
Confirmed questions4 questions
- Can you explain what impact means to you?
- Which other companies are you interviewing with?
- What do data structures mean to you?
Forward
Software Engineer
Mid Easy Positive experience No offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
The HR was super responsive and the whole process moved fast! I had a great time during the behavioral interview. The person interviewing me was really into it and threw some unexpected questions my way. I didn't get any of those typical, tricky questions like "tell me about your biggest flaw." All in all, it was a really positive experience.
Confirmed questions1 question
- How would you approach analyzing and making a decision between two job offers, and what factors might influence your choice?
Forward
Software Engineer
Senior Average Neutral experience No offer 5 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Onsite
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical Coding System Design
After applying online with no referral, it took about a month to hear back. The interview process involved a behavioral screen with a SWE, a tech screen focusing on a body scanner problem, and an onsite with three rounds. Interestingly, the onsite was identical to the general SWE interviews, including tasks like designing Google Docs, UI design, and a coding question about JSON and OOP. Despite the role mentioning Data Science and Computer Vision, the company seems to lack a clear vision in these areas, with the interviewer stating ML projects would be figured out after onboarding. There were yellow flags regarding WFH flexibility (expecting 5x/week in office), low salaries compared to industry standards, and a lack of a defined ML strategy. While the interviewers were friendly and collaborative, leading to a generally positive interaction, the process concluded with a rejection at the onsite stage without specific feedback. The candidate acknowledges that prepping for ML design interviews might not have aligned with the generalist SWE focus of the role. Overall, the company culture seems cult-like, but the interview process itself was surprisingly positive due to the people, despite the downsides like RTO, pay, and WLB.
Confirmed questions8 questions
- Tell me why you're interested in Forward.
- Tell me about your previous work experience.
- What other places have you applied to?
Forward Software Engineer Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from Forward interview reports.
“Given a keyboard layout and a word, calculate the number of key movements required to type that word.”
Read reports →“Can you determine the circumference of a person's arm from a 3-D body scan?”
Read reports →“Given a 2D array representing a keyboard, how would you calculate the steps to type a word?”
Read reports →“Imagine a 2D array representing a keyboard layout and a target string. What's the most efficient way to determine the shortest path to type that string?”
Read reports →“How many key movements does it take to type a word in a grid, considering each movement depends on the prior selection, and return this as an array of objects?”
Read report →“How would you delete local object IDs that are not present in the server's ID lists?”
Read report →“How would you implement a function to pick a random item from a weighted list?”
Read report →“How would you print out paths from keys in an array and determine the shortest path if multiple exist?”
Read report →“What would be the scenario if we could pass through the keyboard?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 101 Forward interview reports.