
GiveDirectly Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 76 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
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24 roles · 76 reportsCandidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at GiveDirectly.
Grants Manager
It was a thoughtful but lengthy process, taking about a month and a half. It started with an initial conversation, followed by a 5-hour assignment. Then, there was a panel interview, and the final step was an interview with the CFO. The team was very nice, and the process was quite straightforward.
- Can you tell me about your background?
- What are your reasons for applying to GD?
- Could you go over your previous experience?
Software Engineer
After applying online, I was selected for a second stage which involved a 2-hour coding assignment. The task was to implement a payment scheduling system. They mentioned that a human would review the submissions and that they should be well-structured and readable. However, it's been over a month since I submitted my assignment, and I haven't heard back, even after following up with the hiring team. It feels inconsistent with their values and basic courtesy to ask candidates to spend significant time on assignments and then not respond.
- Could you discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a microservice architecture?
Manager
It was a pretty involved interview process, with several stages - about three interviews and a test in total. Overall, it was a good experience though; the interviews were really friendly, the people were nice, and everything was clearly explained. They kept me in the loop the whole time, and the whole thing took around 5 to 6 weeks.
- Can you introduce yourself?
- Describe a time you led a complex program or proposal.
- What do you consider your strengths?
Data Engineer
So there were 4 stages in the interview process. First, I spoke with the recruitment manager, and they were really nice and made me feel super comfortable and confident. Then, I had a take-home technical task. After that, there was a team panel interview, and finally, a wider org panel interview. I can't say enough good things about how this organization operates; they're clearly looking for top talent, which is crucial for the global work they do. You should definitely brush up on your technical skills, know the tech stack well, and show them why the charity is important to you. It's a dream job, and I'll totally apply again once I've gained more experience!
- The technical task involved a past data issue they encountered, broken into two parts. The first part was to solve the data problem itself.
- The second part of the technical task required providing some SQL queries.
GiveDirectly Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from GiveDirectly interview reports.
“What are the uses of Sumif and countif functions in excel?”
Read reports →“What are your thoughts on the meaning of 'poverty'?”
Read reports →“What is the competitive edge of GD in the cash transfer industry?”
Read reports →“How would you put a number on marketing goals/objectives and what ways would you measure this data?”
Read reports →“Could you discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a microservice architecture?”
Read report →“Could you share your perspective on the concept of 'poverty'?”
Read report →“What does an ethical organization look like to you?”
Read report →“How would you prioritize different tasks when performing qualitative data analysis on 8 transcripts?”
Read report →“How would you respond to a donor's question via email?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 76 GiveDirectly interview reports.