GRIN Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

The HR person was late for my interview. Then came timed personality tests. They give you sample questions but you don't get a feel for the pace needed. It's a 12-minute test with 50 questions, so less than 15 seconds per question. I guess I passed even though I thought I was too slow. Then a technical phone screen. The interviewer didn't seem to read my resume and asked basic OO programming questions. My GitHub has 30 PHP and 6 JavaScript repositories. They seemed unaware of another company called Grin in the social media influencer space and agreed with my comments about that company until I informed them.

The interview process was smooth. It started with a recruiter call. Then there was a video call with an Engineering Manager. Next, a Principle Engineer conducted a very technical video call. Finally, a panel interview was conducted via video call and it was also very technical.

I had 2 interviews, one with the recruiter and one with the hiring manager. I think there were supposed to be another 3 rounds after if I passed. My first call with the recruiter went super well, she got me so excited about the company and asked really thoughtful questions, which made me feel like they even vet their recruiters thoroughly! It was impressive. They asked things like, 'what are your career goals', 'what is a project you’re most proud of', 'what is your greatest strength', etc., and a few skill-based questions. I moved on to the next round, but that second round was not a great experience. First, I couldn't get into the Zoom meeting. Not sure if it was my link or the hiring manager's, but I tried to tell the recruiter and never heard back, so I was basically left waiting and almost missed the interview. I tried LinkedIn, calling, emailing, nothing. I didn't even have the hiring manager's name or email to contact them, so I felt embarrassed being late, even though it wasn't my fault. I did get to have the interview, but it felt rushed because the manager seemed busy and I was already stressed from the initial issue. Our time was cut short, but the manager was nice. I guess if I was right for the job, I would have made an impact anyway. I probably also bombed the assessment. It just left a bad taste that no one ever got back to me, even just to say I didn't make it. I don't think anyone likes being ghosted or not even getting an apology for their mistake. I get they're probably busy because they're growing and have lots of applicants, but a quick follow-up would have been nice. But that might be the new norm when companies grow fast and are popular; it's tough to let candidates know unless you're a top contender, so I wouldn't hold it against them. I think they're a great company and it was likely just a one-off bad personal experience. Everyone seemed really passionate and great to work with.