HackerRank Solutions Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

After applying, about 10 days later, I got a HackerRank link for a test. It had 1 Java code, 1 SQL code, and 1 customer question. The next day, I was asked to set up times for an interview call. I did that right away but didn't hear back for 3 days. So, I contacted the recruiter to ask about the job, and they scheduled a call for the next day. The call was supposed to be half an hour, and we talked about the role. They asked me some questions, and I asked them some too. It felt like a good chat. However, I never heard back from HackerRank after that. The whole thing was virtual because of COVID-19.

So I started with a coding challenge on their site, then a quick 30-minute phone screen. After that, there was a 45-minute call where we just talked through an algorithm, no actual coding, just how I'd approach it. Then they invited me for an onsite. I met with my future PM, then did a coding challenge with an engineer. The question was kinda weird and unclear at first, but I guess they wanted to see how I'd handle that ambiguity and communicate. Since the role is customer-facing, that makes sense. Both challenges were pretty tough but totally fit the job. Then I had a 30-minute chat with an executive who was in charge of the team. They called me back for a final meeting with the CEO and the values team. They asked me to discuss my past work and how it related to the company values listed on their site. I didn't get an offer, and I think there might have been some confusion from the start about how much of the role was technical versus sales-focused.

The interview process was pretty standard, it started with a phone screen and a coding challenge on HackerRank. After that, I had interviews with other EMEA team members, including one focused on company values fit. I also interviewed with the Senior Director and the VP. The final stage was a presentation to the CEO. There was some flexibility, with interviews happening in person or remotely, sometimes in the evenings since many of the management and technical folks are in Palo Alto. It was a bit long because the role needs both strong communication and technical skills, but it was a good way to learn about the company. Overall, it was a positive experience, and everyone was really nice. Background checks came after the offer and were no big deal.