iptiQ Interview Questions
& Process

Applied online via the website. First, I had a call with the recruiter who asked standard HR questions. Then, I interviewed with a manager and a Product Owner. The interview wasn't too difficult, with only one question I struggled with. I asked if this would be an issue, and they said it wouldn't be a problem. After a week, the recruiter told me that the PO and manager didn't give much detail but ultimately declined my application because my answer was too by the book. They seem unsure of what they're looking for; I applied in December and they're still searching in April. I wouldn't recommend it if they can't provide clear and honest feedback.

The interview process was quite extensive, involving several rounds. Initially, there was an interview with the hiring manager, followed by two more interviews with the hiring manager and a team member. Following the second interview, I was assigned a case study to complete within a week, with a presentation scheduled two weeks later. The case study was an interesting and clearly defined task. After presenting the case study, I had another round of interviews with potential future colleagues and stakeholders. Despite its length and time commitment, the positive company culture, enthusiasm, and support from everyone involved made it a pleasant experience.

I applied online and was immediately sent a HackerRank test before any recruiter call. The test had multiple-choice questions and four coding exercises, all with an 80-minute time limit. I completed everything and confirmed my solutions worked later. However, for one exercise requiring an O(log n) solution, I submitted an O(n) solution due to time constraints, prioritizing a working answer over none. Unfortunately, I failed the test without any feedback. I found this surprising given my experience as an EM in their tech stack, especially since I don't code daily. It seemed like they expected 100% on coding tests for EMs, which wasn't in the job description. My takeaway is that companies starting with a coding test might not be the best fit, and a preliminary conversation would be preferable.

First, I was given two tasks without any discussion about the project. The first was a 50-minute Hackerrank test with some easy coding problems, an algorithm coding problem (which was simple if you knew the algorithm but could be time-consuming otherwise), and multiple choice questions about the HTTP protocol. The multiple choice questions felt like they were testing memorization rather than practical skills. The other coding exercise was better, as it tested system design and code quality, but it was too time-consuming, potentially taking half a day to produce quality work. This was the very first step, with no guarantee of further contact. The exercise could have been much smaller and still tested the same skills, saving time for both candidates and the company. As part of the exercise, you're also expected to write tests and provide execution instructions if not using Kotlin. I decided to code in Kotlin despite not knowing it before to show my ability to learn. My code had comments explaining that error handling wasn't production-ready and that I could improve it later. I was rejected with feedback quoting my comments about not handling errors properly and criticizing my use of multiple data structure instances as a violation of the DRY principle, even though I had described an alternative solution. It felt like they wanted me to guess their preferred solution and might reject candidates on minor points. It seems like iptiQ expects candidates to dedicate a full day for an initial screening, or they are simply unprofessional and waste candidates' time.