LawnStarter Interview Questions
& Process

The HR screening was really good and the whole thing felt very organized and professional from the start. Then, I had an interview with the hiring manager, which was structured like a WHO interview. It was a respectful and clear conversation, mainly focused on understanding my actual experiences. I also liked that they gave me feedback right after the interview, showing they were transparent and cared about the candidate.

I applied online and a few days later got an email. The recruiter who contacted me wasn't the one I eventually spoke with. The initial screening interview was intense, like a grilling. The recruiter used the whole 45 minutes and didn't allow time for my questions until the very end, and even then, the answers were unhelpful as they didn't seem to have the information. The very next day, I got a rejection email from a different recruiter, stating they were moving forward with someone whose background was a closer match. This makes me wonder if they even looked at my resume. Given the recruiter's reactions, I suspect age discrimination might be a factor. Overall, it felt like a waste of time, and I found the experience disrespectful. This is definitely not a company I'd want to work for.

It was a waste of time. I had a first 40-minute screening where they asked about my experience and some reference-type questions, like "How would your previous manager rate you?". Then I had a 2.5-hour interview discussing ALL my experience, from school to today, with the same questions about my managers. It all felt scripted. After that, a take-home challenge that they said would take "a few hours" and let me focus on FE or BE. The coding was okay but long, requiring full BE, FE, and Dockerization. Finally, a tech interview to review the solution. Despite completing everything, I was rejected because I didn't separate BE code into controller and service, which they claimed was bad for testing. They seem to follow a script and miss candidate potential, or filter too early. Long interviews for nothing.

I recently went through the hiring process for a Lead Software Engineer at LawnStarter, and honestly, it wasn't great. Every company hires differently, but this interaction didn't match the collaborative and respectful vibe I'm looking for. Some parts felt more dismissive than constructive. Like when they said, 'You don't do questions; I do,' with a smile. It felt condescending and unprofessional, even if they meant it lightly. For leadership roles especially, constructive talks and mutual respect are key for a good work environment. Based on this, I don't see that culture at LawnStarter. If you're thinking of applying, do some research to make sure their communication style and values fit what you want.