New Relic Frontend Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

This was a super long interview process, so only apply if you have a ton of time. I applied in late January and didn't hear back until mid-March after the fourth stage. First, there was a recruiter call, pretty standard stuff. Then, I spoke with the Development Manager, which was all about behavioral questions, like 'tell me about a time when...'. After that, there was a challenging take-home project with really high expectations. The feedback I got on it was a bit much, honestly. It included things like having a good README, the app working as expected, matching the design, having tests, and using TypeScript correctly, but also pointed out things like missing .nvmrc, vague prerequisites, confusing function naming, inconsistent semantic HTML, bundling data instead of fetching it, and UI not fully respecting the mockup. The fourth stage was intense and where things went south for me. I messed up a live coding question about hoisting 'var'. I answered the other questions okay, but probably could have done better. I struggled with some CSS parts and felt rushed because I was already worn out from the previous steps. They said it would be pair programming, but it was really a challenge where they questioned everything you said, so be ready for that. You can kind of tell if they're interested by how fast they move; otherwise, you might get dragged along. The recruiter mentioned they saw cultural fit and motivation, but also gaps in JavaScript fundamentals and inconsistent technical knowledge. An engineer thought I could grow into a 'Software Engineer I' but they only had Senior roles open, and the mid-level one was nearly filled. It was fair feedback, and I knew I blew the fourth stage. I hadn't touched 'var' in a while, and I applied for the Mid role, not Senior. Overall, it's a good self-challenge but needs serious preparation and time. Only apply if you're really into the company and product.

The interview started with an HR call, followed by a chat with the hiring manager who gave a general overview of the company and teams but not much about the role itself. Then there was a take-home assignment where I had to build an app using a provided JSON and image, focusing on Big O notation and a loose design. They said a senior dev should finish it in under 10 hours, but gave 20. I did it over a weekend and some evenings. The next stage was supposed to be a technical review of my code, but it turned into live coding, which I wasn't expecting and wasn't told about beforehand. This was frustrating because I hadn't prepared for it and it felt like it negated the work I'd already done. They didn't ask any questions about my take-home submission during the process. It felt like the interviewers, two dev team members, were just going through a script and weren't really interested in my actual skills or adapting the process. After HR ghosted me for three weeks (they were on vacation, apparently), I finally got feedback saying my code wasn't senior enough because it wasn't pixel-perfect (difficult without proper design files, only a jpeg) and had duplication. I never got a chance to discuss this feedback. Honestly, it felt like a waste of time, a clunky, broken process that would likely put off good candidates.

Had an HR screening call first. Then, a 60 minute chat with the Engineering Manager about cultural fit. Next, a 90 minute tech call covering JS, CSS, and React, which involved live coding. Followed by a 60 minute frontend system design call using a visual tool. Finally, a 45 minute meeting with an Engineering Manager and another developer to check cultural fit and get to know the team.