Paddle Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process kicked off with an HR chat, which felt more like a casual conversation with a peer. Next, I met with the Engineering Manager for a discussion covering my background and some technical points. After that, a code assessment was provided to complete remotely. While it was quick and enjoyable, using a browser IDE made it a bit awkward. The fourth stage involved a 1.5-hour session with two team members. This felt quite packed, moving between different tasks like a code review of a class, explaining my code assessment, adding new features, and finally, a system design exercise. This last interview, though not inherently complex, can be challenging for those unaccustomed to thinking and coding under observation, as it can significantly impact cognitive performance.

The whole process spanned about 4 weeks, a bit longer due to summer holidays, and was done through email and Zoom. It started with a recruiter chat about the role, my background, and fit, plus time for my questions. Then, two senior engineers reviewed my CV in detail. If that went well, I got a 2-hour coding test, focusing on real-world scenarios, not just algorithms. Next was a values interview with two team members to see if I'd fit the culture, with provided materials to prep. Finally, a long (1.5-hour) technical interview covering my code test and some basic system design on a whiteboard.

The recruitment process completely changed my mind. I first had a call with an internal recruiter who just read my CV back to me. Then, I moved to a technical interview that was well organised and the interviewer was very kind, asking relevant technical questions. I asked for feedback to the recruiter and heard nothing for 2 weeks, then I received a generic email to say the role was closed. I replied asking for personal feedback at least from the technical interview. As expected I heard nothing back. I have no idea where it went wrong or what to work on to improve. Unimpressed.