Paylocity Data Scientist Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 18 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at Paylocity.
Paylocity
Data Science Intern
Intern Difficult Positive experience Accept offer 5 rounds
Interview process
Technical screen Take home Technical screen Presentation Recruiter call
Interview formats
Technical Coding Presentation Behavioral
The interview process had 5 rounds. First was a technical deep dive on a past project, plus some SQL questions. Then, an 8-hour take-home data science challenge. After that, a technical round to discuss the take-home challenge. Next, one round with the product manager about the take-home challenge. Finally, a managerial round.
Confirmed questions3 questions
- Can you explain the graphs you plotted?
- Why did you select specific encoding techniques?
- What alternative approaches could you have taken?
Paylocity
Data Scientist
Mid Average Positive experience No offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Technical screen
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical Coding
Applied online and got a response within 10 days. The recruiter was super nice, and we had a 30-minute phone screening where they explained the next steps clearly. I was then invited to a second round with the Hiring Manager. We talked about my resume and a public project, and also did a quick data discussion. They actually sent the data discussion stuff ahead of time for review. Unfortunately, I didn't have many strong ML projects publicly available, and I also messed up some statistics questions, so I didn't make it further. If it had gone well, the next step would've been an 8-hour timed assignment followed by a group presentation. HR was quick and helpful with responses.
Confirmed questions2 questions
- How did you determine your sample size was small?
- Can you describe the data preprocessing steps you took for this project?
Paylocity
Data Scientist
Entry Difficult Negative experience No offer 5 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Take home Presentation Technical screen
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical Coding Presentation
First, a quick chat with the recruiter who talks really fast. Then, a video call with the head of data science where you'll discuss your background and a project you completed from start to finish. After that, there's an 8-hour take-home project, which took up a significant part of my day, and you also need to create a presentation within those 8 hours. Next, you present to a non-data scientist and a technical team member for an hour. They were nice but didn't seem to influence the decision. Finally, present your code to the chief of data science and another data scientist. They'll interrupt with questions during your presentation. I got a rejection call the following week with unhelpful feedback. It seems like they are just hiring people from Uptake.
Confirmed questions1 question
- Can you tell me about a project you've worked on?
Paylocity Data Scientist Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from Paylocity interview reports.
“Can you explain why you concluded that the sample size for this dataset is insufficient?”
Read reports →“Can you explain the functionality of a normalized database based on the provided schema?”
Read reports →“Tell me about random forest.”
Read reports →“Can you solve this SQL question?”
Read reports →“How did you determine your sample size was small?”
Read report →“What suggestions do you have for improving the provided data?”
Read report →“Can you explain the graphs you plotted?”
Read report →“Why did you select specific encoding techniques?”
Read report →“Can you describe the data preprocessing steps you took for this project?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 18 Paylocity interview reports.