Ritual Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process involved three main stages. First, an HR interview focused on behavioral aspects and cultural fit, where we discussed my past experiences and motivations for joining a startup. It was a very friendly chat. Second, there was an online coding challenge. It started with a brief introduction, followed by a 30-minute coding session where I had to choose a language, solve a medium-level algorithm and data structure problem, analyze its complexity, and then suggest improvements. Afterwards, I had time to ask the recruiter questions. The recruiter was very helpful and friendly. Finally, the onsite interview lasted three hours and included four separate interviews, each about 45 minutes long. The first two were technical, focusing on algorithms and data structures, with a strong emphasis on optimizing performance and exploring enhancements. The third interview was a cultural fit assessment, covering personal background, behavior, leadership, and general soft skills. The last interview was also technical, involving another coding challenge that emphasized the thought process and overall solution rather than specific language details, again with a focus on performance. All the interviewers were very pleasant and knowledgeable.

So I was first invited for an onsite interview and even though it was supposed to be technical, the interviewer just gave me a quick intro and asked if I had questions, so I ended up asking them questions. Then, another interview was scheduled over the phone, also supposed to be technical, but it was the same deal: intro and then expecting me to ask questions. I didn't feel the interviewer was serious. I was called onsite again for two interviews, one technical and one cultural. The technical one finally had a coding question where I gave a quick answer and then tried to optimize it. I didn't do great and it took me a while. The interviewer seemed to focus on one specific solution. My main issue is that I didn't get to solve problems when I expected technical interviews, and the interviewers didn't seem enthusiastic, which is unlike the company's image. This is just my take, of course.

I applied online and got an automated reply with a link to their 3 hour coding challenge. The interview process at Ritual seems naive and didn't give me a chance to show my experience or strengths. Phase 1: Coding challenge - straightforward, used a language of my choice. Phase 2: Call with talent acquisition - told I had a near perfect score on the coding challenge, passed the initial programming bar. Phase 3: Technical Phone interview - told I wouldn't be judged on completion but my approach, with 5 minutes at the end for questions. I started by scoping out approaches aloud, discussing pros/cons and time complexity. The interviewer was cold and critical, interrupting to say my solutions wouldn't work instead of understanding them. Even with interruptions, I built logic for an 'optimal' solution. The interviewer mentioned time was up and ended the call, giving me no time for questions. Two days later, I received a rejection email stating my code was incomplete.