Samsara Product Designer Interview Questions
& Process

This was a really long and different interview process with Samsara. I couldn't accept the offer the first time because of my immigration status, and both the Recruiter and Hiring Manager were super understanding and patient about it. I've genuinely wanted to join Samsara since the start, and I'm so grateful they still considered me even a year later. I got to meet the team virtually and in person a few times before I started. The Design Challenge was a highlight for me. I did a full day of actual engineering work, which was awesome for understanding the types of problems the team tackles. The behavioral questions were new, but I'm happy the recruiter gave me some tips on the STAR method before I met the team. It was one of the most thorough and engaging interview experiences I've had!

A recruiter from Samsara reached out. We had an initial 30-minute call that went pretty well. I asked him a bunch of questions and he seemed pretty knowledgeable. He sent over some company info beforehand, which was helpful for a general understanding. After that, he set up a 1:1 portfolio review with a Senior Product Designer. The deal is you present two projects and then they ask questions. Unfortunately, the designer I met with (she's only been there 5 months) seemed really disengaged and uninterested. It was pretty obvious. It's tough to keep a positive attitude when you're interviewing someone like that. So, a note for the hiring team: make sure your senior and lead designers are actually into interviewing candidates, otherwise, you'll miss out on good people. Cool mission, but some designers seem unnecessarily arrogant.

The interview stages were pretty standard: first a call with the recruiter, then a video call with a designer, and finally an onsite visit. The recruiting team and process felt very professional and responsive. However, I have to agree with other reviews about product design interviews here – there seems to be a limited understanding of design within the company culture, despite their nice branding and product demos. The interviewers generally seemed unenthusiastic and disengaged. I spoke with seven people during the onsite, a mix from design and other departments. They didn't show much passion for their work. Some comments were quite arrogant, like questioning my previous employer's work or dismissing the importance of customer employees as users. The design exercise itself wasn't very challenging, perhaps suitable for recent graduates but not for seasoned designers looking to test creativity or strategic thinking. The feedback felt very PM-centric. During the portfolio review, the interviewers seemed junior, asking basic questions about field research methods even when presented with evidence. Ultimately, they focused solely on my visual/UI design work. When asked about customer engagement in design, they mentioned occasionally listening in on PM/sales calls, highlighting that design is a small group within a large company, and doesn't have significant influence despite what they might say.