Semrush Backend Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

So the interview process goes like this: First, you have a screening with HR where you talk about your past experience and the tech stack you've used. Then, there's a technical interview where they'll ask about your past experiences, give you a code snippet to review and tell them the output, and ask theoretical questions about databases and how Golang works. The last part, which I haven't done yet, is an interview with the team you'd be joining.

The interview process was very clear and organized. The recruiter kept in touch and always provided timely feedback, letting me know when to expect it. They even set up an extra meeting with the team when I asked, which was helpful when deciding on the offer. It was all handled very professionally. The interviews themselves were relaxed and collaborative, feeling more like a mutual discussion than a test. Everyone involved did a great job.

The interview process started great with a recruiter, Julia, and engineers Kirill and Simon. Julia was super helpful, answering all my questions, which I really appreciated. The technical interview was relaxed and focused on Python, testing, databases, and DevOps, which was a positive experience. However, the team interview was a letdown. It was supposed to be in English but was in Russian. The HR jumped straight into behavioral questions, making it feel like an interrogation. During a behavioral question from a dev, the HR interrupted me, accusing me of reading notes, which wasn't true. I explained I have ADHD, but it didn't help. This incident made me feel like I wouldn't get the offer. The process felt disrespectful, especially to neurodiverse candidates. I only got a generic rejection email later. That team interview was honestly one of the worst, especially being accused of cheating due to my neurodiversity after getting so far. Waiting a week for a generic rejection was also disappointing. It ruined what could have been a good opportunity.