Simons Foundation Interview Questions
& Process

So I had this Sr. Software Engineer role interview. It was pretty chill, two interviews total. First up was a recruiter call, then I spoke with the tech lead. Both were super nice, made it feel comfortable. But then the tech interview hit me with some OS stuff from way back, didn't even feel like it was for this job. If I'd passed that, the plan was a take-home test, another tech interview about SQL with the team, and then a chat about culture with a VP.

I had a phone screen, then a zoom interview, then a zoom interview with a manager. After that there was an at-home assignment and finally an in-person interview with six people.

It was a long process, spanning 3 months. First, there was an initial HR call with unengaged and generic questions that lasted an hour. Then, I had two really great interviews, one with the VP and department lead, and another with the entire technical team, both lasting an hour. After that, I had a 30-minute 1-on-1 technical interview with the VP. The next step was a 4-hour take-home exam. Finally, I had a full panel interview with everyone from the previous stages, lasting an hour. In total, it was almost 10 hours of interviewing. Communication was lackluster, and I received zero feedback. I had to wait a MONTH after the final interview and assignment with no results, which felt pathetic. I had to repeatedly email contacts over the two months I was interviewing. The feedback I eventually got was generic and not genuine at all. After a total of 3 months (including a month of waiting and chasing after the 5 interviews and test), I got a generic "we're sorry, but we went with someone who has just a litttttle bit more experience." They had clearly already decided and weren't planning on telling me. The effort and communication were absolutely pathetic.

I applied in early Feb 2022 for the Building Operations Assistant job. It's surprising that the role is still posted, I've seen it reposted multiple times, hoping to find candidates because no one has met their standards. As of July 1, 2022, this role is still open. It seems they aren't serious about hiring. It's dishonest to make candidates go through several rounds of Zoom interviews, screeners, and assignments, only to find out that none of the hundreds who applied have been hired. They said in the rejection email they were 'moving forward with other candidates,' but that's not true. No progress has been made. I was excited to join what seemed like a great company, but this has ruined my impression, and I doubt it will change even when they finally hire someone.