SoundHound Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process felt too long, especially the final interview with the CIO which took about two weeks to set up. The direct report didn't seem to have much say in hiring for her own team since the CIO, her old boss, hired her. This made it seem like decisions came from the top, not the team. I noticed a lack of diversity in the team during the five interviews, which was weird for a Silicon Valley company that usually talks about inclusivity and innovation. The CIO, during our 15-minute video call (which was audio-only from an airport), talked mostly about hating bureaucracy and didn't explain the team's vision or goals very well. It was hard to focus because of the noise and distractions. On the bright side, the recruiter was always professional, polite, and quick. Her initial communication was clear and on time, and she really tried to move things along. Even though the last message felt generic, she generally seemed dedicated to keeping candidates interested.

Applied online and had an initial screening with HR about my resume and the role. They seemed interested and then set up a zoom call with the hiring manager +1. It was a call with similar questions about background, experience, and interest in the role, plus a general discussion about the company. They communicated the next steps would be talking to the hiring manager. A few days later, HR emailed saying the candidate pool was competitive and I wasn't moving forward. Communication felt a bit off, and I wish there was more transparency.

I was excited to interview with Soundhound because they are growing in the restaurant industry and other areas. The recruiter was great and shared a lot of positive information. However, my interview with the hiring manager was a letdown. The interviewer seemed distracted the whole time, possibly due to other work happening. While I get emergencies happen, they should reschedule to ensure a good interview experience. The interviewer kept looking away, muting themselves, and coming back. This constant distraction created a really negative impression. Also, when you're interested in a company and ask about growth opportunities, you expect some enthusiasm. Their response was dull and lacked any forward-looking vision, making me question if the time spent was worthwhile for a company whose employees don't even seem excited. I definitely wouldn't want to work for a manager who doesn't support growth or discuss potential expansion areas. I left an hour and 10 minutes later feeling very negative, and obviously, I didn't move to the next stage. I wasn't upset about not proceeding, but the experience really made me reflect on how a senior manager in that role could conduct interviews like that and expect people to want to join.

The interview process is clear and organized. It consists of 1 HR interview, 1 technical phone screen and virtual onsite (totally 3 rounds). Both the HR and technical interviewers are very nice and professional. They provide a lot of help and useful information during my interview process, and they respond to messages very quickly. I just interviewed with the distributed system team last month, and I was able to meet the team members in the final round. During the interview, they are willing to clarify the requirement, answer my questions, went through the problems with me, and gave me a hint when I got a bit stuck. It is a great experience. I've done a lot of interviews during this season and the interviewers from Soundhound are the best I've met.