Tally Interview Questions
& Process

So, first there was a chat with the head of product where we talked about behavioral stuff and a product sense case study. Then, there was a panel interview and I had to give a presentation about my past product experiences to a group of people from product, design, and engineering. The last step was a final chat with the CEO. The main focus was on how I'd fit into the culture and my product thinking skills.

So first an HR person hit me up on Linkedin about the job and then asked if I wanted to do a quick 30 min chat. If I was interested, the real interview stuff started. First up was a 1-hour chat with the Android manager, all behavioral questions. Then, a take-home project, which was a simple Android app focused on UI, coroutines, and threading, and I had 72 hours to finish it. After I submitted that, they checked it out, and if they liked it, I moved on to a virtual on-site. The virtual on-site had 4 parts: 1.5 hours going over my project and some general Android/programming questions. Then, 45 mins with a UI designer and Product owner, talking about past experiences and how I've worked with stakeholders. Next, 45 mins with the Director of Engineering for behavioral questions focused on values. Finally, a 30-min wrap-up with the Hiring Manager again. It all went pretty smoothly, but definitely be ready for tough behavioral questions. It seemed like they really cared about culture and empathy, and I think I missed the mark on some of those, which is why I didn't get the offer.

The recruiter initially reached out via email and scheduled a 45-minute Zoom call. During this call, we discussed my background. I was open about my experience and its origins. The recruiter seemed enthusiastic about advancing me to the next stage: a 1-hour conversation with the Director of Engineering. When I asked about preparation, she indicated it was just a conversational fit assessment. I proceeded with the call with the director, maintaining my openness. I clarified that while I had about 9-10 months of experience managing an Android development team, my 15-year career included development across Android, iOS, and web platforms. The job description sought experience managing cross-functional teams, which I lacked. This appears to have been the determining factor in my rejection. Despite my potential cultural fit, interest in the product, and good rapport with interviewers, they were looking for a manager with a very specific experience profile. My recommendation is to only apply if you have managed a cross-functional team. I provided feedback to the recruiter but did not receive any follow-up.

The recruiter reached out to me. I had a call with the recruiter where they set expectations, including salary. They quickly set up a meeting the same week with the hiring manager. The manager asked some basic technical questions and mostly talked about the company and their work. I was then given a take-home assignment, a typical data engineering Spark question, which took about 6-8 hours including the bonus. After I submitted the assignment, they delayed getting back to me for two weeks, using a holiday as an excuse. They eventually said they needed someone with more technical experience, implying they found someone cheaper and were keeping me as a backup. The communication from the recruiter was poor, with no clear feedback at the end. It felt like a waste of time, especially considering the salary range compared to their US employees.