Zalando Frontend Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

The interview focused heavily on TypeScript concepts like types, interfaces, and generics. There was a live coding task where I had to change JavaScript code into TypeScript, focusing on immutability and how to do conditional updates. I wasn't expecting it to be so technical, as I skipped the HR part assuming it would be a quick chat, but it was all technical right away. They rejected me at the end, saying my ideas didn't count, just the final result, which was confusing.

I went through an online assessment that took about 1.5 hours, then an HR screening. After passing those, I had an interview with the Engineering Manager. We had a good chat, mostly about my past work experience and what I did in previous roles. He also explained what the team is currently working on and the kind of person they're looking to hire. We talked about my work attitude, what I like to do, and my career aspirations. He also asked for my thoughts on the company and their features, specifically around Sustainability. Even though the interview felt relaxed and went well, I got rejected about a week later with no feedback. I tried asking HR for feedback since I put in hours preparing and completing the initial stages, but they never got back to me. It was a pretty confusing experience.

The interview process was a bit long but super smooth. They had several rounds of interviews, and I knew what to expect each time. My overall experience with HR, the team, and the interviewers was awesome. Here's a summary of the steps: First, a Codality challenge focusing on Node and React. Then, a 30-minute recruiter call for general questions, getting to know each other, and discussing the role's details. After that, there were four interviews scheduled back-to-back on the same day: a live coding session involving problem-solving and pair programming with a Leetcode medium-level question, a general tech interview covering core JS, browser, HTTP, and cache concepts, a system design interview where I had to design an e-commerce system flow, and finally, a hiring manager interview that was behavioral, focusing on 'about you,' personality, team management, and being a team player. Each step depended on the previous one. Be patient and believe in yourself; good things happen to those who wait.