Zalando Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 252 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at Zalando.
Zalando
Senior Software Engineer
Senior Average Negative experience Decline offer 5 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Take home Technical screen Onsite Offer
Interview formats
Coding Technical System Design Behavioral
So I had this interview process for a Senior React Native Developer role. It started with an HR call, then a Hiring Manager call, followed by 3 more rounds. The first was a coding round where they asked me to build a webpage, which felt weird for a React Native mobile role. Then a System Design round, which was good, they asked about migrating a brownfield app to a greenfield. The last round was a General Tech interview with a web engineer, and the questions were about web technologies like how a URL works and how to optimize webpage performance. I did my best, got the offer, but then HR tried to lowball me with a mid-level offer, even after I pointed out issues with their interview questions. Good luck to them, and to anyone interviewing here - be ready for web stuff!
Confirmed questions3 questions
- Could you explain how a URL functions?
- What strategies would you employ to optimize webpage performance?
- Describe the process of transforming a brownfield application into a greenfield one.
Zalando
Software Engineer
Entry Average Positive experience No offer 5 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Technical screen Technical screen Background check Offer
Interview formats
Technical Coding System Design Behavioral
This was a pretty quick and organized hiring process, finishing in under 3 weeks. It started with HR, then the hiring manager, followed by three technical interviews. These tech interviews covered general technical knowledge relevant to the role and my background, data analysis, and system design. Each technical interview was about an hour long, and they could happen in any order; for me, system design was first. After the interviews, HR provided feedback.
Confirmed questions4 questions
- Can you explain the workings of Kubernetes?
- Tell me about your experience with PostgreSQL.
- What is your understanding of backend development?
Zalando
Software Engineer
Mid Average Positive experience Accept offer 5 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Technical screen Technical screen
Interview formats
Coding System Design Technical
So I had 5 interviews total. First was a recruiter call to just get to know each other, talk about the job, the vibe of the company, and if I'd be a good fit. Then I talked to the Hiring Manager, who is also the Team Lead, and we went over my past work and how it fits what they need. After that, there were 3 more interviews: one was a live coding session where I had to do an OOP task and answer questions about time complexity, how to make it better, and testing. Another was a system design interview, presenting a practical situation that was probably similar to what they deal with day-to-day. The last one was more general tech stuff, just talking about good coding habits.
Confirmed questions2 questions
- Can you explain what code time complexity is and how it can be made better?
- Could you elaborate on the time complexity of code and methods to improve it?
Zalando Software Engineer Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from Zalando interview reports.
“What's the difference in time complexity between adding an element to an ArrayList versus a LinkedList?”
Read reports →“Given a gambler with two strategies, all-in (doubling the amount) and one chip, who gains n and uses at most k all-in plays, what is the minimum number of rounds required?”
Read reports →“Given an array of n integers, can it be made non-decreasing by removing at most one element?”
Read reports →“Can you find if an integer is a palindrome without converting it to a string or using extra memory?”
Read reports →“What's the minimum word count in a sentence if words are split by spaces and sentences by '.', '!', or '?', considering multiple spaces?”
Read report →“Does a circular array with magic indexes contain a full circle, meaning it covers all elements? If so, how to solve this in O(1) space?”
Read report →“Given an array of nodes representing a tree, how would you find the subtree of a given input node?”
Read report →“Can you rearrange an integer so its digits interleave from the outside in? Example: 12345678 becomes 18273645.”
Read report →“For a string representing a sequence of left and right shoes (e.g., "LRLRLLR"), where a worker needs a subsequence with an equal number of left and right shoes, what is the maximum number of workers that can be assigned?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 252 Zalando interview reports.