Zapier Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

The response time was really slow, and I felt ignored until I received a rejection after completing the technical challenge. They stated in the coding challenge instructions not to write unit tests due to time constraints, but don't trust that advice. I was rejected for not including unit tests, despite being told not to. Also, avoid using React Query, as the review team apparently doesn't grasp how useQuery functions. The communication from the company was also odd. I got an email that ended with 'if you have any questions, ask the recruiter,' which made me question its legitimacy since I thought it should have come from the recruiter.

A recruiter reached out via email and made a good pitch for the position. I had a call with another recruiter who took over the process, then a job fit interview with the hiring manager. After that, a take-home coding assignment which took a few days, followed by a review of the coding exercise with 2 engineers. Then a system design interview, a senior leadership interview with the director of engineering, then something they called a bar raiser interview with the VP of engineering, which was another behavior type interview, then the offer. It was all pretty standard and a good experience. All went great. At the end they changed the position, but the new position sounded interesting so I was all for it but their offer was disappointing and I already had a much better offer.

Things moved fast after I applied, with the recruiter getting in touch just a few hours later. I could pick an interview slot in the first week. It kicked off with a video call with the recruiter. They were cool, asking typical questions like 'what have you worked on,' 'how often do you ship code,' and some that really showed what they look for in a teammate at Zapier. The recruiter also answered my questions about the daily grind, team setup, and my general 'is this a place I want to work?' concerns with solid examples of their focus on a healthy work-life balance. I heard back quickly after that to set up time with the hiring manager. The chat with them was also smooth. They asked good questions, paid attention, and weren't afraid to go a bit off-topic. They had good insights into the company, team dynamics, and clearly put thought into supporting their team. Then came a take-home test; I chose the backend one. It took about 2.5 hours. The problem wasn't super tough, and they gave you enough time upfront to get some structure in place so you could concentrate on coding. It's a doable project for someone with some experience. I got stuck on something that should've been sorted during the setup phase and ended up not finishing it. Overall, the experience made me want the job even more. As is common, after they decided I wasn't moving on, the communication slowed, but that's a general issue. The recruiter was responsive, understanding, and great to work with, and the manager seems like someone I'd enjoy working with.