Started with an HR screening with general questions about experience. Next interview was scheduled right then with the hiring manager. Hiring manager was very nice and conversational. Focused on a lot of behavioral/STAR questions. The next round was a tech interview with two people from the team. Originally it was supposed to be 3-4 people but some of them didn't show up and that seemed unexpected to the two who attended. The interviewers didn't have their cameras on at first. Then one of them turned their camera on accidentally showing a man waking up in bed in the background. The other one never turned his on. It was sometimes difficult to understand what type of answer they were asking for and they wouldn't offer clarification other than repeating the question several times. For instance, there was confusion on whether they wanted typed or verbal answers and instead of clarifying they just ignored me and skipped over it. In another instance they asked “how would you do [this]?” and when I gave them my verbal answer explaining my approach, they repeated the question 2-3 times with no further clarification until I verbally spoke the actual code. Also, based on their responses it doesn't seem like there is a lot of collaboration. Instead, everyone works very independently in shifts and then hands off work back and forth with the offshore team.

The interview process for a Data Engineer typically begins with an initial screening where a recruiter assesses the candidate’s experience, technical skills, and project background. This is followed by a technical assessment that includes coding challenges in SQL, Python, or Scala, along with questions on data modeling and ETL processes. Next, candidates undergo a system design interview, where they are asked to design scalable data pipelines, discuss database architectures, and explain best practices. Finally, there is a behavioral and culture-fit interview, where the candidate’s problem-solving approach, teamwork, and communication skills are evaluated to ensure alignment with the company’s values.