The process consists of 4 steps:
1. HR screening video-call (45min).
The screen call is the usual phone call with one of their recruiters to understand your background, experience, and motivations to join Glovo.
2. Technical Interview (video-call) with 2 Android devs (1.5h)
This session is all about your knowledge about Android, general programming and CS concepts, RxJava, Kotlin and data structures. The devs started straight with direct questions, one by one until they find something you don't know. It can be intimidating if you don't know something, be prepared to answer clearly and quickly to all the questions. I appreciated they gave me an explanation or an answer for something I didn't know. On the other hand, I found it a bit too "university kind of test", like an exam where they literally try to see if there is something you don't know. I was ok because I answered most of the questions they asked, but sometimes I felt uncomfortable.
3. Codility Test (Online)
Yes, I hate them too! Few questions and 2 coding exercises. The time was enough to do everything with no rush, more than usual I have to admit.
4. In-site interview composed of a live coding session (1.5h), architecture design/whiteboarding session (1h), skills and behavioral interview with a VP Manager (1h).
This step was, of course, the hardest and the one where I felt really uncomfortable since the beginning for many reasons
The office was small and dark, even if they told me they are going to move to a bigger new one, it would have felt very depressed to work there.
The HR girls who welcomed me to the office were really nice and trying to do everything to make me feel comfortable.
The same devs who interviewed me during the second step, were already waiting for me standing in front of the meeting room with a not friendly attitude.
The live coding session is the classic test you usually get to do at home, but you have to do it in front of them, sharing your screen, while they look at you. Honestly way too much to be completed (functionally working and tested) in less than an hour and a half, without considering the pressure you can get in this situation. They were not keen to help much or give more explanations. I had to ask more clarifications but it felt like I shouldn't have asked... or it was a stupid question for them.
After that, I had a break for a quick lunch with 2 other devs, Glovo paid and organized everything, which was really nice.
Here as well I felt weird... one guy was really friendly and sociable, the other one barely talked...
The next session was the whiteboarding to design a "messaging app" like WhatsApp, no many clues of what was expected. Here again, me in front of 2 devs. One of them was serious but at least answered my questions and he was collaborating. The other one, just looking at me, not even said a word... not a smile, a little joke or anything to make you feel comfortable.
I don't know if it was done on purpose, but definitely a sign for me of the bad culture of the company, unless you like to be a machine and work with machines.
The last session was an informal chat with the VP of Engineering, nice person, professional and friendly. I enjoyed talking to him.
CONCLUSION
I appreciated the interview process itself and that they provided meaningful feedback.
Overall, from the beginning I felt really uncomfortable, no one was really interested to know me as a person, not a friendly environment at all. If you like to work for a company like that go for it, I feel like there are many highly skilled engineers over there and the company is doing great, but if you also want to work in a friendly and human environment I would recommend thinking about it twice. I don't think the culture of company is what they want to show outside.
