The interview process consisted of the following stages: 1. Initial interview with the recruiter about the role and my background 2. System architecture interview with a team member 3. Interview with the hiring manager 4. Live coding session with the hiring manager and a team member 5. Programming exercise as a take-home assignment 6. Walkthrough of the take-home assignment with the hiring manager and a team member 7. Providing 2–3 reference contacts The process was very well structured and progressed smoothly, with around 1–2 weeks between stages. Overall, the process took a couple of months. I was informed of the full interview structure quite early on, which helped set expectations. Before each stage, I received clear instructions about what it would cover and whether I needed to prepare anything, such as having a development environment ready. Communication was good throughout the process. After each stage, I usually received a response within a few days, and scheduling was handled smoothly by marking my availability and then having the meetings scheduled based on that. All interviews were online. The interviewers were friendly and professional, and the process gave me a good understanding of the role and expectations. I also appreciated having the chance to meet some of the team members during the process, since that gave me a better sense of the people I might be working with. The process required quite a bit of time, but overall it was a positive experience and seemed very well thought out.

The process started with a general interview where overall suitability for the role was assessed. After that there were two technical interviews, one about system design and one live coding session.