Real, anonymous reports from people who interviewed for Software Engineer at athenahealth, newest first and distilled into what to expect across the loop.
My first real technical step felt fairly straightforward. I remember doing an assessment that leaned on basic DSA patterns—things like two-sum style logic, substring-type reasoning, and common sorting approaches—along with a few MySQL concepts such as what primary keys are. There were also Java-flavored questions (core concepts and typical interview topics), plus discussion of my previous work to see how it connected to what I’d be doing.
I had a process that looked normal on paper—recruiter reach-out, then multiple interviews—but the experience soured on communication and tone as it went on. Early on, there were recruiter and hiring-manager calls where the interviewer repeatedly downplayed what I’d done and challenged my achievements instead of actually listening, and I never received meaningful feedback after either discussion.
The interview process typically consists of multiple stages, starting with a recruiter screen, followed by technical interviews focused on coding and fundamentals, and concluding with managerial and HR discussions. The structure is generally consistent, allowing candidates to track their progress through the rounds.
Candidates can expect a strong emphasis on coding challenges, particularly around data structures and algorithms, with questions often drawn from platforms like HackerRank or LeetCode. The technical rounds may include live coding sessions and questions on SQL, OOPs, and system design concepts.
Behavioral interviews are included to assess cultural fit and alignment with the company's values, often focusing on the candidate's past experiences and motivations for joining athenahealth. These discussions are generally shorter but play a significant role in the overall evaluation.
The overall difficulty of the interviews is perceived as average to above average, with candidates reporting a mix of manageable and challenging questions. Experiences vary widely, with some candidates feeling supported and others encountering a more adversarial tone.
Communication throughout the process can be inconsistent, with some candidates reporting a lack of feedback or closure after interviews, leading to feelings of unprofessionalism. Clear expectations are set by recruiters in some cases, but follow-up can be lacking.
Candidates suggest focusing on core computer science fundamentals, including algorithms, data structures, and SQL, as well as practicing coding problems and understanding the reasoning behind solutions. Familiarity with the company's technology stack can also be beneficial.