Interview Guides
Everything we know about interviewing at Etsy: the process stage by stage, what each round tests, and reports from candidates who interviewed.
What the process looks like, and what Etsy is really testing for.
You should expect a loop that mixes strong technical evaluation with heavy emphasis on communication, problem solving, and cross-functional ways of working. The topic distribution shows System Design is the most prominent technical theme (percentile 90), while ML Fundamentals is the top-ranked overall (percentile 100), and SQL (percentile 98) and Python (percentile 94) are also very prominent.
Across the reported roles, the interview content repeatedly targets system thinking (System Design, percentile 90), data and programming fundamentals (SQL percentile 98, Python percentile 94), and ML fundamentals (percentile 100). You will also be assessed on how you communicate and collaborate, with high prominence for Communication Skills (percentile 70), Problem Solving (percentile 72), Cross-Functional Collaboration (percentile 64), and Project Management (percentile 100).
In terms of what happens operationally, multiple steps appear across roles, including a recruiter or phone screen, then technical interviews and technical assessments, plus a hiring manager interview. Some candidates also report a final case study presentation, collaborative discussions, and team member interviews, and there are reports of processes feeling long, messy, or unclear after the later rounds.
The single most useful non-obvious fact is that communication and collaboration are not an afterthought here. The interview topic data shows Communication Skills (percentile 70), Cross-Functional Collaboration (percentile 64), and Project Management (percentile 100) alongside the core technical themes like System Design (percentile 90), SQL (percentile 98), Python (percentile 94), and ML Fundamentals (percentile 100).
4 stages, based on 459 candidate reports.
You typically start with a recruiter call or phone screen to discuss your background and fit for the role. Prepare to summarize your experience and motivations clearly, since Communication Skills (percentile 70) and Stakeholder Management (percentile 63) are recurring themes in the overall topics.
This phase can include coding challenges and live technical evaluation, plus technical discussions. The topic data strongly indicates SQL and Python preparation (SQL percentile 98, Python percentile 94), with System Design (percentile 90) and ML Fundamentals (percentile 100) also central.
You may have a deeper dive with the hiring manager focused on technical capability and problem-solving, plus cultural fit and operational experience. Behavioral assessments and interviews with team members show that collaboration and communication are evaluated alongside your technical work.
Some roles include a final case study presentation and collaborative discussions with cross-functional participants such as engineers and product managers. Prepare to structure your thinking, communicate tradeoffs, and connect your solution to how you would execute work, given Project Management (percentile 100) and Cross-Functional Collaboration (percentile 64).
How often each skill shows up across reported interview loops.
Each guide has the questions Etsy interviewers actually ask, the loop structure, and total compensation by level.
Patterns from candidates who got offers, and the mistakes that most often sink a loop.
Read what candidates said about interviewing at Etsy: the loop, difficulty, and outcomes, straight from recent reports for each role.
Answered from real candidate and workplace data, marked up for rich results.
Verbatim snippets pulled from employee and candidate reviews.
Frequent reorganizations over the past few years have created challenges.
The team is amazing, and the work-life balance is excellent.
The relaxed and friendly culture fosters a positive work environment.
Leadership lacks clear direction, contributing to a negative business outlook.
The executive team's lack of a clear vision has shifted the company away from Etsy's core values of handmade and personal shopping.
The supportive environment and autonomy in project work make it a great place to collaborate with colleagues.
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