Real, anonymous reports from people who interviewed for Software Engineer at Etsy, newest first and distilled into what to expect across the loop.
After a recruiter call, I was sent into a HackerRank-style challenge where I had to work directly in the provided environment to fix and enhance an app. The prompt felt pretty hands-on and tied closely to what I’d be expected to do in the role, and I remember feeling like the test was less about trivia and more about whether I could actually debug and improve existing code. Once I finished, I was able to move forward to the next step.
My process started with a conversation with HR about my background, followed by a technical round where I was asked to work through a system-design-style problem related to chat messaging. The conversation didn’t feel fully collaborative; I walked through tradeoffs and options, but the focus narrowed hard onto database details—especially the relational database angle—and the interviewer seemed only interested in a very exact, query-level outcome. I remember preparing more broadly and wanting to discuss the wider design picture, but it kept coming back to strict database specifics and table/schema-level correctness.
The interview process typically begins with a recruiter call followed by a coding challenge, often in a HackerRank-style environment, where candidates are expected to debug and enhance existing applications rather than solve abstract algorithm problems.
Candidates can expect multiple technical interviews that may include system design discussions, live coding exercises, and project deep dives, with a strong emphasis on practical problem-solving and real-world applications relevant to the role.
Behavioral interviews are integrated into the process, often focusing on past experiences and cultural fit, with some candidates noting a heavier emphasis on behavioral questions than anticipated.
Many candidates reported challenges with communication and coordination throughout the process, including inconsistent timelines, scheduling mishaps, and a lack of clear feedback after interviews.
The onsite interviews can be lengthy and intense, often lasting several hours with multiple rounds, where candidates engage in both technical and behavioral discussions, but some report negative experiences due to unprepared interviewers or disorganized sessions.
Candidates frequently expressed frustration over the lack of meaningful feedback after the interview process, with many receiving generic rejection emails despite feeling they performed well during the interviews.