Product Demo and Collaborative Problem Solving

At Gladly, engineering does not happen in a vacuum. We work closely with product managers, designers, and customers to build a product that solves real pain points. The product demo and collaborative session evaluate how you think about product UX, user workflows, and collaborative design.

During this session, you may walk through a product demo or collaborate on a feature concept. The goal is to see how you translate user needs into technical requirements, how you give and receive feedback, and how you brainstorm solutions with others.

Be ready to go over:

• User-Centric Design – Understanding the target user's pain points and design choices that improve their workflow.
• Collaborative Brainstorming – Building on top of others' ideas, asking clarifying questions, and constructively challenging assumptions.
• Feature Prioritization – Balancing technical feasibility, development effort, and user value when planning a feature.

Example scenarios:

• Reviewing a mock-up of a new customer timeline feature and discussing the API endpoints and data structures needed to support it.
• Participating in a collaborative session to brainstorm how to make the agent search experience faster and more intuitive.

As a Software Engineer at Gladly, you will be embedded in a cross-functional team focused on delivering high-impact features and maintaining a world-class communication platform. Your day-to-day work will span the entire software development lifecycle, from early concept design to production monitoring.

You will write high-quality, performant backend code to power our real-time messaging pipelines and design clean APIs that connect our services. On the frontend, you will build responsive, accessible, and intuitive user interfaces that help customer service agents work efficiently. Collaboration is key; you will partner closely with product managers to define feature scopes, work with designers to refine user experiences, and participate in peer code reviews to maintain high engineering standards.

Additionally, you will share ownership of our production environment. This includes participating in on-call rotations, monitoring service health, writing automated tests, and continuously optimizing our infrastructure to ensure maximum uptime and low latency for our customers.

We look for versatile engineers who bring a mix of strong technical skills, practical experience, and collaborative energy. While we value specific technology experience, we care more about your engineering fundamentals and your ability to learn quickly.

Technical Skills

• Strong Programming Fundamentals – Proficiency in at least one modern backend or frontend language (such as Go, JavaScript/TypeScript, Java, or Python).
• API and Integration Expertise – Experience designing, building, and consuming RESTful APIs, with a solid understanding of JSON and HTTP protocols.
• Database Proficiency – Experience working with relational databases (like PostgreSQL) or NoSQL databases, including schema design and query optimization.
• Modern Frontend Frameworks (for full-stack/frontend roles) – Hands-on experience with React, Vue, or similar component-based JavaScript frameworks.

Experience & Soft Skills

• Track Record of Delivery – Experience building and shipping production-grade software in a SaaS or cloud environment.
• Exceptional Communication – The ability to articulate complex technical ideas clearly, write clean documentation, and present concepts to diverse teams.
• Collaborative Mindset – A history of working successfully in cross-functional teams alongside product, design, and QA.
• Pragmatic Problem Solving – A focus on simplicity, readability, and delivering value to users rather than over-engineering solutions.

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Experience working with real-time communication technologies, such as WebSockets, WebRTC, or telephony systems.
• Familiarity with cloud infrastructure (AWS), containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), and modern CI/CD pipelines.

Q: How technical are the presentation rounds, and how should I prepare? A: The past-project presentation is deeply technical; you should be prepared to explain architecture, system boundaries, data flow, and specific engineering trade-offs. The personal topic presentation can be non-technical. Focus on structure, clarity, and pacing. Practice presenting to a friend or colleague to ensure your delivery is polished.

Q: What is the coding environment like during the technical screen? A: We use standard collaborative coding platforms (like Coderpad) where you can write and execute code in your preferred language. We do not expect syntax perfection, but we do look for clean structure, logical flow, and a systematic approach to debugging.

Q: Does Gladly use a "checkpoint" system during the onsite process? A: Yes. To respect both your time and our team's schedule, we sometimes evaluate performance after the initial technical rounds of the onsite. If the technical match is not there, we may choose not to move forward with the presentation rounds. We aim to communicate these decisions as transparently and quickly as possible.

Q: How much preparation time is typical for the onsite presentations? A: Most successful candidates spend a few hours over a weekend or a few evenings structuring their slides and practicing their delivery. We do not expect highly designed slide decks; clear, simple visuals that support your narrative are more than sufficient.

• Clarify system design requirements early: In the system design round, do not jump straight into drawing boxes. Spend the first 5-10 minutes asking clarifying questions about scale, read/write ratios, latency requirements, and specific use cases.
• Prioritize your presentation prep: Do not leave your presentations to the last minute. Because communication is highly valued at Gladly, a well-structured, engaging presentation can heavily influence the hiring team's final decision.

• Think like an end-user during product rounds: When discussing product features or demos, always tie your technical suggestions back to how they help the customer support agent or the end customer.
• Be transparent about your experience: If you do not know the answer to a technical question, admit it and talk through how you would go about finding the solution. We value honesty and a growth mindset over memorized trivia.

Preparing for a Software Engineer role at Gladly requires a balanced focus on coding fundamentals, system design, and communication. Our interview process is thorough, but it is designed to mirror the actual work you will do here. By demonstrating your technical execution, your product empathy, and your ability to articulate complex ideas, you can stand out as a top candidate.

Take the time to practice practical coding problems, review core system design principles, and polish your presentations. Remember, we are looking for collaborative partners who are excited to build the future of customer communication alongside us.

The salary data reflects the competitive compensation packages we offer to attract top engineering talent. When evaluating your offer, consider the entire package, including base salary, equity, and our comprehensive benefits designed to support your personal and professional well-being. For additional insights, community discussions, and interview preparation resources, you can explore further details on Dataford. Good luck with your preparation—we look forward to meeting you!