Real, anonymous reports from people who interviewed for Software Engineer at Pagerduty, newest first and distilled into what to expect across the loop.
My path started with confirmation emails and then moved into a practical technical setup where I was expected to arrive with a minimal app already built. Before the interview, I created a base version with the required starter setup, and then during the live session the engineer had me walk through the app and add or adjust features based on what they asked for. It was less about memorized algorithms and more about iterating on a working system in real time, even when the changes felt incremental.
After a quick recruiter screen, I moved through a pretty structured run of interviews that felt like it was designed to mirror real work. The technical portion started with a simple take-home task to build a very small app in any language, and then I came back to iterate during the live interview—adding features as I went while sharing my screen. After that, I had a set of behavioral questions and a system design conversation (with some expectation around having materials ready, like a design diagram, depending on the round), plus at least one additional technical conversation focused on how I approached problems and communicated tradeoffs.
Candidates are expected to build a minimal app beforehand and then iterate on it during live sessions, focusing on real-time feature adjustments rather than memorized algorithms. This practical approach emphasizes collaboration and problem-solving skills.
The interview process includes multiple behavioral questions and discussions with hiring managers to assess cultural fit and past experiences, which are integral to the overall evaluation.
Candidates should prepare for in-depth discussions around system design and architecture, as interviewers focus on evaluating architectural reasoning and tradeoff discussions beyond basic coding skills.
The onsite interviews are described as intense, often lasting a full day with multiple sessions that test various skills, including coding, troubleshooting, and system design, which can feel overwhelming compared to earlier rounds.
Candidates report mixed experiences regarding communication post-interview, with some feeling ghosted or receiving generic rejection messages, which can lead to frustration despite positive interactions during the interviews.
The overall difficulty of the process is perceived as high, with candidates noting that expectations can vary significantly between initial screens and onsite interviews, leading to surprises in the level of challenge.