To perform well in the Relativity interview process, you must prepare across several dimensions. The engineering team looks for candidates who are not just technically proficient, but who also demonstrate strong communication skills and a commitment to software quality.

Role-Related Knowledge – You must have a deep understanding of core software engineering fundamentals. This includes mastery of object-oriented programming (OOP) concepts, solid design patterns, relational database design, and SQL. Be ready to explain the "why" behind your technical decisions, such as why you chose a specific data structure or how a particular design pattern prevents code duplication.

Problem-Solving & Architecture – Interviewers will present you with broad, sometimes intentionally vague, system design and coding problems. They want to see how you gather requirements, structure your thoughts, and whiteboard your solutions. You should practice breaking down ambiguous problems into structured, manageable components and communicating your reasoning clearly as you work.

Culture Fit & Values – Relativity places an exceptionally high emphasis on its core values. You should expect a dedicated portion of the interview to focus on behavior and culture. Prepare structured stories using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) that highlight your collaboration, humility, resourcefulness, and commitment to learning.

Testing & Quality Assurance – A common pitfall for candidates is neglecting software quality. At Relativity, you will be explicitly evaluated on how you test your code. Be prepared to discuss unit testing strategies, dependency injection, mocking, and security testing principles for every piece of code you write or system you design.

The interview process at Relativity is structured to evaluate your technical capabilities, architectural thinking, and cultural alignment. The process is thorough and designed to give both you and the hiring team a clear picture of mutual fit.

The journey typically begins with an initial phone screen with a recruiter to discuss your background, career goals, and basic alignment with the role. This is often followed by a technical assessment, which may take the form of an online coding challenge (such as HackerRank or Byteboard) focused on data processing, basic algorithms, and OOP design. Once you pass the technical assessment, you will move on to the virtual or in-person onsite panel, which consists of multiple back-to-back rounds covering coding, system design, and behavioral discussions.

The visual timeline above outlines the typical progression from the initial recruiter screen to the final offer. Most candidates complete the technical assessment within a week of the initial screen, and the final panel interviews are generally consolidated into a single day to keep the process efficient. While the rigor is high, the scheduling is designed to minimize delays and provide you with a prompt hiring decision.

To excel in the Relativity software engineering interview, you must understand the specific technical and behavioral areas where you will be evaluated.

Object-Oriented Programming & Code Quality

This is the most critical technical evaluation area. Relativity's codebases rely heavily on robust object-oriented principles, and interviewers will look closely at how you structure your code.

Be ready to go over:

• OOP Fundamentals – Deep understanding of inheritance, polymorphism, abstraction, and encapsulation. You must be able to explain how and when to use these concepts effectively.
• SOLID Principles – How to apply these principles to write code that is easy to maintain, extend, and refactor.
• Design Patterns – Common patterns such as Factory, Singleton, Strategy, and Observer, including their practical applications and trade-offs.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Threading, locks, and concurrency management in object-oriented environments.

Example scenarios:

• "Design a parking lot system using OOP principles, ensuring that different vehicle types are handled correctly and the system is easy to extend."
• "Implement a class structure for an automated notification system that supports email, SMS, and push notifications, utilizing dependency injection to make it highly testable."

System & Database Design

As a Software Engineer, you will build features that must scale to handle massive datasets. This area evaluates your ability to design scalable, secure, and performant systems.

Be ready to go over:

• Relational Database Design (RDBMS) – Designing normalized schemas, establishing primary and foreign key relationships, and writing efficient SQL queries.
• API Design – Building robust, RESTful APIs, understanding HTTP methods, status codes, and payload structure.
• Scalability & Performance – Understanding caching strategies, load balancing, and how to optimize database queries to prevent performance bottlenecks.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Distributed transactions, database indexing strategies (e.g., clustered vs. non-clustered indexes), and microservices architecture.

Example scenarios:

• "Design a database schema for an e-commerce platform that handles customers, orders, and products, and write a query to find the top three customers by spending in the last month."
• "Walk through the system architecture for a real-time collaborative document editor, focusing on how you would handle concurrent updates from multiple users."

Behavioral & Cultural Alignment

Relativity deeply values its culture and core values. This round is just as important as the technical evaluations and can be a deciding factor in the hiring decision.

Be ready to go over:

• Collaboration & Teamwork – How you work with cross-functional teams, resolve conflicts, and contribute to a positive team environment.
• Adaptability & Learning – Your ability to pick up new technologies, learn from mistakes, and adapt to changing requirements.
• Commitment to Quality – How you ensure the quality of your work, write tests, and advocate for best practices within your team.

Example scenarios:

• "Tell me about a time when you had to deliver a project under a tight deadline with incomplete requirements. How did you manage your time and communicate with stakeholders?"
• "Describe a situation where you received constructive feedback on your work that you initially disagreed with. How did you handle the conversation, and what did you do next?"

As a Software Engineer at Relativity, your daily work will span the entire software development lifecycle. You will be responsible for translating product requirements into highly reliable and scalable software solutions.

You will spend a significant portion of your time writing clean, well-tested code in languages like C# or Rust, depending on your specific team. You will design and optimize relational database schemas, write complex SQL queries, and ensure that your code integrates seamlessly with existing distributed systems. Collaboration is key; you will actively participate in sprint planning, code reviews, and architectural discussions with your team.

Additionally, you will take ownership of the quality of your deliverables. This means writing comprehensive unit tests, integration tests, and ensuring that your code adheres to security best practices. You will also monitor and maintain the health of your systems in production, troubleshooting issues and optimizing performance as needed to ensure a seamless experience for Relativity's global user base.

To be competitive for a Software Engineer position at Relativity, you should meet the following requirements:

• Must-have technical skills – Strong proficiency in at least one major object-oriented programming language (e.g., C#, Java, C++) and a solid understanding of relational databases and SQL.
• Experience level – Typically 2+ years of professional software engineering experience, with a track record of building and maintaining web applications or systems software.
• Soft skills – Excellent communication skills, a collaborative mindset, and the ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Nice-to-have skills – Experience with C# and the .NET framework, cloud platforms (such as Azure or AWS), distributed systems, and modern CI/CD pipelines.

Q: How much focus is there on LeetCode-style algorithms versus system design? A: While you will face basic algorithmic challenges (such as string manipulation, sorting, or basic graph traversal), Relativity's technical interviews focus much more heavily on object-oriented design, database modeling, and practical software engineering principles.

Q: What is the typical timeline from the initial recruiter screen to an offer? A: The entire process typically takes between three to four weeks. Relativity is known for its quick turnaround times, often delivering feedback within a few days of each interview stage and making final decisions shortly after the onsite panel.

Q: Can I complete the coding assessments in any programming language? A: Yes, you can generally use any language you are highly proficient in for the coding challenges. However, because Relativity's core stack is heavily built on C# and .NET, demonstrating strong skills in an object-oriented language is highly advantageous.

Q: How strictly are the core values evaluated during the interview? A: Extremely strictly. The behavioral and cultural rounds are a core part of the evaluation process. Candidates who perform exceptionally well technically but do not demonstrate alignment with Relativity's values are unlikely to receive an offer.

To maximize your chances of success, keep these practical tips in mind during your preparation:

• Always include unit tests: When writing code during live coding sessions or take-home challenges, always write or discuss how you would write unit tests. Interviewers highly value candidates who prioritize software quality and testability.
• Clarify vague requirements: If a technical question seems broad or ambiguous, do not jump straight into coding. Ask clarifying questions to define the scope, expected inputs, and edge cases. This demonstrates a structured and professional approach to problem-solving.
• Over-communicate your thoughts: During live coding and system design rounds, talk through your thought process out loud. Explain why you are choosing a specific data structure, what trade-offs you are making, and how you plan to structure your solution.

• Prepare your STAR stories: Have four to five robust stories prepared that highlight your teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability. Ensure these stories are structured clearly and focus on the actions you took and the tangible results achieved.

A Software Engineer role at Relativity offers a fantastic opportunity to work on complex, high-scale software systems that solve critical data challenges for organizations worldwide. The interview process is rigorous, but by focusing your preparation on solid object-oriented design, relational database modeling, and structured behavioral stories, you can set yourself up for success.

Take the time to practice whiteboarding, review key OOP and SQL concepts, and refine your behavioral stories. Focused preparation will not only boost your confidence but also ensure you can clearly demonstrate your capabilities to the hiring team.

The salary data above reflects the competitive compensation packages offered by Relativity. Actual compensation is determined based on your experience, location, and performance during the interview process. To explore more detailed interview insights, salary data, and preparation resources, be sure to visit Dataford. Good luck with your preparation—you have the tools and knowledge to succeed!