This interview process is for a Software Engineer L5 position at General Motors, focusing on assessing candidates for their technical proficiency, problem-solving skills, and cultural fit within the organization. The L5 level signifies a senior individual contributor role with expectations of technical leadership and mentorship.
Rounds·4
Timeline·~14d
Experience·5 - 10 yrs
Comp band·US$140000 - US$180000
Interview time·180 min
Evaluation
Preparation
Tips
Study plan
Fig · Study plan — 04 phases
01 / 04Phase 01 of 04
Weeks 1-2: DSA fundamentals and practice (medium-hard).
Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures and Algorithms. Cover arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash tables, sorting, searching, dynamic programming, and greedy algorithms. Practice problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, and GeeksforGeeks, aiming for medium to hard difficulty.
Phase 02 of 04
Weeks 3-4: System Design principles and practice.
Weeks 3-4: Dive into System Design. Study concepts like load balancing, caching, database design (SQL vs. NoSQL), microservices architecture, message queues, and API design. Review common system design interview patterns and practice designing systems like Twitter feed, URL shortener, or a ride-sharing service.
Phase 03 of 04
Week 5: Behavioral and Leadership preparation (STAR method).
Week 5: Focus on Behavioral and Leadership questions. Prepare examples using the STAR method for situations involving teamwork, conflict resolution, leadership, failure, and success. Reflect on your career growth and motivations.
Phase 04 of 04
Week 6: Company research and question preparation.
Week 6: Research General Motors and the automotive industry. Understand GM's current projects, challenges, and future vision, particularly in areas like connected vehicles, autonomous driving, and electric vehicles. Prepare questions to ask the interviewer about the role and the company.
Questions
Locations
Fig · Regions — 03 locations
01 / 03Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Rounds
Expand a step for evaluation criteria, sample questions, and prep notes.
Technical Interview (Coding) · 45 min · Software Engineer (Peer)
This round focuses on your core computer science knowledge. You will be presented with coding problems that require you to implement algorithms and use appropriate data structures. The interviewer will assess your ability to write clean, efficient, and bug-free code, as well as your understanding of time and space complexity. Expect to discuss your approach and potential optimizations.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
Implement a function to reverse a linked list.
Find the kth smallest element in a binary search tree.
Design a data structure that supports insertion, deletion, and getRandom in O(1) time.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
System Design Interview · 60 min · Senior Software Engineer / Architect
This round evaluates your ability to design complex software systems. You'll be given an open-ended problem, such as designing a specific application or service (e.g., a social media feed, a ride-sharing platform, or a real-time data processing system). The focus is on your approach to requirements gathering, component design, data modeling, scalability, reliability, and trade-off analysis.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Design a URL shortening service like bit.ly.
Design a system to track the real-time location of delivery trucks.
How would you design a distributed cache system?
Design an API for a ride-sharing service.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Behavioral Interview · 45 min · Hiring Manager / Senior Team Lead
This round focuses on your past experiences and how they relate to the role and company culture. You'll be asked behavioral questions designed to understand your work style, problem-solving approach, leadership capabilities, and how you handle various workplace situations. Using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is highly recommended for structuring your answers.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult stakeholder.
Describe a project where you took initiative and led the team.
How do you handle constructive criticism?
Tell me about a time you failed to meet a deadline. What happened?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
HR/Recruiter Screen · 30 min · Recruiter / HR Manager
This is typically the first or last stage of the interview process. The recruiter will discuss your background, career aspirations, and salary expectations. They will also provide an overview of the role, team, and company culture. This is also an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have about the process, the role, or the company.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
What are your salary expectations for this role?
Why are you interested in General Motors?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Do you have any questions for me?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
DSA
Frequently reported on General Motors loops
Other guides
