Grammarly's Software Engineer L2 interview process is designed to assess a candidate's technical proficiency, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the company. The process typically involves multiple rounds, including HR screening, technical interviews focusing on data structures, algorithms, and system design, and a final managerial or behavioral interview.
Rounds·4
Timeline·~7d
Experience·2 - 5 yrs
Comp band·US$110000 - US$150000
Interview time·195 min
Evaluation
Preparation
Tips
Study plan
Fig · Study plan — 05 phases
01 / 05Phase 01 of 05
Weeks 1-2: Data Structures (Arrays, Lists, Trees, Graphs). Complexity Analysis.
Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, graphs) and their common operations. Practice problems related to traversal, searching, and manipulation. Understand time and space complexity analysis.
Phase 02 of 05
Weeks 3-4: Algorithms (Sorting, Searching, DP, Graphs). Medium LeetCode.
Weeks 3-4: Deep dive into algorithms, including sorting (quicksort, mergesort), searching (binary search), dynamic programming, and graph algorithms (BFS, DFS, Dijkstra's). Solve medium-level problems on these topics.
Phase 03 of 05
Week 5: System Design Principles (Scalability, Databases, Caching, Load Balancing).
Week 5: Study system design principles. Learn about designing scalable and reliable systems, including concepts like databases, caching, load balancing, APIs, and microservices. Review common system design interview questions.
Phase 04 of 05
Week 6: Behavioral Questions (STAR Method), Grammarly Values.
Week 6: Prepare for behavioral and situational questions. Reflect on past experiences and prepare examples using the STAR method. Understand Grammarly's values and how your experiences align.
Phase 05 of 05
Week 7: Mock Interviews, Resume Review, Final Q&A Prep.
Week 7: Mock interviews, review weak areas, and finalize questions for the interviewers. Ensure you are comfortable discussing your resume and past projects.
Questions
Locations
Fig · Regions — 02 locations
01 / 02Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Rounds
Expand a step for evaluation criteria, sample questions, and prep notes.
HR Screening · 30 min · Recruiter/HR
This initial round is conducted by an HR representative or recruiter to assess your overall fit with Grammarly, understand your career aspirations, and confirm your interest in the Software Engineer L2 role. They will also cover logistical aspects like salary expectations and availability. It's an opportunity to learn more about Grammarly's culture and the specifics of the role.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Tell me about yourself.
Why are you interested in Grammarly?
What are your salary expectations?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Technical Interview (Coding) · 60 min · Software Engineer
This technical interview focuses on your core computer science knowledge. You will be asked to solve coding problems, typically involving data structures and algorithms. The interviewer will assess your ability to write clean, efficient, and correct code, as well as your understanding of time and space complexity. You'll need to clearly articulate your approach and reasoning.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Given a binary tree, find its inorder traversal.
Implement a function to find the kth smallest element in an array.
Write a function to check if a string is a palindrome.
Given two strings, find the length of their longest common subsequence.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Technical Interview (System Design) · 60 min · Senior Software Engineer / Architect
This round evaluates your ability to design and architect software systems. You'll be presented with a high-level problem (e.g., design a URL shortener, a social media feed, or a notification system) and expected to propose a scalable and robust solution. This includes discussing database choices, caching strategies, API design, load balancing, and potential bottlenecks.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Design a system like Twitter's trending topics.
How would you design a rate limiter?
Design a distributed key-value store.
How would you design a system to handle real-time notifications?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Behavioral/Managerial Interview · 45 min · Hiring Manager
This round, often conducted by the hiring manager, focuses on your behavioral and soft skills. You'll be asked questions about your past experiences, how you handle specific situations (e.g., conflicts, failures, successes), and your approach to teamwork and problem-solving. The goal is to understand how you operate within a team and if you align with Grammarly's culture and values.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Describe a time you had a conflict with a colleague and how you resolved it.
Tell me about a project where you faced significant challenges and how you overcame them.
How do you prioritize your work when you have multiple competing deadlines?
What motivates you in a work environment?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
DSA
Frequently reported on Grammarly loops
Other guides
