Scale Engineer

Software Engineering Manager

Software Engineering ManagerL1Medium

This interview process is designed to assess candidates for a Software Engineering Manager (L1) position at Groupon. It evaluates technical leadership, people management skills, strategic thinking, and cultural fit.

Rounds·4

Timeline·~10d

Experience·3 - 5 yrs

Comp band·US$120000 - US$150000

Interview time·195 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Technical depth and breadth
  • Problem-solving abilities
  • System design and architecture understanding

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review Groupon's mission, values, and recent news.
  2. Understand the responsibilities and expectations of an L1 Software Engineering Manager.
  3. Prepare STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) examples for behavioral questions.
  4. Brush up on core software engineering principles and best practices.
  5. Think about your leadership philosophy and how you motivate teams.
  6. Consider common challenges faced by engineering managers and how you would address them.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Company & Role Understanding

Week 1: Groupon's business, L1 SEM role, STAR method prep.

Week 1: Deep dive into Groupon's business, products, and engineering culture. Understand the company's strategic goals and how engineering contributes. Review L1 SEM role expectations and responsibilities. Start preparing STAR method examples for common behavioral questions related to leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Tell me about a time you had to manage a difficult team member. How did you handle it?
  • How do you prioritize tasks when faced with competing demands?
  • Describe your approach to performance reviews and providing feedback.
  • How do you foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within your team?
  • What are your strategies for mentoring and developing junior engineers?
  • How do you ensure your team stays aligned with business objectives?
  • Tell me about a time you made a significant technical decision. What was the process and outcome?
  • How do you handle disagreements within your team or with stakeholders?
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses as a leader?
  • Why are you interested in this role at Groupon?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

Remote

Interview focus

Remote team management strategiesVirtual collaboration tools and techniquesBuilding team culture in a distributed environment

Common questions

  • How do you handle underperforming engineers in a remote setting?
  • Describe a time you had to manage a distributed team. What were the challenges and how did you overcome them?
  • What tools and strategies do you use to foster collaboration and communication within a remote team?

Tips

  • Highlight experience with remote work tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Miro).
  • Emphasize your ability to build trust and rapport virtually.
  • Be prepared to discuss strategies for maintaining team morale and productivity remotely.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

Expand a step for evaluation criteria, sample questions, and prep notes.

DSA

Coding questions at Groupon.

Frequently reported on Groupon loops

View all at Groupon

Other guides

More at Groupon.