Scale Engineer

Software Engineering Manager

Software Engineering ManagerL7High

This interview process is designed to assess candidates for a Software Engineering Manager (L7) position at Groupon. It evaluates technical leadership, people management skills, strategic thinking, and cultural fit.

Rounds·4

Timeline·~14d

Experience·8 - 15 yrs

Comp band·US$180000 - US$250000

Interview time·195 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Technical depth and breadth
  • Problem-solving abilities
  • System design and architecture understanding
  • Code quality and best practices

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Thoroughly review your resume and be prepared to discuss every project and accomplishment in detail.
  2. Understand Groupon's mission, values, and recent business developments.
  3. Practice articulating your leadership philosophy and management style.
  4. Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
  5. Brush up on system design principles and be ready to discuss architectural trade-offs.
  6. Familiarize yourself with common software development methodologies and best practices.
  7. Think about how you would handle common management challenges, such as underperformance, team conflict, and stakeholder management.
  8. Research the interviewers if possible to understand their backgrounds and areas of expertise.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Foundation & Company Research

Weeks 1-2: Resume review, STAR method practice, Groupon research.

Weeks 1-2: Deep dive into your past projects and accomplishments. Document key achievements, challenges, and lessons learned. Prepare detailed STAR stories for common leadership and management scenarios. Review Groupon's company information, including their business model, recent news, and engineering blog if available. Focus on understanding their product offerings and market position.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision that impacted your team. What was the outcome?
  • How do you balance the need for rapid feature delivery with maintaining code quality and technical debt?
  • Describe your approach to hiring and building a high-performing engineering team.
  • How do you motivate and develop engineers on your team?
  • Walk me through a complex system you designed or significantly contributed to. What were the trade-offs?
  • How do you handle disagreements or conflicts within your team or with stakeholders?
  • What is your strategy for managing underperforming team members?
  • How do you stay current with technology trends and ensure your team is adopting relevant innovations?
  • Describe a time you failed. What did you learn from it?
  • How do you foster a culture of psychological safety and inclusivity within your team?
  • What are your thoughts on Agile methodologies, and how have you implemented them effectively?
  • How do you prioritize competing demands and manage your team's roadmap?
  • Tell me about a time you had to influence stakeholders or senior leadership to adopt a technical strategy.
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses as a manager?
  • Why are you interested in this role at Groupon?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 03 locations

01 / 03

Location

Remote/Hybrid

Interview focus

Remote team management strategiesCross-time zone collaborationBuilding 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 conflict between team members across different time zones.
  • What are your strategies for fostering team cohesion and collaboration in a hybrid work environment?

Tips

  • Highlight experience with remote management tools and techniques.
  • Provide specific examples of successful remote team leadership.
  • Emphasize your ability to maintain team morale and productivity regardless of location.

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.