Scale Engineer

Software Engineer

Software EngineerSoftware Engineer 2Medium to Hard

The Software Engineer 2 interview process at Grubhub is designed to assess a candidate's technical proficiency, problem-solving skills, and cultural fit within the company. It typically involves multiple rounds, starting with an initial HR screening, followed by technical interviews focusing on data structures, algorithms, and system design, and concluding with a behavioral or managerial interview.

Rounds·3

Timeline·~7d

Experience·2 - 5 yrs

Comp band·US$110000 - US$150000

Interview time·150 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Technical Skills (Data Structures, Algorithms, System Design)
  • Problem-Solving Approach
  • Coding Proficiency
  • Communication Skills
  • Teamwork and Collaboration
  • Cultural Fit and Alignment with Grubhub Values

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review fundamental data structures and algorithms (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, sorting, searching).
  2. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Coderbyte, focusing on medium-difficulty problems.
  3. Study system design principles, including scalability, reliability, and availability.
  4. Prepare for behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
  5. Research Grubhub's products, services, and recent news.
  6. Understand common software development methodologies (Agile, Scrum).
  7. Be ready to discuss your past projects and technical contributions in detail.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Data Structures and Algorithms

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms fundamentals. Practice 2-3 problems daily.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, recursion, dynamic programming). Practice implementing these from scratch and analyze their time and space complexity. Aim for 2-3 coding problems per day.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
  • Design a URL shortening service like bit.ly.
  • How would you design a system to handle Grubhub's order processing?
  • Tell me about a time you disagreed with a teammate and how you resolved it.
  • What are the trade-offs between using a relational database and a NoSQL database?
  • Explain the concept of polymorphism with a real-world example.
  • How would you optimize a slow-running database query?
  • Describe a project you are particularly proud of and your role in it.
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses as a software engineer?
  • How do you stay updated with new technologies?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

San Francisco

Interview focus

System design and scalability for high-volume transactions.Experience with cloud-native technologies (AWS, Kubernetes).Proficiency in distributed systems and microservices architecture.

Common questions

  • How would you design a system to handle real-time order updates for Grubhub?
  • Describe a challenging technical problem you solved and how you approached it.
  • Explain the trade-offs between different database solutions for a high-traffic e-commerce platform.

Tips

  • Familiarize yourself with Grubhub's tech stack and recent engineering blog posts.
  • Be prepared to discuss your experience with large-scale systems and distributed computing.
  • Highlight any experience with optimizing performance and reducing latency.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

DSA

Coding questions at Grubhub.

Frequently reported on Grubhub loops

View all at Grubhub

Other guides

More at Grubhub.