Software Engineer
This interview process is for a Software Engineer (L6) position at Verily. It is designed to assess a candidate's technical expertise, problem-solving abilities, system design skills, and cultural fit within the company.
4
~14 days
6 - 10 yrs
US$150000 - US$200000
195 min
Overall Evaluation Criteria
Technical Acumen & Problem Solving
System Design & Architecture
Behavioral & Cultural Fit
Preparation Tips
Study Plan
Data Structures and Algorithms
Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms fundamentals. Practice coding problems.
Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash tables) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, graph traversal). Practice implementing these in your preferred language and analyze their time and space complexity. Aim for at least 5-7 problems per data structure/algorithm type.
System Design
Weeks 3-4: System Design principles and common patterns. Practice design questions.
Weeks 3-4: Dive into system design. Study concepts like scalability, availability, reliability, load balancing, caching, databases (SQL vs. NoSQL), message queues, and microservices. Work through common system design interview questions and practice sketching out architectures.
Behavioral Preparation
Week 5: Behavioral interview preparation. Use STAR method. Research Verily's values.
Week 5: Prepare for behavioral interviews. Identify key experiences related to leadership, teamwork, conflict resolution, and handling failure. Structure your answers using the STAR method. Research Verily's values and prepare examples that align with them.
Mock Interviews & Review
Week 6: Mock interviews and final review. Refine answers and identify weak areas.
Week 6: Mock interviews and review. Conduct mock interviews with peers or mentors to simulate the interview environment. Review any weak areas identified during practice and refine your answers. Ensure you are comfortable discussing your resume and past projects in detail.
Commonly Asked Questions
Location-Based Differences
South San Francisco
Interview Focus
Common Questions
Discuss a complex technical challenge you faced in a previous role and how you overcame it.
How do you approach designing a scalable and reliable system for [specific domain relevant to Verily, e.g., healthcare data processing]?
Describe a time you had to mentor junior engineers. What was your approach?
What are your thoughts on the current trends in [relevant tech field, e.g., machine learning in healthcare]?
Tips
New York
Interview Focus
Common Questions
How do you ensure code quality and maintainability in a fast-paced environment?
Describe a situation where you had to disagree with a technical decision made by your team lead or manager. How did you handle it?
What are your strategies for debugging complex distributed systems?
How do you stay updated with new technologies and best practices?
Tips
Process Timeline
Interview Rounds
4-step process with detailed breakdown for each round
Technical Coding Round 1
Coding challenge focused on data structures and algorithms.
This round focuses on your core programming skills. You will be asked to solve one or two 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 problem-solving approach and communication skills. Expect to discuss time and space complexity.
What Interviewers Look For
Evaluation Criteria
Questions Asked
Given a binary tree, find its inorder traversal.
Implement a function to find the kth largest element in an unsorted array.
Given a string containing just the characters '(', ')', '{', '}', '[' and ']', determine if the input string is valid.
Preparation Tips
Common Reasons for Rejection
System Design Round
Design a complex system, focusing on scalability and reliability.
This round assesses your ability to design complex systems. You'll be given an open-ended problem (e.g., design Twitter, design a ride-sharing service) and expected to propose a high-level architecture. Focus on requirements gathering, component design, data storage, APIs, scalability, and potential bottlenecks.
What Interviewers Look For
Evaluation Criteria
Questions Asked
Design a system like TinyURL.
Design a distributed cache.
Design a notification service.
Preparation Tips
Common Reasons for Rejection
Hiring Manager / Team Fit Round
Discuss past projects, technical depth, and team/company fit.
This round is typically conducted by the hiring manager or a senior member of the team. It focuses on your past experiences, technical depth in areas relevant to the team's work, and your overall fit with the team and company culture. Expect questions about your resume, career goals, and how you approach collaboration and problem-solving.
What Interviewers Look For
Evaluation Criteria
Questions Asked
Tell me about a project you are particularly proud of and your role in it.
How do you handle disagreements within a team?
What are your strengths and weaknesses as a software engineer?
Why are you interested in Verily and this specific role?
Preparation Tips
Common Reasons for Rejection
Final Behavioral / Cultural Fit Round
Assess cultural fit, values alignment, and behavioral competencies.
This final round often involves a senior leader or HR representative to assess your overall cultural fit, alignment with Verily's mission, and behavioral competencies. They will look for evidence of collaboration, leadership, adaptability, and a genuine interest in contributing to Verily's goals. Questions may be more open-ended and focus on your motivations and how you operate in a professional environment.
What Interviewers Look For
Evaluation Criteria
Questions Asked
Describe a time you had to work with someone with a very different working style. How did you adapt?
What motivates you to do your best work?
How do you approach learning new technologies or domains?
What impact do you hope to make at Verily?
Preparation Tips
Common Reasons for Rejection
Commonly Asked DSA Questions
Frequently asked coding questions at Verily