# SWE II
**Role:** Software Engineer · **Level:** P2
**Company:** [Workday](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/workday)
**Difficulty:** Medium to Hard
**Salary:** US$110000 - US$150000
**Experience:** 3 - 7
**Timeline:** ~14 days
The interview process for a Software Engineer II (P2) at Workday is designed to assess a candidate's technical proficiency, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the company. It typically involves multiple rounds, including HR screening, technical interviews focusing on data structures, algorithms, and system design, and a final managerial interview to evaluate leadership potential and alignment with Workday's values.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/workday/p2-software-engineer
---
## Overall evaluation

- Technical Aptitude
- Communication Skills
- Cultural Fit

## Questions asked

- Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
- Design a URL shortening service like bit.ly.
- Explain the difference between a process and a thread.
- Tell me about a time you disagreed with a teammate and how you resolved it.
- How would you design a system to handle user authentication and authorization?
- What are the advantages of using microservices?
- Describe a situation where you had to deal with ambiguity.
- Implement a function to reverse a linked list.
- How do you approach performance optimization in a web application?
- What are your thoughts on continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD)?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Review fundamental data structures and algorithms.
- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or similar.
- Study system design principles and common architectural patterns.
- Understand Workday's products and company culture.
- Prepare to discuss your past projects and technical contributions in detail.
- Practice behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
- Research common interview questions for Software Engineer roles at Workday.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Data Structures and Algorithms Fundamentals","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (Arrays, Linked Lists, Stacks, Queues, Trees, Graphs, Hash Tables) and their common operations and time complexities. Practice basic algorithmic techniques like sorting, searching, and recursion.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Basic Algorithms"}
- {"title":"Algorithmic Problem Solving","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Dive deeper into algorithms such as dynamic programming, greedy algorithms, graph traversal (BFS, DFS), and string manipulation. Understand Big O notation thoroughly.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Advanced Algorithms"}
- {"title":"System Design and Architecture","longDescription":"Weeks 5-6: Study system design concepts including scalability, availability, reliability, databases (SQL vs. NoSQL), caching, load balancing, message queues, and API design. Review common design patterns.","shortDescription":"Weeks 5-6: System Design Principles"}
- {"title":"Behavioral and Situational Preparation","longDescription":"Week 7: Prepare for behavioral and situational questions. Reflect on your past experiences, focusing on achievements, challenges, teamwork, and leadership. Practice articulating these using the STAR method.","shortDescription":"Week 7: Behavioral and Situational Questions"}
- {"title":"Final Preparation and Review","longDescription":"Week 8: Mock interviews, review company information, and refine your understanding of Workday's products and values. Ensure you have questions prepared for the interviewers.","shortDescription":"Week 8: Mock Interviews & Company Research"}

## Location differences

- {"location":"USA","differences":{"tips":["For US-based interviews, be prepared for in-depth system design questions and discussions on cloud technologies (AWS, Azure, GCP).","Understand Workday's core products and how they operate.","Practice explaining your thought process clearly and concisely.","Be ready to discuss your experience with agile methodologies."],"interviewFocus":["System Design: Emphasis on scalability, reliability, and distributed systems.","Problem-Solving: Ability to break down complex problems and articulate solutions.","Collaboration: How candidates work with cross-functional teams.","Adaptability: How candidates handle changing requirements and technologies."],"commonQuestions":["How would you design a system to handle real-time notifications for a large user base?","Describe a challenging technical problem you faced and how you solved it.","Explain the trade-offs between different database technologies for a specific use case.","How do you approach debugging complex distributed systems?","Tell me about a time you had to mentor a junior engineer."]}}
- {"location":"EMEA","differences":{"tips":["For EMEA-based interviews, expect a strong focus on coding challenges and algorithmic problem-solving.","Familiarize yourself with common software development patterns.","Be prepared to discuss your contributions to open-source projects if applicable.","Highlight your experience with testing frameworks and methodologies."],"interviewFocus":["Coding Proficiency: Strong emphasis on clean, efficient, and well-tested code.","Algorithmic Thinking: Ability to apply data structures and algorithms to solve problems.","Technical Depth: Understanding of core computer science concepts.","Communication: Ability to articulate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences."],"commonQuestions":["How would you optimize a slow-performing API endpoint?","Describe your experience with microservices architecture.","What are the key principles of object-oriented design?","How do you ensure code quality and maintainability?","Tell me about a project where you had to influence technical decisions."]}}

## Round 1: Recruiter/HR Screen
**Type:** HR Screening · **Difficulty:** Easy · **Duration:** 30 min
An initial screening call with HR to assess cultural fit and motivation.
This initial round is conducted by a recruiter or HR representative to assess your overall fit with Workday's culture and values. They will discuss your background, career aspirations, and motivation for applying. It's also an opportunity for you to learn more about the company and the specific role. Be prepared to talk about why you're interested in Workday and how your skills align with the Software Engineer II position.
**Interviewers look for:** Enthusiasm for Workday; Clear communication; Alignment with company values; Basic understanding of the role
**Evaluation criteria:** Cultural fit; Motivation for the role; Basic understanding of the role and company; Communication clarity
**Common rejection reasons:** Poor communication skills; Lack of enthusiasm or interest; Inability to articulate career goals; Mismatched expectations regarding the role or company
## Questions

- Why are you interested in Workday?
- Tell me about your previous experience and how it relates to this role.
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

## Preparation tips

- Research Workday's mission, values, and products.
- Prepare to discuss your resume and career history.
- Think about why you want to work at Workday specifically.
- Practice answering common behavioral questions.
- Prepare questions to ask the interviewer about the role, team, and company culture.

## Round 2: Data Structures and Algorithms Interview
**Type:** Technical Interview (Coding) · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
A coding challenge focused on data structures and algorithms.
This technical round focuses on your core programming skills. You will be asked to solve coding problems, typically involving data structures and algorithms. The interviewer will assess your ability to analyze the problem, devise an efficient solution, write clean code, and explain your thought process. Expect questions that test your knowledge of arrays, strings, linked lists, trees, graphs, sorting, searching, and dynamic programming.
**Interviewers look for:** Strong grasp of DSA concepts; Logical and systematic problem-solving; Clean and efficient code; Ability to communicate the solution clearly
**Evaluation criteria:** Proficiency in data structures and algorithms; Problem-solving approach; Coding efficiency and correctness; Ability to write clean, maintainable code; Understanding of time and space complexity
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to solve coding problems efficiently; Poor understanding of fundamental data structures and algorithms; Difficulty explaining thought process; Code quality issues (e.g., lack of comments, poor variable naming, no error handling)
## Questions

- Given a binary tree, find its inorder traversal.
- Implement a function to find the kth smallest element in an unsorted array.
- Write a function to check if a string is a palindrome, ignoring non-alphanumeric characters.
- Given two sorted arrays, merge them into a single sorted array.

## Preparation tips

- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or AlgoExpert.
- Focus on understanding the underlying data structures and algorithms.
- Practice explaining your solutions out loud.
- Write code on a whiteboard or in a shared editor, simulating the interview environment.
- Pay attention to edge cases and error handling.

## Round 3: System Design Interview
**Type:** Technical Interview (System Design) · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
An assessment of your ability to design scalable software systems.
This round assesses your ability to design and architect software systems. You'll be given an open-ended problem, such as designing a specific application (e.g., a social media feed, a URL shortener, a ride-sharing service). The interviewer will evaluate your approach to breaking down the problem, identifying requirements, choosing appropriate technologies, and designing for scalability, reliability, and maintainability. Be prepared to discuss databases, APIs, caching strategies, load balancing, and potential bottlenecks.
**Interviewers look for:** Ability to design complex systems; Understanding of scalability and reliability; Sound reasoning for design choices; Consideration of various components (databases, caching, APIs, etc.)
**Evaluation criteria:** System design skills; Scalability and performance considerations; Trade-off analysis; Understanding of distributed systems; Ability to handle ambiguity
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of understanding of system design principles; Inability to design scalable and reliable systems; Poor trade-off analysis; Difficulty handling ambiguity in requirements
## Questions

- Design a system like Twitter's news feed.
- How would you design a rate limiter?
- Design a distributed key-value store.
- How would you design an API for a ride-sharing service?

## Preparation tips

- Study common system design patterns and concepts.
- Read resources like 'Grokking the System Design Interview' or similar.
- Practice designing various systems, considering different constraints.
- Be ready to justify your design choices and discuss trade-offs.
- Think about how to scale the system to handle millions of users.

## Round 4: Hiring Manager Interview
**Type:** Managerial Interview · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
A discussion with the hiring manager about your experience, leadership, and team fit.
In this final round, the hiring manager will assess your overall fit for the team and your potential for growth within Workday. They will delve deeper into your past experiences, focusing on your contributions, leadership style, and how you handle challenges. This is also your chance to ask more in-depth questions about the team's projects, dynamics, and career development opportunities. Be prepared to discuss your career goals and how this role aligns with them.
**Interviewers look for:** Ability to mentor and guide others; Effective collaboration skills; Ownership and accountability; Strategic thinking; Positive attitude and work ethic
**Evaluation criteria:** Leadership potential; Teamwork and collaboration; Problem-solving approach in a team context; Alignment with Workday's values and culture; Career growth and development potential
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of leadership potential; Poor collaboration or teamwork skills; Inability to handle conflict or difficult situations; Not aligning with team or company goals; Lack of strategic thinking
## Questions

- Tell me about a time you had to lead a project or initiative.
- How do you handle disagreements within a team?
- Describe a situation where you had to learn a new technology quickly.
- What are your expectations for this role and your career at Workday?

## Preparation tips

- Reflect on your leadership experiences, even informal ones.
- Prepare examples of how you've collaborated effectively with others.
- Think about how you handle feedback and constructive criticism.
- Understand the team's goals and how you can contribute.
- Have thoughtful questions ready for the hiring manager.