Scale Engineer

SWE III

Software EngineerP3Medium to Hard

The SWE III (P3) interview at Workday is designed to assess a candidate's technical proficiency, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit for a mid-level software engineering role. This process typically involves multiple rounds, including technical interviews focusing on data structures, algorithms, and system design, as well as behavioral interviews to gauge collaboration and communication skills.

Rounds·3

Timeline·~14d

Experience·4 - 8 yrs

Comp band·US$130000 - US$165000

Interview time·150 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving skills
  • Algorithmic thinking
  • Data structure knowledge
  • Coding proficiency (clean, efficient, maintainable code)
  • System design capabilities (scalability, reliability, maintainability)
  • Communication skills
  • Collaboration and teamwork
  • Cultural alignment with Workday values

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review fundamental data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, recursion).
  2. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or AlgoExpert, focusing on medium to hard difficulty.
  3. Study system design principles, including scalability, availability, consistency, and common design patterns (e.g., load balancing, caching, message queues).
  4. Prepare for behavioral questions by recalling specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
  5. Research Workday's products, culture, and values to understand how your experience aligns.
  6. Understand the specific technologies and languages mentioned in the job description.
  7. Practice explaining your thought process out loud as you solve problems.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 05 phases

01 / 05
01

Phase 01 of 05

Data Structures & Algorithms Fundamentals

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Basic Algorithms. Practice implementation and complexity analysis. Solve 10-15 Easy/Medium problems.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (Arrays, Linked Lists, Stacks, Queues, Hash Maps) and basic algorithms (Sorting, Searching). Practice implementing these from scratch and analyze their time/space complexity. Solve 10-15 LeetCode Easy/Medium problems related to these topics.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
  • Design an API for a simple e-commerce product catalog.
  • Tell me about a time you disagreed with a team member. How did you handle it?
  • How would you design a system to handle millions of concurrent users for a chat application?
  • Implement a function to check if a binary tree is a valid Binary Search Tree.
  • Describe a situation where you had to learn a new technology quickly for a project.
  • What are the trade-offs between using a relational database and a NoSQL database for a specific use case?
  • How do you approach debugging a complex issue in a large codebase?
  • Tell me about a project you are particularly proud of and your role in it.
  • Design a rate limiter for an API.

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

Austin, TX

Interview focus

Emphasis on practical application of algorithms and data structures.System design questions may lean towards scalability and distributed systems.Behavioral questions often probe for experience in cross-functional team collaboration.

Common questions

  • Given a binary tree, find the lowest common ancestor of two given nodes in the tree.
  • Design a URL shortening service like bit.ly.
  • Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult stakeholder.

Tips

  • Be prepared to whiteboard solutions for common algorithm problems.
  • Familiarize yourself with distributed system concepts.
  • Have specific examples ready for behavioral questions, using the STAR method.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

Med

Technical - Coding · 45 min · Software Engineer (Peer)

This round typically involves a coding challenge, often presented as a problem to solve on a shared editor or whiteboard. The interviewer will assess your ability to understand the problem, devise an efficient algorithm, write clean and correct code, and explain your reasoning. Expect questions on arrays, strings, linked lists, trees, or graphs.

What they look for

Strong understanding of fundamental data structures and algorithms.Ability to translate a problem into a working code solution.Clear explanation of the chosen approach and its trade-offs.Attention to detail in implementation.

Evaluation

  • Correctness of the solution
  • Efficiency of the solution (time and space complexity)
  • Code clarity and readability
  • Ability to handle edge cases
  • Communication of approach

Sample questions

  • Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.

    ArrayDynamic Programming

  • Implement a function to reverse a linked list in place.

    Linked ListPointers

  • Find the kth smallest element in a Binary Search Tree.

    TreeBinary Search TreeRecursion

Prep for this round

  1. 01Practice coding problems focusing on time and space complexity analysis.
  2. 02Be prepared to explain your solution step-by-step.
  3. 03Write clean, well-commented code.
  4. 04Test your code with various inputs, including edge cases.

Common rejection reasons

  • ×Inability to articulate thought process clearly.
  • ×Suboptimal or incorrect algorithmic solutions.
  • ×Poor coding practices (e.g., lack of comments, inefficient variable naming).
  • ×Failure to consider edge cases.

DSA

Coding questions at Workday.

Frequently reported on Workday loops

View all at Workday

Other guides

More at Workday.