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Structuring the Interview

Before the interview

  • While the candidate is expected to review all resources available to prepare for the interview, our interviewers need to also prepare. We expect our interviewers to be clear on the skills required for the position.

  • Although the resume is not included for the interviewer, the level of the candidate is available in the public notes (i.e. junior, mid, senior).

  • The interviewer will also come prepared with a question strategy and approach to get data to assess the candidate’s fit for the position. For technical interviews, this includes coding, data structures, algorithms and system design.

During the interview

It’s important to remember that interviews are not natural, and it’s normal to feel a little apprehensive. At Cockroach Labs, we strive to be as friendly and open as we can by setting clear expectations and being transparent. Interviewers typically use the following structure but may vary based off of the question format. Visit department exercise files for more information.

Opening (5%)

  • Set the Stage: Let them know who you are and what you do at Cockroach Labs! This is the time for you to build trust and establish an open, inclusive environment.

  • Provide the Interview Framework: “We are going to go through a series of questions, and at the end, I can answer any questions that you might have for me.”

Interview Question (85%)

  • Get candidates talking: Getting candidates to open up and talk is the best way to get insight into their thought process and give them the opportunity to show their skills.

  • The questions themselves will vary based on the type of interview and role. Please see specific Interview Guides for breakdowns.

Wind Down (5%)

  • Help the candidate reach a point of completion with the last question you asked.

Close (5%)

  • Leave time for questions at the end. Be honest in your answers and give them real insights into how we work here that they can’t necessarily experience during their interviews.

  • Let the candidate know that we’ll be in touch about next steps (phone) or that the next person will be in shortly (onsite). A quick thank you is always a good way to finish up!

Some tips

  1. Communication is really hard in an interview setting. Candidates should give the interviewer access to their thought process by communicating it. The interviewers will provide prompts to help the candidate through questions if they get stumped. Our objective is not to challenge a candidate to the point of discomfort, rather, open up their mind to learn about how they solve problems.

  2. We do not strive to assess perfect theoretical knowledge that the candidate can google when needed, or present a problem that took us 2 months to dominate and expect our interviewees to master in a 30 minutes conversation.

  3. Come prepared. If you haven’t been interviewing, run through a couple of questions with your friends so that you get back into the mentality of what it feels like to answer interview questions.

  4. Come with questions! The interviewer leaves time at the end of the interview to ask questions so please come with them and we will be prepared to answer as thoroughly as we can.