I applied through a recruiter. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Meta (Londen, Engeland) in Jan 2019
Interview
These were the best attitude to candidates and most thoughtful organization of interview process which I have seen so far (I have seen a lot).
On the first contact with HR, he explained in details what to expect throughout an interview process and after it and send preparation guidelines for the next stage. The next interview (algorithm coding task) was scheduled in 10 days. The interviewer read my cv in advance so no wasted time to recount it. Both HR and interviewer were nice to deal with: responsive, not intrusive, qualified, engaged in an interviewee success - just perfect.
The only unpleasant thing was what for a position related to data science / machine learning is still being asked questions like for pure software developer position. Unfortunately it is also common in other IT companies and I was warned so my impression is still good.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What are the most technically interesting projects you have worked on?
Tough interview overall—definitely not what I expected. The technical rounds were intense, particularly when they had me design an A/B test for the News Feed ranking algorithm. I had to discuss metrics and sample sizes in detail. Lucky for me, the time I spent on PracHub right before the interview helped me nail that deep-dive question as it mirrored what I practiced. The behavioral questions felt standard but were still challenging. After a whirlwind process, they extended an offer, which I happily accepted.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Design an A/B test to evaluate a new ranking algorithm for the Facebook News Feed. Walk through metric selection (engagement, time-spent, MSI, well-being), unit of randomization given network effects between friends, sample size and power calculations, how you'd detect novelty effects vs. true lift, and how you'd handle a guardrail metric regressing while the primary metric is up.
Total 7 rounds: first round for resume screening, second for technical screening, then for on-site virtual with 4 interviews back to back, then hiring manager round after team matching and then salary negotiation with HR
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Meta’s evaluation rubrics focus heavily on "Product Thinking over Fancy Math". Interviewers want to see if you can operate like a product owner with an analytical mindset, navigating messy scenarios affecting billions of users
The Interview Process is very structured -
First Tech Screening round - 45 mins (usually can extend a bit depending on the interviewer)
- 2 SQL Questions ( Medium to Hard ) - based on Joins
Full Loop - 4 rounds 45 mins each.
- SQL
- Behavioral
- Analytical Execution - stats & prob, A/B testing, case study
- Analytical Reasoning - Case study
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Questions on Bayes Theorem, Probability distribution, etc.