If you are considering applying for an engineering position, here’s what you can expect.
INTRO CALL
The first step is a chat with a recruiter, who guides you through the whole process. He/she explains the role, projects, teams, culture, benefits and everything candidates want and need to know.
With international candidates, we also discuss the relocation process and may introduce a relocation questionnaire.
To evaluate your fit for the role, we focus on your:
- ability to easily communicate in English
- experience with our tech stack
- personality traits
- motivation for the job
We check the rough salary expectations and explain our system of engineering grades and salary ranges. It’s important to be on the same page before we all invest more time in the process.
Daniel Kraus (Frontend Platform Lead), Camila Ordonez (Technical Recruiter)
Our intro chat takes no more than 30-45 minutes, and it’s usually done via Skype. However, if you are in town and would like to see our offices, you’re more than welcome to come in. We’ll happily meet you in person.
“We know the recruitment process is a time-consuming and stressful thing. Our job is to help candidates get through it as smoothly as possible,” says Bara Zacharova, STRV’s Technical Recruiter.
TEST PROJECT
“I work with super smart people and get to learn from them every day.” This is the most common answer to the question, “Why do you like working at STRV?”
The bar is high. To keep it there, we ask all candidates to do a test project at home.
The test is a simulation of a client project. How you approach it shows us the scope of your engineering skills. Most often, the project involves building a simple mobile app for mobile devs, an API for backend or a web site for frontend.
Candidates usually send us their finished work within one week, depending on their time availability. We are quite flexible; if you need more time, just let us know.
We recognize that our test project requires a considerable time investment. So, in return, our senior devs provide in-depth feedback about your engineering skills.
“We spend one to two hours evaluating each test project and writing feedback that helps candidates understand their strengths and weaknesses,” explains Jan Schwarz, iOS Platform Lead.
Jan Schwarz, iOS Platform Lead
Getting a “no” after completing the test project can be a letdown. But, it isn’t a definite decision. We’ve had many candidates go back to the project after getting our feedback, working hard to improve the result, and nailing it on their second try.
TECHNICAL INTERVIEW
During this 90-minute technical interview, you meet your future colleagues. Two senior engineers sit with you, explaining exactly how devs at STRV work. They also go over your test project and skills with you.
The point isn’t to grill anyone, but to have an open, honest talk. We want to see candidates succeed. The alternative is wasted time, something we aren’t fans of.
Platform Leads, from lefT: Jan Hovorka (Backend), Jan Kaltoun (iOS), Danny Kijkov (Frontend), Petr Nohejl (Android)
Our grading system has 6 levels: Trainee, Junior, Mid-level, Senior, Lead, and Senior Lead. Your level is set after the technical interview.
For candidates in Europe, we cover travel costs for the in-person technical interview. But if the distance or time don’t allow a face-to-face, we can do it via Skype.
EXEC INTERVIEW AND OFFER
Marian Fusek, Head of Design and Engineering, loves chatting with everyone before they are hired. It’s the last check to confirm we share the same values and will work well together.
“I really enjoy talking to newcomers, getting to know their background, motivations and likes or dislikes,” says Marian, who’s known for his great social skills and empathy.
Marian Fusek, Head of Design and Engineering
The executive interview may take place the same day as the technical interview, and we’re able to send you a written offer within hours after the meeting. Once you accept the offer, our onboarding team will get in touch with you. They prepare necessary paperwork following the required legal steps, organize your relocation and visa application (if needed), set up your account, and order the devices you’ll be needing.
SUCCESS RATE
We receive around 100 engineering applications every month.
Here’s what our pass-through rates look like (using statistics of a backend position):
- Introduction call: 44%
- Test project: 45%
- Technical interview: 60%
- Exec interview: 83%
The pass-through rate of the whole process is 3%.
Our recruitment team is dedicated to keeping STRV what it’s always been: a brave community of friendly people who are great at what they do. We created our hiring process with this in mind, and our track record shows it works.
If you like what we do and how we do it, let’s chat. Our recruiters are always ready for you. Check out the list of open jobs.
