Summary
I recently interviewed with Agoda for a Senior Software Engineer (Backend) role in Gurugram, India. After a recruiter screen, I completed a coding round successfully by solving two problems, and I am currently awaiting the results for the next steps.
Full Experience
Hi Fam,
I am currently an SSE at Walmart with 6.3 years of experience. I recently applied to Agoda for an SSE - Backend position in Gurugram through their careers website. The interview platform used for codepairing and interviews was Hackerrank.
Recruiter Phone Screen (15 min)
My journey started with a Recruiter Phone Screen which lasted about 15 minutes, conducted by a TA from Bangkok. During this screen, I was asked:- Why I was interested in Agoda.
- If I was willing to relocate to Gurgaon, and they mentioned they provide a relocation bonus.
- To give an introduction about myself.
Round #1 (Coding - 1 hour)
Next was Round #1, a Coding round, which was 1 hour long and conducted by a Staff Engineer from Bangkok. I was presented with two problems:- A variation of the LeetCode problem Eliminate Maximum Number of Monsters. The problem scenario involved airplanes instead of monsters. I approached and solved this using a Greedy strategy.
- The second problem involved calculating the total weight of a chemical formula. I was given the weights for three atoms: Carbon (C -> 12), Hydrogen (H -> 1), and Oxygen (O -> 8). For instance, CH4 would result in 16, and H(CH4)2 would be 33. I solved this problem using a Stack-based approach.
Interview Questions (2)
This was a variation of the LeetCode problem 'Eliminate Maximum Number of Monsters'. The problem scenario was rephrased to involve airplanes instead of monsters. The goal is likely to determine if it's possible to eliminate all incoming targets (airplanes) given their arrival times and speed, using a similar greedy approach as the original problem.
Given the weights of three specific atoms: Carbon (C -> 12), Hydrogen (H -> 1), and Oxygen (O -> 8). The task is to write a function that takes a chemical formula string as input and computes its total molecular weight. Examples provided were CH4 = 16, and H(CH4)2 = 33, indicating that nested structures with multipliers need to be handled.
Summary
My interview journey for a Staff Backend Engineer position at Agoda in Bangkok consisted of 5 rounds. I successfully cleared all the technical assessments and interviews but was ultimately rejected in the final Hiring Manager round due to a combination of undefended salary expectations and an unclear motivation for relocating.
Full Experience
My friend's interview process at Agoda for a Staff Engineer position in Bangkok was quite extensive, covering 5 distinct rounds.
R1: Online Assessment (HackerRank)
This round included two problems: one was a LeetCode Hard Data Structures & Algorithms (DSA) question, and the other was an API design problem. For the API design, it was crucial to demonstrate knowledge of plain vanilla HTTP client basics, without relying on abstract client frameworks like Spring.
R2: Live DSA (HackerRank)
This was a live coding round where I had to solve two coding questions (easy-medium difficulty). One was a variation of the classic Stock Buy/Sell problem, and the other was a Dynamic Programming (DP) problem similar to Jump Game. The expectation was to not only code but also run the solution and pass all test cases live.
R3: Platform Round
In this round, I was presented with a badly designed system and tasked with improving it. This involved elements of code review and discussions around database and technology choices. The interviewers thoroughly grilled me with numerous 'how / what / why / why not' questions related to my proposed solutions.
R4: System Design (HLD)
This round was a classic high-level system design exercise, where I had to design a scalable system from the ground up.
R5: Hiring Manager
The final round was with the Hiring Manager, focusing on behavioral questions and past experiences. Key questions included 'Why Agoda?' and my motivation for relocating. Salary expectations were also discussed. Interestingly, I cleared all the technical rounds but was rejected in this final round, not for technical reasons, but because I couldn't adequately defend my salary expectations and didn't have a clear, compelling reason for moving from Bangalore to Bangkok.
The moral of the story is definitely not to underestimate the Hiring Manager round; it's about much more than just soft skills—it's about alignment, clarity, and motivation.
Interview Questions (7)
A coding problem that was a variation of the classic Stock Buy/Sell problem. I was expected to code, run, and pass all test cases live during the interview.
A dynamic programming problem that was similar in nature to the Jump Game problem. I had to code, run, and pass all test cases live.
An API design question focused on demonstrating strong understanding of plain HTTP client basics, emphasizing solutions without relying on high-level frameworks like Spring or other abstract client libraries.
I was presented with a badly designed system and asked to propose improvements. The round also involved a code review component and discussion about database and technology choices, with a thorough grilling on 'how, what, why, why not' behind my decisions.
A classic high-level system design exercise was given, requiring me to outline the architecture of a large-scale system.
I was asked about my motivation for wanting to join Agoda.
I was asked to explain my reasons and motivation for relocating from Bangalore to Bangkok.