Interview Experience – SDE 2 Frontend @ Jio Hotstar

Interview Experience – SDE 2 Frontend @ Jio Hotstar (Rejected after 2+ months)

I’m sharing my interview experience with Jio Hotstar for the SDE 2 Frontend role. Posting this to help others set expectations and to understand whether such experiences are common.

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Timeline

• Dec 12, 2025 – First interview round
• Feb 17, 2026 – Final round
• Total duration: ~2+ months

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Interview Rounds

Round 1 – Technical (Frontend) (Interviewer: Senior Software Engineer)

• In-depth discussion on projects from my CV
• 2 JavaScript coding questions
• JavaScript fundamentals, including:
  • Event loop
  • Async behavior
  • Execution order

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Round 2 (Interviewer: Engineering Lead) – Machine Coding

• Deep discussion on my projects
• Machine coding task:
  • Create a Dropdown component
• Followed by a detailed discussion on:
  • Design decisions
  • Edge cases
  • Accessibility
  • State management
  • Performance considerations

Both technical rounds went very well, and feedback during the interviews was positive. One of the interviewers noted that my understanding of core JavaScript fundamentals was strong.

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HR Gap & Communication Issues

After completing these rounds, there was no response for a long time.

When I followed up:

• I was reassigned to a new HR
• The new HR scheduled a Hiring Manager round, communicated as the last round before the Bar Raiser

This round was:

• Rescheduled twice, citing interviewer medical reasons

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Hiring Manager Round – Unexpected Turn

On the third attempt, the Hiring Manager round finally happened, but the discussion took an unexpected direction:

• The original role was already filled
• HR assigned me to this Hiring Manager because his team had a single opening
• The discussion shifted mainly to relocation concerns

Main Concerns Raised

• I currently work in a Hybrid model (Noida-based company)
• This role was also Hybrid (Bangalore)
• The Hiring Manager felt that:
  • I may not be comfortable relocating
  • I might soon look for another job
  • He would need to hire again

I explained my interest in:

• Working at Hotstar-scale systems
• Career growth and learning opportunities

However, the discussion felt more like convincing him that I wouldn’t leave, rather than evaluating my technical skills.

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Final Outcome

• Rejected

Reason (implicit):

• Concerns around relocation and long-term retention
• Not related to technical performance