How we Hire in Engineering
Our Talent Acquisition team outlines the hiring process and shares CV and interview tips.
At Choco, culture is key. We want to not only hire the best talent for each position but also ensure they’re aligned with our company values and mission and are great people to work with. That said, we’re also conscious of the time and energy candidates put into the interview process. Therefore, we strive to find a balance and are constantly adapting our hiring process to reflect this.
In this article, our Tech Talent Acquisition team lead Ferenc Csonka explains what to expect during the hiring process with Choco, and shares tips and tricks on how you can stand out from the crowd and nail your interviews!
Our tech recruitment process at a glance
So you’ve impressed our team and made it through the preliminary screening round - well done! Now it’s time to meet your interviewers and begin the recruitment process. Depending on the role and seniority, you’ll typically go through 3 to 4 rounds of interviews before getting an offer. And although this could be subject to change based on the circumstance, this is what you can likely expect.
Interview #1: Chat with a Talent Acquisition Manager
In this 30-minute interview, you’ll meet one of our tech recruiters to discuss your qualifications, skills, and ambitions. Leverage this stage to learn more details about our tech stack, challenges, and opportunities! They’ll also provide some further insight into the role and Choco in general. This gives both you and the recruiter the opportunity to see if we’d be a good match. In this meeting, you’ll also get further details about the interview process and the next steps.
Interview #2: Time to partner up for some pair programming
This is your opportunity to geek out with the team about what you love in terms of tech, dive deeper into challenges, and learn more about our team from an insider’s view! For most of our engineering roles, we have candidates go through a live coding session for 60 to 90 minutes, depending on the role. The session is designed to uncover algorithmic problem-solving skills through code applied to real-life situations. This gives our team a good idea of how qualified a certain candidate may be for the position.
Note: For more senior candidates, expect a different software design and architectural skills interview where you’ll be presented with a problem and asked to design a system that meets the requirements.
Interview #3: Deeper dive into your communication skills and aptitude for the position
For the final stage of the interview, you’ll be chatting with more members of the Engineering team. This is a great chance to talk about how you love to work and what environment and culture empower you the most! The purpose here is to learn more about your motivations and drive, how you can contribute to Choco’s culture, and your collaboration skills.
Ferenc sums up his feelings about working at Choco.
“Our vision – to enable a sustainable food system – is what unites Chocorians. You don’t need to be an expert on the inner workings of the food supply chain to work at Choco. However, you’ll be able to go to work every day knowing that you’re part of something big. And that feels great!”
How to stand out from the crowd
Now that you’re familiar with our tech recruiting process, here are some tips and tricks to ace your interviews with Choco from our very own Tech Talent Acquisition Team!
Do your research before the interview
Our recruiters appreciate it when candidates take the time to learn more about Choco before the interview. In general, you can start by reexamining the job description. A well-written job ad should give you a good insight into what would be expected of you in the role (thus, what some of the interview questions might focus on) as well as the company in general.
It’s also worth checking out a company's social media channels and website, including its product page(s), career site, and more. Doing so often helps add more context to the job description and can give you a better understanding of the company’s core values.
If you’re reading this in preparation for your upcoming interview with Choco, here are some quick links to help you kickstart your research:
Don’t forget to ask questions
Even though you’ll be asked questions during an interview, don’t forget that you can ask questions too! Asking the right questions can also help showcase your soft skills, like an entrepreneurial mindset and the ability to collaborate within a team. But also be sure to ask questions if you’re just genuinely curious about the role. For example, maybe you’d like to know what challenges a person in this role could face or what long-term growth opportunities may be available.
Whatever it may be, asking questions is 100% encouraged and welcomed while interviewing with us at any stage of the process.
Be authentic, be yourself
The Choco tech organization is a place where differences are celebrated and belonging is felt each and every day. During your interview process, we want you to feel comfortable as you are - whoever that may be. We don’t expect you to follow a dress code or try to be someone you’re not. Just be sure to come well-rested and in a place with minimal distractions.
Ferenc emphasizes the fact that interviews are a two-way street.
“Approach interviews as a conversation, not an interrogation. We want to learn more about you, your skills, and your achievements.”
Last but not least, remember to be open and honest. We want to know what you’re passionate about and what drives you as well as the things you don’t care for. At the end of the day, we want to ensure you’d be comfortable, happy, and empowered to do the role you’re applying for.
CV optimization tips from our hiring team
Want to make your CV stand out from the crowd? Here are some resume tips and tricks from our Talent Acquisition team.
Ensure it’s clean, concise, and informative
Keep it no longer than 2 pages
Highlight the best work and milestones from your past experiences
Avoid adding reference letters or quotes directly on your CV
We love seeing links to Stack Overflow, GitHub profiles, or to any open-source contributions
List all the tools and technologies used at each of your past companies.
And that’s it!
We hope this article helps prepare you for your own interview process. If you haven't already applied, perhaps this is your sign to check out our open roles! We’re hiring and looking for ambitious people to join our team.
Check out our open roles and let’s get your interview process rolling.