I applied online. The process took 1 day. I interviewed at Deliveroo in Nov 2024
Interview
I believe in the principle that 'sharing is caring,' so I'd like to share my recent experience with an interview process. I was applying for a Senior role at a big tech company and received an invitation for an initial interview. The email outlined that the conversation would focus on my experience, projects, and what I’m seeking in my next role. It also mentioned that the call would give me a chance to learn more about the company and its journey.
However, when the interview began, the focus shifted unexpectedly towards system design questions. While I’m confident in my skills, I wasn’t prepared for an in-depth technical test during what I had expected to be more of a conversation about my background and the role. Toward the end, the recruiter asked about 'sharding' in the context of rolling out new features. I explained that sharding is typically not necessary unless there’s a data scaling issue, and replication can be sufficient in many cases.
I realized the recruiter seemed to be from a third-party agency, rather than directly from Deliveroo. Based on this interview, I could sense some issues with the company culture, and the "low" ratings on Glassdoor seem to be accurate. I’m glad I avoided moving forward with this opportunity.
Hi there - really sorry to hear about your experience. We don't tend to work with third-party agencies for our software engineering roles... so I'm interested in who contacted you. Would you mind sending me an email? I'd love to look into it some more, and make it up to you in some small way. jamie.edwards+glassdoor@deliveroo.co.uk
Positive experience
Average interview
Application
I interviewed at Deliveroo (London, England)
Interview
2 coding tests (Online test and take home assignment)
3 round interviews (HR screen, Coding Review, System Design)
My last stage is the System Design interview
After the process, they sent me a review
I interviewed at Deliveroo (London, England) in Nov 2025
Interview
The process took so long, and I feel like I just lost my time.
I had to go through this process for a month, and by the end, I did not receive feedback.
1. Hr Call.
2. Take-home programming test
3.1 Take-home programming test followed by a pair programming test to review the code
3.2 System design. The recruiter told me it would be the same System design interview as always, but they asked me to design something different from what they had asked before.
3.3 Behaviour Interview.
I don't know what Deliveroo wants. All my interviews were positive, but the hiring committee decided not continue with the process. I didn't receive a feedback email saying what happened
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Same programming take-home test
The system design interview was different from what it used to be
Behavioural about leadership
I applied through a recruiter. I interviewed at Deliveroo in Oct 2025
Interview
Here's a professional expansion:
**Interview Process Experience:**
The process began with a recruiter screen where I engaged positively, acknowledging the recruiter's role in connecting candidates with opportunities. Shortly after, I received an online coding assessment—a standard but telling practice that increasingly signals companies offloading evaluation effort onto candidates' time without reciprocal investment.
**Reflection**: Online tests have become a filtering mechanism that extracts significant energy from job seekers while requiring minimal company resources. For someone with years of proven production experience, certifications, and a track record of delivering measurable impact, these generic assessments rarely capture actual capability or cultural fit. They often favor those who optimize for test-taking over those who excel at building real systems.
This approach suggests a transactional hiring philosophy rather than a genuine evaluation of senior engineering talent. Strong companies invest time upfront in meaningful technical conversations that assess judgment, architectural thinking, and collaboration—not algorithmic puzzle-solving under artificial constraints.
**Takeaway**: I'm seeking organizations that value demonstrated experience and engage candidates as professionals, not as interchangeable test-takers in a volume-driven pipeline.