Research Scientist applicants have rated the interview process at TikTok with 3.2 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest level of difficulty) and assessed their interview experience as 33% positive. To compare, the company-average is 37.3% positive. This is according to Glassdoor user ratings.
Candidates applying for Research Scientist roles take an average of 26 days to get hired, when considering 18 user submitted interviews for this role. To compare, the hiring process at TikTok overall takes an average of 30 days.
Common stages of the interview process at TikTok as a Research Scientist according to 18 Glassdoor interviews include:
One on one interview: 29%
Phone interview: 25%
Skills test: 21%
Presentation: 17%
Background check: 8%
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Totally 4 rounds of technical interviews. First 3 with US-based employees, last with China-based employee. Last one has questions that are random and unnecessarily difficult, and the interviewer wasn't nice. It seems like the China-based employees want to raise the bar while the company claims they're actively hiring in US.
There are multiple rounds with their US and overseas teams. The interview questions are standard but detailed and heavily screwed towards engineering implementations. Some interviewers look tired and start right away with technical questions. Feel like more of an exam rather than collaborative discussion.
self introduction; easy coding (write a function to produce fibonacci numbers + complexity analysis + recusion/dynamic programming); deep dive into my own research; casual talk on the team and tasks;
I applied online. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at TikTok (San Jose, CA) in Mar 2026
Interview
The process started with an HR screening, followed by three technical interviews, and concluded with a final interview with the Hiring Manager. Overall, the process moved quickly, and each stage felt smooth and well-structured. My performance seemed solid throughout, and the discussions with the interviewers were generally positive and engaging. Despite this, I was ultimately rejected after the final interview.