DoorDash’s Interview Process & Questions

DoorDash's Interview Process for Software Engineers: 4 Steps

Mid to senior-level engineers interviewing at DoorDash can expect the following process:

• Recruiter call (30 minutes)
• Hiring manager screen (1 hour)
• Technical phone screen (1 hour)
• Onsite (4-5 hours)

General tips:

• Have STAR-style behavioral answers prepared because behavioral interviews are used for leveling
• Polish up on system design. Along with behavioral, it’s what determines your level, and the bar is high.

At DoorDash, the process has recently moved from centralized to decentralized. This means that the interview process will vary from team to team somewhat. You apply and interview for a specific role, and the hiring manager for that role will be part of your loop. You can interview for up to 3 roles at a time and will encounter interviewers from across the organization in most scenarios.

The entire process takes about 3-4 weeks but can be completed in as little as 2 weeks, according to our sources.

AI Usage

AI use in DoorDash interviews is strictly prohibited, but you can use GenAI during your prep.

Step 1: Recruiter Call

DoorDash’s recruiter call lasts 30 minutes, and it’s pretty standard fare – they’ll ask you about your previous experience, why you’re interested in DoorDash, your understanding of DoorDash’s value proposition, and what you’re looking for moving forward. They’ll also review the specific role you’re applying for to make sure your skill set matches the requirements. After this call, the recruiter will circulate your resume and specific hiring managers will have the opportunity to pick it up and request to interview you.

It’s really important, at this stage, to not reveal your salary expectations or where you are in the process with other companies. We’ve written a detailed post about salary negotiation that lays out exactly what to say if recruiters pressure you to name the first number.

Step 2: Hiring Manager Screen

This interview will be with the hiring manager for the team you applied to. They will ask you to do a deep dive into a previous project.

Step 3: Technical Phone Screen

This is a pretty standard technical screen and normally gets conducted in CodePair (HackerRank). Our sources tell us that LeetCode medium questions are pretty typical in this round.

Step 4: Onsite

At this point, candidates are split into different loops depending on the role they are interviewing for, e.g., infrastructure, frontend, backend etc. Onsite interview loops vary slightly depending on the role and seniority, but the below is generally what you’ll get:

• Two coding rounds (1 hour each). These rounds usually take place in CodePair (HackerRank). For more detail about the kinds of questions to expect, see the Coding section below.
• System design (1 hour). For more detail about the kinds of questions to expect, see the System Design section below.
• Behavioral (1 hour). For more info about what questions to expect, see the Behavioral section below.

Types of Interview Questions to Expect at DoorDash

DoorDash has shifted its process from a centralized one to a decentralized one pretty recently, so there is some variation in terms of the style of question you will encounter. That said, the engineers we’ve spoken to say it’s still pretty standard fare across the board, so practicing medium-level LeetCode questions will help.

Coding

This interview will be less algorithms and data structures heavy and will look to test your ability to write code fast and refactor quickly. You won’t be asked to use any specific programming language. Most questions should be practical in nature, and LeetCode questions that focus on job scheduling are popular.

From one of our users, who was a DoorDash interviewer:

Some questions are very practical, but it depends on the interviewer. Some love very specific LeetCode-style graph questions.

Below are the technical topics you’re likely to encounter in DoorDash interviews. To compile this list, we did two things. First, we spoke to some current and former DoorDash engineers. Then we cross-referenced all the anecdotes we heard with Glassdoor data AND our own data-set of mock interviews:

System Design

This round focuses mostly on large systems and will involve designing an entire service or app with scalability, reliability, and usability concerns in mind. Expect a vague problem with ill-defined boundaries. Your focus should be on not getting lost in one area. Ask your interviewer what area you should hone in on.

They use this round for leveling, and senior candidates should be able to call out all requirements and considerations. They aren’t looking for a full solution here, so don’t get lost in the details. Cover all bases and concerns.

Check out our guide to system design interviews to help you prepare.

Behavioral

This round varies by role but is usually with the hiring manager for your team. It is a behavioral interview, but the hiring manager will also try to close you. You could pass all the other rounds and not do well here but still get an offer. Expect to answer questions about past experiences.

How DoorDash Makes Hiring Decisions

The entire onsite panel submits written feedback after the interviews are completed, and then they have a roundtable meeting to discuss both hire/no-hire and leveling. Most of the time, decisions are reached by consensus (everyone agrees to hire or no-hire), but in cases where consensus isn’t possible, the hiring manager has final say. Our sources say that it is rare for a hiring manager to veto a hire.