Do you want to work at Netflix, one of the most prominent entertainment and media companies on the planet?

It should be no surprise that the Netflix interview process is challenging as they fight for the world's best technical talent.

If you're interviewing at Netflix, you'll face several tough rounds of interviews, assessments, and meetings with hiring managers and future coworkers.

Below, we break down the Netflix interview process and top questions you should expect to answer.

What is the Netflix interview process?

The Netflix interview process typically takes about three weeks and involves:

A call with a recruiter,
A screening with a hiring manager,
A technical screen,
An extensive onsite interview.

Netflix doesn't consider themselves a family like some tech companies. Instead, they view themselves as a high-performing sports team.

They often refer to their employees as a "dream team".

Netflix's career portal showcases their cultural values.

Netflix is a diverse engineering-focused company, meaning most roles and interview loops will focus on your technical knowledge or your ability to integrate with engineering teams.

You can interview with several Netflix teams at the same time, potentially improving your chances of receiving a job offer.

The interview process isn't centralized, meaning different teams or roles may not follow predictable formats. To get hired, you must perform well in every interview round, as the hiring team must make a unanimous decision about you.

Step 1: Recruiter phone screen

The first step of the process is a simple recruiter call. Before the call, your recruiter will send you Netflix's core values.

What makes Netflix special is how much they:

Encourage decision-making by employees
Share information openly, broadly and deliberately
Communicate candidly and directly
Keep only highly-effective people
Avoid rules

This initial recruiter phone screening will be relatively quick, around 30 minutes or so.

You'll walk through your resume, the role, and then schedule the rest of your interviews. Expect questions like:

Why Netflix?
Tell me about yourself.
What's an obstacle you’ve overcome?

Netflix places enormous emphasis on their core values. The simple recruiter screen is usually easier to make up for harder rounds later on.

Step 2: Technical screen

Next, there’s a technical phone screen.

This interview lasts between 45-60 minutes and varies greatly between teams, including the tooling you’ll use.

Expect the recruiter to take several days to schedule this round after you complete the initial screening.

The technical phone screens at Netflix are conducted either by a manager or engineer.

Engineering roles

In this round, expect to answer a mix of technical questions, behavioral and culture questions, and a general coding exercise.

You can't prepare for these interviews by studying common data structures and algorithms problems. Netflix doesn't ask straightforward coding questions.

Instead, you'll be asked about your previous work.

"If you want to practice, focus on medium-difficulty real-world problems you might encounter in a software engineering role." - Netflix Director of Engineering.

Visit Netflix's engineering blog to learn about their tech stack and how Netflix is built.

Data roles

For data roles at Netflix, prepare to answer SQL and probability questions.

At this stage, you might get asked about times you’ve discovered and presented data. Or, if it’s a data engineering position, you’ll hear a technical question.

Tell me about a time you solved a business problem with data.
How do you conduct effective A/B tests?

Product or business roles

For other roles like in product or business, expect questions about your ability to work with data and support technical teams.

Tell me about a time you used data to change someone’s mind.
What metrics are most important for Netflix’s homepage?

Interview or take-home-assessment

In some interviews, you may have a choice between a live technical screening or a take-home assessment.

It will not make a significant difference which one you choose, so long as you ace the round. Choose the format that you’re most confident in.

For example, if you get nervous during live coding exercises, perhaps the take home assignment is the way to go.

Step 3: On-site interviews

Finally, you'll need to complete several on-site interviews. Netflix breaks their on-site interview rounds into two main parts:

Round 1

The first round of on-site interviews consists of approximately five individual interviews.

Netflix's teams conduct interviews differently, but there’s usually a mix of technical screenings and problem-solving tests.

Engineering roles will ask you to solve various design and coding problems. These questions reflect real-world challenges Netflix faces.
Data roles have questions on experimentation, A/B testing, and machine learning.
Product and business roles have behavioral, product design, product strategy, and metrics questions.

All roles will go through an HR review interview to better assess your culture fit.

All interview stages matter, but the final first-round meeting with the hiring manager is particularly important.

ℹ️

Netflix prioritizes cultural fit over engineering skills.

Round 2

The second round of interviews is much shorter. This time, you’ll meet with three Netflix team members: A member of HR, a hiring manager, and another engineering or product leader.

These interviews will be generally less technical. These interviews are more about finding a culture fit with behavioral questions.

From a Netflix engineer:

"Our work involves being deep domain experts. We work with a variety of different stakeholders and service owners. As such, we often have to explain how our system works and why it works the way it does. You should prepare a short 10-15 minute talk on a technical topic that interests you. You won't need a slide deck or PDF. Instead, bring your passion and domain expertise. Prepare to talk about your biggest technical failures and achievements." - Netflix EM Blog

Hiring Decision

After completing all on-site meetings, your role in the Netflix Interview process is done.

Expect a wait of 1-2 weeks for Netflix to get back to you about your candidacy.

If your previous experience was relevant and you were considered a good fit for Netflix’s culture, you'll receive a call to negotiate salary and discuss other details!

If you’re not hired, don't worry. You can reapply after 6-12 months.

What are the top Netflix interview questions?

Here are some questions Netflix candidates reported getting asked in recent interviews.

Remember, Netflix places a lot of emphasis on their core values. You’ll likely get asked about them throughout your interview loops.

Netflix also prides itself on giving and receiving direct feedback. Be prepared to receive feedback during your interviews.

Behavioral Questions

Tell me about a challenging situation in your last team that you resolved.
Tell me about a time you gave difficult feedback to a coworker?
Tell me about an obstacle you’ve overcome.
What other entertainment or media companies have you worked for?
Tell me about a time you were honest at work.
Why do you want to work at Netflix?

Coding Questions

As noted earlier, Netflix doesn't place much emphasis on coding questions by themselves. Instead, they test coding knowledge amongst larger engineering scenarios.

However, here are some common coding questions to practice the fundamentals.

Summary Ranges: Compile a list of ranges summarizing the numbers in a sequence.
Logger Rate Limiter: Design a logger system that prevents messages from being printed if they have been printed in the last 10 seconds.
Merge Intervals: Given a collection of intervals, merge all overlapping intervals.
LRU Cache:: Implement an LRU cache mechanism with efficient operations.
Flatten Nested List Iterator: Implement an iterator to flatten a nested list structure.
Top K Frequent Elements: Find the k most frequent elements in a non-empty array.
Top K Frequent Words: Return the k most frequent words in an array of words.
Random Pick with Weight: Pick a random index from an array, where the probability of picking each index is weighted.
First Missing Positive: Find the smallest missing positive integer from an unsorted array.

System Design

Design Netflix.
Design Reddit.
Design TikTok.
Tell me about a time you handled a security problem.
Tell me about a time you built a system with high availability.

Data Questions

Brush up SQL and probability questions. Be prepared to present or analyze case studies. Expect machine learning questions too if the role calls for it.

How do you detect anomalies in data?
How would you design an experiment for a new video streaming feature?
How would you determine if the price of a Netflix subscription causes churn?
Write a SQL query to join two tables and extract some data.
Describe a time you answered a business question with multiple datasets.

Machine Learning

If your data role is engineering-focused, prepare for some machine learning questions too.

Explain the differences between machine learning and deep learning.
Explain the differences between classification and regression.
When is a deep learning neural network inappropriate?
Build a model to predict churn if Netflix raises its prices.

Netflix Interview Loops Explained

According to a Netflix engineering manager, they're looking for engineers who can write clean and efficient code, with a strong interest in building reliable systems.

Experience with distributed systems is preferred, but expertise in complex areas like Digital Signal Processing (DSP) or kernel development is also valuable.

The company aims to diversify its team, not just replicate it. By hiring people with different viewpoints, Netflix can explore a broader range of solutions and ideas, avoiding the trap of focusing too narrowly on specific goals.

Coding

There's a technical assessment that involves a practical homework assignment that candidates can complete at home, simulating a real-world coding environment.

This task is designed to be a realistic predictor of job performance.

Candidates are not required to write code on whiteboards or use specialized software. Instead, they are given full internet access to create solutions in a familiar setting.

It takes between 2 to 4 hours total for two independent reviewers to evaluate the submission, and we suggest that the candidate should spend about this much time authoring their submission. "If you pass the homework, we bring you onsite."

System Design

Coding exercises aren't nearly as important as the system design rounds at Netflix. They're a core component of technical interviews.

"If you want to practice, focus on medium-difficulty real-world problems you might encounter in a software engineering role." - Netflix Director of Engineering.

System design is so integral to Netflix that aspects of it are often incorporated into coding rounds too.

You should have experience with:

large-scale systems,
ensuring high availability,
and maintaining security.

Prepare to explain how you’ve thought about building large scale systems in your previous work.

Your interviewer is listening for indications that you’ll be able to think critically about Netflix.

Scaling, Security, and Reliability

Netflix's system design questions often focus on scaling. They’re designed to highlight issues like security and reliability.

The emphasis on real-world application means questions will likely be related to Netflix’s current products or services.

How to Prepare

Understanding Netflix’s architectural principles and their team's technologies is beneficial.

Study their tech stack, open-source initiatives, and service ecosystem inter-dependencies. This will enable you to propose solutions within their existing frameworks.

The tools and technologies you'll discuss depend on the team, so prepare in a way that's customized to them. Knowing their current systems and potential improvements can help you perform well in the interview.

Behavioral

Netflix, like Amazon, places enormous emphasis on their core values. Your recruiter will send them to you before the interview.

You'll be tested throughout your journey on how well you'll fit into the Netflix culture.

Judgment: Makes informed, long-term decisions, even with limited clarity.
Selflessness: Prioritizes Netflix's interests and supports team success.
Courage: Makes swift, bold decisions and embraces constructive feedback.
Communication: Listens effectively and communicates clearly in diverse settings.
Inclusion: Embraces and advocates for diversity and equality in the workplace.
Integrity: Acts with transparency, honesty, and accountability.
Passion: Demonstrates deep commitment to Netflix’s success and excellence.
Innovation: Innovates and simplifies processes to adapt to changes.
Curiosity: Actively seeks new knowledge and understands consumer trends.

Netflix Interview Tips

What should you know before your interviews start?

Netflix hires for teams.

The Netflix hiring process is team-dependent.

As a result, some interview processes at the company may differ slightly from others, depending on the position you’re interviewing for.

Netflix rarely hires new grads.

Unfortunately, Netflix rarely hires fresh graduates or interns for its open positions.

Usually, hiring managers at the company prefer candidates with at least 3 or more years of previous experience.

This doesn’t mean it’s impossible to get a job at Netflix as a new grad, but don’t be surprised if they pass over your application until you've got more seniority.

The culture fit is make or break.

The culture-fit is the most significant factor for Netflix hiring. Spend as much time as you can studying the company's core values.

Then, inject your stories with examples of these principles.

Netflix favors self-directed candidates.

The leadership style for many managers at Netflix is pretty hands-off.

Hiring managers want to be certain that their candidates can act in an autonomous, self-directed fashion.

This, of course, relates to culture fit at the company, but you’ll need to ensure that you show your capacity for taking initiative, making self-directed decisions, and thriving on a significant amount of personal autonomy.

Netflix's "Keeper Test."

Netflix's "Dream Team" core value includes the "Keeper Test." This asks managers if they would try to get an employee to stay if the employee decided to leave.

If the manager wouldn't fight to keep the employee, they fail the "Keeper Test."

Hiring managers consider this test when deciding whether to offer a job to a candidate.

Get an Employee Referral

As we mentioned, Netflix is one of the largest tech companies on the planet. An excellent way to get noticed is to get a referral from an existing Netflix employee.

FAQs

What should I expect during the recruiter phone screen at Netflix?

The recruiter phone screen is the first step in the Netflix interview process. During this roughly 30-minute call, you will discuss your resume and the role you're applying for.

The recruiter will also introduce you to Netflix's core values. Common questions you might face include "Why Netflix?" and "Tell me about yourself."

This initial screening is designed to be lighter to prepare you for more challenging rounds that follow.

How hard are Netflix technical interviews?

Netflix interviews are notoriously challenging, but not impossible. Preparing for Netflix's technical rounds requires a focused approach since these rounds test both your technical skills and alignment with the company’s culture.

Instead of traditional coding problems, Netflix focuses on real-world system design and engineering problems re

Reviewing Netflix’s engineering blog to understand their tech stack and preparing to discuss your past projects and how they relate to real-world scenarios i

Remember, each team might focus on different aspects, so tailoring your prep based on the specific role and team is key.

More Interview Prep Resources

Here at Exponent, we have dozens of different interview resources to help you breeze through your Netflix interviews:

👨‍🎓 Take one of our comprehensive interview courses

💬 Get prepared with example interview questions

📖 Read through one of our interview guides

👯‍♂️ Practice your behavioral and interviewing skills with our interview practice tool.

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