I applied online. The process took 2 months. I interviewed at Niantic (Bellevue, WA) in Feb 2022
Interview
Pretty standard process
1. Call with recruiter to determine background/interest
2. 45 min technical phone screen going over a fairly simple coding problem
3. Virtual On-Site (3 technical, 1 behavioral, 45 min each)
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Phone Screen: LeetCode Easy level question about random distribution
On-Site Technical #1: LeetCode Medium level question about developing an optimal strategy for a game
On-Site Technical #2: 2 Applied Math problems requiring basic vector manipulation (Know Dot Product) + a few questions about common design patterns and when you'd apply them (singletons, observables, etc.)
On-Site Technical #3: Talking through hypothetical engineering problems at a high level (Very free-form, more about learning about the role)
I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Niantic (Los Angeles, CA) in Dec 2021
Interview
Submit application online -> Online assignment: CodeSignal (70 min, 4 questions) -> Receive VO invitation from HR -> 1st Round: one 45-min interview -> Receive VO invitation from HR -> 2nd Round: two 45-min interviews.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
OA: 4 questions on the CodeSignal platform within 70min. VOs: Self-introduction, normal programming questions, followed with behavior questions like why Niantic, most challenging project.
I applied online. The process took 4 months. I interviewed at Niantic in Dec 2021
Interview
The interview process took about 4 months in total. It was, by far, the longest interview process I've ever had. I would strongly recommend following up with your recruiter 1 week after each interview, or you may be waiting a very long amount of time. I followed up after about 1.5 - 2 weeks each time. Hours after I would follow-up, I was told I made it to the next round. You'll read other interview experiences below indicating that the time to hear a response after the interview exceeded 3 weeks, so be sure to follow up after 1 week, consistently, or you might be forgotten about.
The team is lovely to chat with. They are laid back, kind, and genuinely want to help you succeed in the interview. I would have said that my experience was Positive, but 4 months is simply too long to be interviewing. At that point, my situation had changed, so I declined the offer.
There were 4 interviews.
1) Coding test in React with a technical lead (60 mins)
2) Panel interview with 3 groups (2.5 hours)
3) Manager / HR interview (30 mins each x 2)
4) Hiring manager interview (30 mins)
I thought it was strange that the HR interview was saved for the end. Most places will do that at the beginning. As a result, important items like remote work and Covid policies were not explained until the end.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
I can't go into detail because of NDA, but the questions were a combination of coding tests and system design. I normally perform very poorly on coding tests, but I did well on these because of how supportive the staff is.