My interview process at Netflix was a tale of two experiences. It started with a positive interaction with the recruiter. They emphasized Netflix's strong culture, similar to that of the "Netflix Culture Deck," and provided some pre-reading materials. The recruiter also asked some surprisingly tough technical questions, but it seemed they were mainly looking for keyword recognition rather than in-depth understanding. However, the subsequent interview with the Hiring Manager was a stark contrast. The Hiring Manager's demeanor was overly harsh and dismissive. They repeatedly interrupted my explanations of past projects, boasted about their own technical expertise, and expected an unrealistic level of detail about every aspect of my work, even those involving collaborations with other teams. They were more interested in asserting their technical dominance than in understanding my contributions and capabilities. The interview ended prematurely, and the overall experience left a negative impression. It raised concerns about the company's interview training and candidate experience, especially for a Hiring Manager round. While Netflix's culture is often praised, this encounter highlighted a potential disconnect between their values and the actual interview process.

Screen with hiring manager, then 4 rounds: sys design, incident management, behavioral and culture. Final round with hiring manager. No live coding or overly technical questions. It was surprising actually.