Expedia Group, a leading travel technology company, operates a vast portfolio of brands including Expedia, Vrbo, and Hotels.com. Aspiring software engineers should prepare for a comprehensive interview process focusing on problem-solving and coding skills. Familiarity with agile development processes and a strong understanding of scalable systems can be advantageous. Expect to engage in technical discussions and possibly a collaborative coding exercise.
At Expedia, the interview process begins with a detailed screening of your resume to assess your expertise and suitability for the role. Following this initial assessment, candidates may be required to complete Online Assessments (OAs) which test coding skills and problem-solving ability, ensuring readiness for the technical demands of the position.
The next steps often involve one or two phone screens focusing on technical questions and behavioral assessments. Successful candidates are then invited to participate in the onsite rounds, which can include multiple interviews with team members and senior engineers. These sessions are known to be rigorous, testing both technical acumen and the ability to collaborate and fit into the company culture.
Expedia initially screens resumes to assess your technical skills and experience relevance, particularly looking for strong proficiency in programming languages and problem-solving capabilities.
Following the resume review, selected candidates must complete an Online Assessment (OA), typically involving coding tests and algorithm questions designed to evaluate your practical coding skills.
Expedia typically begins its hiring process with a phone screen. In this initial call, candidates should expect questions about their resume, past projects, and maybe a few technical questions to gauge their problem-solving abilities and coding skills.
Depending on the role and initial screening outcome, a candidate might encounter a second phone interview focused more on technical skills. This includes coding challenges or deeper discussions on specific technologies pertinent to the job description.
For Expedia's onsite rounds, applicants typically undergo three to four interviews, each lasting about 45 minutes. The interview panel usually includes both peer software engineers and hiring managers, focusing predominately on coding challenges and system design questions.
In addition to technical assessments, there is often a behavioral interview aimed at understanding the candidate's fit within Expedia's culture and their performance in collaborative or challenging situations. This segment evaluates communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and adaptability.
At Expedia, after completing the interview rounds, candidates may engage in final meetings with senior executives, followed by a session dedicated to negotiating the job offer and discussing team placement specifics.
The Expedia interview is not known for testing algorithm mastery and difficult coding challenges, so it's crucial to focus on straightforward implementation problems to solve simulation problems. Additionally, while less common, topics like Dynamic Programming and Greedy algorithms could still appear within classical problems of easy-medium difficulty level, a particular example recently seen by Leetcode users being Jump Game II. Overall, the coding interview at Expedia is much easier compared to FAANG companies, so with fluent coding and communication skills there is a good opportunity to ace the coding interview at Expedia!
Tell me about a time when you had to work with a difficult or uncooperative colleague. How did you handle the situation?
Describe a situation where you had to adapt quickly to a significant change in a project. What did you do?
Can you provide an example of a project where you implemented a new technology or process? What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?
Describe a time when you had to work with a team to overcome a significant technical challenge. What was your role, and how did you ensure the team's success?
Can you tell us about a project where you and your team had differing opinions on a solution? How did you handle the situation to move forward?
Expedia relies heavily on team collaboration to innovate and improve its travel platforms. Can you provide an example of how you have contributed to a team environment in a way that sparked innovation or improved a product?
Describe a time when you had to innovate to solve a problem. What was the challenge, and what solution did you develop?
Expedia thrives on improving user experience. Can you share a project where you significantly enhanced an application’s performance or user interface?
Tell us about a time when you had to work with a team under a tight deadline. How did you ensure your team met its goals?