Initial screening followed by a technical interview. The technical interview relied heavily on whiteboarding and focused more on engineering and architecture. There was some confusion with interview logistics which led to a delayed start and a slightly rushed discussion. this aspect of the process could have been improved. Overall, the interviewers were friendly and professional.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Walk us through the most complex architecture you've built and explain your role, design decisions and technical trade offs.
I applied online. The process took 5 weeks. I interviewed at Macquarie Group (Manila, Manila) in Jan 2025
Interview
It's a long process (5 levels) but it was very smooth.
Starts with the recruiter to get your overall experience. Initial technical interview with senior managers who focuses on your experience and knowledge on system design. Then a psychometric exam which is probably the hardest part of the whole process so make sure to practice (a lot!). A final interview with technology directors who once again focus on your experience and architecture knowledge. Lastly, a formality interview with another head (non-tech). While the process is long, it was smooth and all of the interviewers were really nice. It was one of the best interview process that I've been a part of.
I applied online. The process took 3 months. I interviewed at Macquarie Group (London, England) in Jun 2023
Interview
Low bar but long process.
Very long process led up to the interviews. Internal recruiters tried to fit me into a job I didn't want: make sure you start with a recruiter who "owns" the job you want or they may do this. No communication for many weeks does not mean you are out of the process.
With no practice and nerves I clearly failed some parts of the IQ test-style "aptitude test" but they continued with the interview process anyway. This kind of test has easy questions but short time allocation; the questions are very standard so practice-able.
Despite being slotted into interview for the wrong job - which the recruiter was well aware of - I went ahead on the offchance I changed my mind, and for the practice.
The technical interview was perfunctory. The interviewers seemed competent but knew they would not work with me, and seemed to want to get the task out of the way rather than seriously assess my suitability for the job.
The final interview was conducted by two people. The interviewer with the more senior position talked at length about the company and her position in it in a way that did not seem relevant to the job. Many of the questions were of standard "can you think of a time when..." type. One place I clearly failed was when asked about this company's very poor public reputation: because of my lack of interest in the role I hadn't searched or recalled their reputation.