I applied online. The process took 2 days. I interviewed at Instacart (Vancouver, BC) in May 2025
Interview
The interview process began with an invitation to complete a timed HackerRank assessment consisting of one main problem and several follow-up tasks. The test lasted 90 minutes and allowed optional proctoring. Instructions were clear, and the environment was stable, with access to standard Java libraries and a recent JDK version. The progression of the questions tested both basic implementation and more advanced reasoning, with all problems building on the same context. Communication with the recruiter was minimal after the test was sent, and results were expected to be reviewed asynchronously.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
The coding interview was conducted on HackerRank and lasted 90 minutes. It focused on building a simplified banking system through one base problem with four follow-up extensions that increased in complexity. The questions involved implementing account creation, deposits, and transfers, followed by ranking logic based on transactions, time-delayed cashback payments, and maintaining accurate transaction history. The problems emphasized clean state management, correctness across time-based operations, and designing extensible logic under pressure. No system design or behavioral questions were asked—this was a purely implementation-focused interview.