Speechify Senior Software Engineer interview questions

Applied and got an instant automated response inviting me to a 90-minute proctored coding test. Camera on, full screen recorded. No phone screen, no conversation about the role, team, compensation, and no opportunity for the candidate to ask questions and see if this is the right fit for them. The test bans AI tools (despite Speechify literally being an AI company that clearly uses AI to automate their recruitment), bans looking up problem solving approaches online, and leaves "reviewer discretion" to judge if your internet usage crossed their arbitrary line. This is a fundamental misunderstanding of how engineers work and indicates some pretty shocking engineering culture. When I withdrew and explained that a 15-minute call would be more efficient for everyone, they sent back a defensive response justifying why they need to record candidates and monitor their screens to ensure "fairness and authenticity." If you don't trust candidates enough to have a conversation before subjecting them to 90 minutes of surveillance, your hiring is fundamentally broken. Companies that treat candidates like potential cheaters from the first interaction aren't worth your time.