Facebook Interview Process
Facebook has developed a rigorous application process for prospective employees that
ensures that the company gets top talent and finds people who fit the Facebook culture. For
those interested in technical jobs, Facebook offers an online timed coding challenge, open to all,
where the best performers automatically win a phone interview.
The phone interview is the first major step in the hiring process. It covers the candidate’s
resume and questions about previous work experiences, especially about the leadership roles
they have held in the past. Facebook recruiters pay close attention to candidates who have
been successful in previous positions and show a passion for the work they did on that job. The
length of the resume is not important at Facebook. What recruiters look for is demonstrated
excellence and accomplishments. For some positions, applicants may go through second, third,
and even fourth telephone interviews. Some of these telephone screenings can be quite lengthy
and may involve collaborative online problem-solving exercises with the person conducting the
interview.
Those who pass the telephone screening are flown to the company’s Silicon Valley
headquarters for a series of on-site interviews with the hiring manager and several team
members who are part of the work group.These interviews are designed to determine
candidates’ skills and their fit with the Facebook’s unique culture. Team members ask many
questions about the candidates experience working in teams and make note how they interact
with the team members doing the interview. If a candidate is applying for a technical position, he
or she faces more skill-based challenges and a take-home test. The team assesses not only the
candidate’s skills and abilities but also the approach they take to problem solving. Creative
solutions are particularly important. Candidates have the opportunity to offer suggestions on
how they might make the Facebook product or user experience better. Interviewers want to see
specific solutions and metrics to assess how the improvements are working.
Some of the typical questions asked in Facebook interviews are not that typical. Questions
such as, “If you were an animal what kind would you be and why?,” “What is the difference
between Facebook ads and Google ads?,” “Should Facebook be available in China?,” and
“What do you see as Facebook’s biggest challenge in the next five years?” are common. The
goal of these questions is to see how each candidate responds when faced with questions that
they could not prepare for in advance. Facebook employees who are involved in the interview
process then make a collective decision on the candidate’s fit for the position.
Interview teams expect applicants for nontechnical positions, such as business operations,
sales, marketing, or analytics, to have done a great deal of research into Facebook before they
they arrive for the interview. “If you are going to work for Facebook tomorrow, What project do
you want to work on?” wa sone question posed to a recent applicant for a market research
position.
Facebook managers recognize that once they have made the decision to hire, the candidate
also must make a decision about his or hers fit with the company’s culture. “After the interview, I
wasn’t sure if I would be happy working at Facebook,” says one software engineer candidate,
“so they let me come back and speak with my would-be manager and director, as well as some
coworkers, so I could make a good decision.”
“We’re primarily looking for builders,” says Thomas Arnold, head of recruitment at Facebook,
which prides itself on its entrepreneurial spirit. The company has maintained a flat
organizational structure that is best for those who seek to be empowered in their jobs and are
highly self motivated.
Strong applicants also “just get the social space,” says Arnold, and interviewers confirm this
by making sure that the candidate is an active Facebook user. If an applicant has not used his
or her Facebook account for several weeks, recruiters take this is a sign that he or she will not
be a good fit.
Directions: Read Entrepreneurship in Action – Facebook Interview Process in Chapter
21, page 714-715. Answer the following questions:
• What are the principles behind Facebook’s interview process? Do you think it is
too complex? Explain.
• What does the interview process tell you about Facebook’s culture? Explain.
• Can Facebook’s interview process be applied in companies that are not technology
based? How might it be applied to a company that makes golf clubs?
• Why is hiring new employees so important for a small business? Why is it so
difficult? How does the process at Facebook address some of the challenges that
companies face when hiring?
Write a 1-2 page paper detailing the above questions, and be sure to cite your
references.
