Twilio’s Interview Process: Insider Tips & Strategies

Remote jobs are the most sought after opportunities amongst Indian tech and digital talents today. A survey by Uplers and Kaizen Market Research revealed that 58% of Indian tech professionals would choose remote work even with a 10% salary decrease. This preference rises to 69% for the same salary and 94% with a 10%  higher salary. The reason for this trend is the work-life flexibility, career opportunities, and the motivation to upskill that talents get in remote jobs.

Aligning with these values is Twilio, a software company that uses its web service APIs to build powerful communication tools. Their cloud-based platform enables developers to program innovative tools that provide global outreach and help businesses engage with their customers. Twilio is also a remote-first company that prioritizes the freedom of its people to work from anywhere and sync up virtually to reach organizational goals. 

In a recent Remote Revolution session at Uplers, we invited Twilio’s Talent Acquisition Manager Sameer Ghoshal to share valuable insights into the company’s work culture and interview process, which we cover in the sections below.

The Twilio Magic

The Twilio Magic are the company’s core values and principles, which each and every Twilion is breathing in and out on a daily basis. 

Twilions are defined by their four fundamental foundations – Builders, Owners, Curious, and Positrons. At Twilio, people believe in solving hard problems to make a better world. They always strive to do their best work and feel empowered when they take accountability for the outcomes. The goal is to strive to be better every day and stay humble while achieving success.

Twilio also gives two company-wide breaks to their employees in April and December to relax and rejuvenate. They also have a “No meetings Friday” policy which allows people to get maximum work done at the end of the week without distractions. Twilio also supports hub in-person events for locations that have 75+ Twilions.

Those who become a part of Twilio must also align with these four values. But before becoming a Twilion, you must clear their interviews.

The Interview Process at Twilio

Twilio has a 6-step interview process that covers both technical and cultural aspects of the talent, so the recruiting manager is confident that the talent prospect can meet the high standards of the company.

1. Application Review

In this step, the recruiters review if the applicant has the skill sets and matches the expectations relevant to the open role. They also check if the talent is good with the tools and technologies important for their day-to-day tasks. The profiles that align with the requirements are shortlisted for the next step.

2. Initial Recruiter Chat (30 minutes)

Twilio’s POC reaches out to the shortlisted candidates and talks about the position they applied for, the team structure, the performance of the team and the aspirations of the hiring manager. Twilio believes in asking the right questions that shed light on your experience and skills. Therefore, they won’t ask questions like “Do you have Java experience?”, rather “How effectively have you worked with Java?”, “How would you rate yourself?”, etc. If the conversation goes well and the candidate answers all questions clearly, they move to the next round.

3. Mini Project/Assignment

Candidates who reach the third step of the interview are sent a take home test or a HackerRank test (for technical positions), which they can submit within 10 business days. The candidate’s approach to the problem and their quick turnaround are recorded to judge their capabilities. If the talent scores well in the test and meets Twilio’s benchmark, they progress to the next round.

4. Meet the Hiring Leader

In this step, the hiring manager or one of the team members connects with the talent virtually for high-level talks regarding the company, the products they are working on, and the expectations from the role. The goal of this 30 to 45-minute conversation is to understand how well you align with the job role and team dynamics.  

5. Team Introduction

In the fifth round, there can be multiple discussions with the interview panel members, depending on the level of position. For example, there can be four meetings each catering to discussions on coding, communication, functional ideas, and workstyle.

6. Offer & Update

If you make the cut, Twilio will reach out to you with a competitive offer within 48 hours of conducting the previous round. The talent partner of the company will connect with you to answer any questions you have, discuss the benefits of working at Twilio, and negotiate the contract offer.

However, if you do not meet the expectations, Twilio will keep your profile in their database and reconsider your candidature for a suitable role after a cooling period of six months.

Cracking Twilio’s Interview – Expert Tips You Must Know

Sameer Ghoshal also shared these valuable tips that you should note down before your interview at Twilio:

Learn and understand the Twilio Magic

It is very important to learn the foundations of Twilio’s work culture – The Twilio Magic. The interviewer will assess your answers and approach as per their work culture and judge if you will be able to fit into the company. The behavioral questions will be centered around them, so make sure you understand all the points and construct the right answer accordingly.

Describe your work experience

Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to properly explain the challenges you have faced in your career journey and how you resolved them diligently. Organize your answers and explain with clarity, so the interviewer knows everything about your accomplishments. 

Talk about the projects you have worked on

When you talk about your skills and accomplishments, do not forget to mention any successful projects in which you contributed. If there are live examples, perfect, share them with the interviewer and give them a walkthrough. This will help in establishing your credibility for the role and proving your expertise.

All The Best For The Interview!

We hope these tips will help you ace your interview at Twilio. Keep the above points in mind and be ready for an engaging interview process.

To get more insights on hiring and interview process at top remote companies, join our discord channel here: https://discord.gg/NMcTASJx 

Also Read: Behind the Scenes of GitLab’s Tech Interview Process