Lead Software Engineer, Back End - L5 (Bangkok based - Relocation provided) at Agoda - Interview Preparation Plan | RealPrep

Lead Software Engineer, Back End - L5 (Bangkok based - Relocation provided) at Agoda - Interview Preparation Plan | RealPrep

Interview Process

Agoda's interview process is designed to be thorough and structured, assessing technical skills, problem-solving abilities, communication, and cultural fit. It typically involves multiple stages, from initial screening to final interviews, often including technical assessments, coding challenges, and system design discussions.

Expected Timeline: The timeline can vary, but Agoda's process is known to be relatively fast-paced. It may range from a few weeks to over a month, depending on the role and candidate availability.

Recruiter Screening

30-45 minutes

An initial call with a recruiter to discuss your background, career aspirations, and assess your general fit for the role and company.

What to expect: Be prepared to talk about your resume, motivations for applying to Agoda, and your understanding of the role. Have questions ready about the position and company.

Technical Assessments / Phone Screen

1-1.5 hours

This stage typically involves coding challenges or a technical interview focusing on data structures, algorithms, and back-end concepts. It can be done via a shared online editor or a virtual whiteboard.

What to expect: Expect questions on algorithms, data structures, scalability, and distributed systems. Practice coding on platforms like LeetCode. Be ready to explain your thought process clearly.

Platform / System Design Interview

1-1.5 hours

This round dives deeper into system design, architectural decision-making, and how you approach building scalable and robust back-end systems.

What to expect: You'll likely be asked to design a system or a part of a system. Focus on high-level design, trade-offs, scalability, reliability, and performance. Clearly articulate your design choices and reasoning.

Hiring Manager / Final Interview

45-60 minutes

A conversation with the hiring manager or senior team members, focusing on leadership, team collaboration, problem-solving approach, and cultural alignment.

What to expect: This interview assesses your leadership potential, how you handle challenges, and your fit within the team and Agoda's culture. Behavioral questions using the STAR method are common.

Interview Types & Description

Behavioral

Assesses past experiences, problem-solving approaches, and how you handle specific situations, leadership, and teamwork. Often uses the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

Preparation Tips

Prepare specific examples using the STAR method for common behavioral questions.
Highlight instances of leadership, problem-solving, and collaboration.
Be ready to discuss your career growth and learning experiences.

Sample Questions

Tell me about a time you had to lead a team through a difficult technical challenge.
Describe a situation where you disagreed with a colleague or manager. How did you handle it?
How do you stay updated with the latest back-end technologies and trends?
Give an example of a project where you took ownership and drove it to completion.

Quick Practice - Behavioral

Technical

Evaluates your proficiency in back-end technologies, coding skills, and understanding of core computer science concepts like data structures and algorithms.

Preparation Tips

Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, focusing on medium-difficulty problems.
Review fundamental data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming).
Be prepared to discuss performance implications and trade-offs of different solutions.

Sample Questions

Design an algorithm to efficiently find the k-th largest element in an unsorted array.
Implement a function to detect cycles in a directed graph.

System Design

Assesses your ability to design scalable, reliable, and maintainable distributed systems. Focuses on architectural choices, trade-offs, and components.

Preparation Tips

Understand common architectural patterns (microservices, monoliths, event-driven).
Be familiar with concepts like load balancing, caching, database sharding, and message queues.
Practice designing large-scale systems like URL shorteners, social media feeds, or e-commerce platforms.

Sample Questions

Design a URL shortening service like Bitly.
How would you design a system to handle real-time notifications for millions of users?

Culture Fit

Determines how well your values and working style align with Agoda's culture, emphasizing collaboration, ownership, and a data-driven approach.

Preparation Tips

Research Agoda's core values and be ready to provide examples of how you embody them.
Showcase your collaborative spirit and willingness to learn from others.
Express enthusiasm for Agoda's mission and the travel industry.

Sample Questions

How do you approach working in a diverse, international team?
Describe a time you took initiative to improve a process or system.