The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Fonoa (Zagreb) in Jan 2025
Interview
I’ve had a screening video call, where I was told that selection process consists of following steps:
1) Introductory interview
2) Short intro assignment consisting of two open-ended questions (listed in a separate section below)
3) Tech interview
4) Technical assignment - estimated by the interviewer to take beween 6-8 hours of candidate’s time (way too long in my opinion)
5) Interview with department director
My application was rejected after step 2, and I was informed that the team concluded my answers didn’t match their need for the position. Rejection contained generic reason that didn’t explain what exactly was wrong with my answers.
Even if I had passed onto the following steps, I would have withdrawn my application, because technical assignment would take too much of my time.
One other thing - I was informed that WFH is not supported, but that position is hybrid (if I recall correctly, 3 days from office). However parking spot is not provided, and workers are expected to pay out-of-pocket for their own parking. This I consider not be be fair, since they insist on coming to office.
Interview questions [2]
Question 1
Tell us about a time in which you had to solve a complex problem with a simple solution
I applied through an employee referral. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at Fonoa (London, England) in Oct 2025
Interview
The interview process included an initial screening, followed by a written assignment documenting past product decisions. I then had an interview to discuss the exercise and explain a technical concept, followed by an interactive exercise requiring me to meet challenging SLAs. The next stage involved discussing the exercise results and my leadership approach. The final stages consisted of interviews to discuss the company's vision and alignment. Overall, very smooth and interesting process. Timely feedback was provided at each stage.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Questions regarding the exercises done beforehand. All of these must be done and analyzed carefully.
I applied online. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at Fonoa (London, England) in Sep 2025
Interview
I think more tech companies could take a page from Fonoa’s approach to hiring. Instead of high-pressure DSA-style interviews, the process focuses on practical implementations such as building a real service that demonstrates how you actually work. While there are multiple rounds, including a take-home portion, everything is well structured and streamlined. The process can take a few weeks, but it feels purposeful rather than drawn out.
I also had several conversations with leadership along the way, which were engaging and gave me a genuine sense of the company’s open culture. Overall, the interview process was challenging but low-stress and reflective of real developer skills.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
I was given a take-home challenge with two weeks to complete it, though there were no strict time limits once I started. The task involved building an API service using a tool called Autoiterative, which simulates a real development workflow. No restrictions on technology or coding language/framework. The most challenging part was meeting the performance and scaling SLAs.