Netskope

The interview was moderate. Most of the questions were from networking and systems-related areas. One who prepares to attend, please have a good understanding of how websites, certificates, HTTPS, and SSH work at a deep level, and also refresh your troubleshooting knowledge in the Linux environment.

Got call from TA regarding the job opening. Then applied and they provided some slots for the interview. Interview process was good, interviewrs were good and friendly. I think TAs are not doing their job properly. After interview got a call that I got selected and asked for the details. But its almost more than 4 weeks but not hearing anything from them. Whenever asking about offer document over mail they are simply giving next date. I think they are just buying time to get some cheap developer. If they don't want to go ahead they can just say no rather than giving new dates.

The process for a Staff SDET role lasted over 8 weeks. Despite clearing 4 technical rounds with "good" feedback, the process was a mess of internal misalignment. An "exploratory" round was pitched as a casual chat but turned into a full-scale evaluation—a clear sign that they were second-guessing their own process or trying to find reasons to stall. I was left hanging for 2 weeks mid-process with no communication. It became clear that while I was being told the offer was "CEO Approved," they were actually benchmarking—simultaneously searching for other candidates who might accept a lower salary or had a more specific niche, all while keeping me "on ice." The Fabricated Exit: After asking for all documents, HR suddenly claimed a "VP of HR rejection" due to a negative reference. I cross-checked with my referred manager, who confirmed the feedback was entirely positive. Using a "bad reference" as a lame excuse to mask a budget freeze or a pivot to a cheaper candidate is a bottom-tier recruitment practice. Advice to Management: If you don't have the budget or are still "shopping" for a better deal, don't lead senior talent on for 2 months. Using a candidate's professional reputation (references) as a shield for your internal indecision is unethical.

Covered a mix of technical and practical skills. Talent Acquisition Round: Focused on overall experience, background, and alignment with the role. Coding Round: Included two problems—one based on strings and another on trees. The questions were of moderate difficulty and required clear problem-solving approach. Test Planning & Automation: Asked to create a test plan for a given feature with P0 coverage and also debug a flaky automation test scenario. This round was very relevant to real-world SDET responsibilities. Automation Framework Design: Involved designing a feature end-to-end, including high-level design, directory structure, classes, methods, validations, and expected outcomes. Hiring Manager Round: Focused on past project experience, architectural decisions, and handling of challenges.

I had 6 rounds of interviews, 4 technical and 2 techno-managerial rounds. All the rounds were very cordial and at the same time very good in-depth discussions. The interviewers were good ambassadors of the company. All the discussions revolved around real world systems design and resolution of issues. Overall, a very positive experience.