Pennylane (France) Software Developer interview questions

The process started well with the initial screening call, which went smoothly. However, things became more complicated afterward, as I had to follow up multiple times with HR to move forward to the next steps. For the next stage, I was asked to build a small application. I completed the assignment and prepared for what I expected to be a technical discussion about the implementation and design choices. Unfortunately, the interview itself was not a great experience. One of the interviewers joined the call with a very stiff and unwelcoming attitude, which made the atmosphere tense from the start. Instead of focusing on the technical aspects of the project, they asked several vague, non-technical questions such as how I would monetize the app I had just built or how I would expand it as a product. While these can be interesting product discussions, the questions felt more like pressure than a constructive conversation. There was little effort to guide the discussion or help clarify expectations. Another difficulty was that it was quite hard to understand the main interviewer’s English, which made communication more challenging during the call. In the end, only about five minutes were left to discuss the technical side of the project, which I had expected to be the main focus of the interview. Overall, the process felt disorganized and not very candidate-friendly.

The interview process went very smoothly and was one of the fastest I’ve experienced. The whole process took less than three weeks. There were three stages: an initial screening call, a take-home assignment with a week to prepare and present to two developers, and a final interview with two senior engineering managers. Feedback was very quick throughout, and what I appreciated most were the follow-up calls with Marie-Lucile after each stage to share detailed feedback. Overall, a really great candidate experience.