I applied online. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at Walmart (Sunnyvale, CA) in June 2018
Interview
This was a terrible experience overall. Very poorly orchestrated interview process right off the bat.
I was directly contacted by the hiring manager for a phone screen. A week later the recruiter informed me that I was invited onsite for 6 interviews (1 hour each)
After spending the whole day onsite the hiring manager let me know I'd know the outcome the next day. However, the next day the recruiter asks me to come back for 2 more interviews onsite; no explanation for why, with whom, etc. Very rude communication and no attempt to accommodate with the timing either. One would assume they would structure the interview panel to include all interested teams in the 1st place, not keep calling a candidate back for additional team interviews.
Anyway, after spending 9 hours total (including 1 hour over the phone), these guys didn't even have the decency to get back with a response or follow-up: it's been over a month. Really disappointing process and interactions.
I will obviously never interview with them again and would actively encourage my peers to never interview with them either.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
String/array manipulation, system design, backtracking algorithm, LRU cache, memory management
Looking back, I feel like I gained a clearer understanding of the process, even though I ultimately turned down the offer. The technical rounds were straightforward, featuring an implementation question on an LRU cache and a system design question about a rate limiter for an API. What helped me a lot was the walkthroughs for system design I went through on PracHub, which made those types of questions feel familiar. Overall, it was an easy experience, but I just didn't feel it was the right fit for me.
Interview questions [2]
Question 1
Implement an LRU cache with O(1) get and put using a hash map plus doubly linked list
First, standard short phone call with recruiter. Then a 1-hour interview with an engineer on the team, asked about technical experience and background, and did a live coding assessment via video call. Fairly standard Leetcode style questions
Intense but rewarding — the interview for the Software Engineer position at Walmart Labs was tougher than I anticipated. The technical rounds included an LRU Cache implementation question where I had to articulate my design thoughts on thread safety, followed by a complex system design for a real-time inventory service. What made a difference in my prep were the company-specific prompts I found on prachub.com; they really helped me understand the types of questions I might face. Despite the challenging nature of the interviews, I ultimately received an offer but chose to decline.