Interviewing for a new role can be nerve-wracking. At Buildkite, we’ve designed our hiring process to give you the best opportunity to demonstrate your skills in a comfortable, remote setting. Through an exploratory and conversational approach, interviewing with Buildkite should provide you with a chance to gather the information you need to make a decision on whether Buildkite and the role are right for you.
Please note that the exact hiring process will be different for each role, but here’s a general guide to help you prepare for what to expect.
Initial application submission
We use BeApplied or Lever to manage our hiring process, depending on the role. Neither require a resume.
BeApplied asks a few questions designed to give you insight into the skills you'll use in the role and to help you work out if it's the right role for you. We're hopeful the questions will take you approximately the same amount of time as drafting a traditional resume and cover letter.
With Lever, you don’t need to complete every section of the application form. Just send through any link or document you’re proud of that helps us understand your skillset. This doesn’t have to be a resume, but it can be. There’s also a section to write some words about you and why this role interests you if you like.
Screening interview
You’ll have an initial video call with a member of our People team where you’ll hear about Buildkite and the role. This is also a time for you to talk about your skills, what interests you about the role, and get your initial questions answered.
Second interview
You’ll meet with two Buildkiters. These two people will be folks you’ll potentially be working closely with and who have technical expertise similar to what is needed for the role.
Take-home project
You’ll receive a brief on a project which will give you a chance to showcase your skills. We often choose a take-home project to give you the opportunity to demonstrate your skills in a similar setting as you would as a remote team member. The content of the project could also be preparing and setting up for the final technical interview, rather than a task itself.
Spare time is precious though, so we encourage you not to take more than 1-2 hours on the project. We compensate you for your time.
Final interview
During this interview, you’ll have one more video call to talk through or complete your project. It's also a chance to chat through more of your questions. This stage is not designed to trip you up. Rather, it’s designed to better understand the way you work, your skills, and approach to solving problems or strategizing.
At this point, you’ll also have a call with a member of our People team to ensure you have the information you need to help with your decision-making process as we reach the final stages.
Offer and final steps
This is the really fun bit! We’ll send you an offer and have a video call to go through all the details with you.
Hiring a new Buildkiter is a wonderful opportunity for us to meet interesting people around the world. Unfortunately, we can’t hire everyone who interviews with us. We really appreciate the time and care folks take when engaging in interviews with us and hope to provide a positive experience throughout the whole process.
If we have decided not to progress your application to the next stage, we will email you with our decision. There are a few reasons we default to email for this initial response. We are a remote team and we respect different working and waking times. Phone calls can be disruptive and when the news may be disappointing, we want you to have the choice when you receive it. This email does not have to be the last you hear from us. We want to provide you with feedback if you want to hear it, so please take us up on our offer to provide some feedback over email or talk through it.
We’ve put together this process and guide because we want to give candidates a positive experience and an opportunity to put their best foot forward when interviewing with Buildkite. If you’re interviewing with us, and there's anything we can do to help you feel more comfortable during the interview, or, if you have a disability and have additional requirements you'd like us to be aware of, please let us know.
