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Our recruitment process is designed to identify engineers who align with our values. We believe in practical assessment over theoretical interviews.

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Our Philosophy

  • Values-first hiring: Technical skills matter, but cultural fit and behavioral alignment are equally important
  • Practical assessment: Real code contributions tell us more than whiteboard exercises
  • AI-friendly: We encourage and expect candidates to use AI tools effectively

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The 5-Step Process

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1. Introduction Call (30 minutes or 1 hour)

Who: Birk Purpose:
  • Get to know the candidate
  • Explain our process and company culture
  • Answer initial questions
  • Assess basic communication and interest

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2. Technical Assessment

Format: Pull request to our main repository Duration: Candidate’s choice (typically 3-6 hours) Purpose:
  • See how candidates approach real problems in our codebase
  • Evaluate code quality, problem-solving, and attention to detail
  • Understand their comfort level with our tech stack
  • Encourage AI tool usage
What we look for:
  • Clean, readable code
  • Thoughtful approach to the problem
  • Effective use of available tools (including AI)

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3. Technical Discussion (1 hour)

Who: Engineering team member Purpose:
  • Deep dive into the pull request
  • Discuss technical decisions and trade-offs
  • Explore how they would improve or extend their solution
  • Assess problem-solving approach and communication

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4. Behavioral & Culture Interview (1 hour)

Who: Engineering team member Purpose: Assess alignment with our values and working style Key areas to explore:
  • Ownership: “Tell me about a time you took ownership of a problem that wasn’t clearly yours”
  • Delivery: “Describe a situation where you had to balance speed and quality”
  • Collaboration: “How do you handle disagreements about technical decisions?”
  • Initiative: “Describe a time you improved something without being asked”

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5. Reference Check

Format: Brief conversations with previous colleagues/managers Purpose: Validate our assessment and understand working style

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Decision Making

  • Strong no at any stage: Process stops immediately
  • Final decision: Consensus among interviewers
  • Timeline: Aim to complete entire process within 1 week of initial contact

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For Candidates

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What to Expect

  • Respectful, efficient process
  • Real feedback on your pull request
  • Opportunities to ask questions at every stage
  • Clear communication about next steps

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How to Succeed

  • Take time to understand the codebase before jumping in
  • Write clean, well-commented code
  • Use AI tools effectively (we want to see this!)
  • Ask clarifying questions
  • Be authentic about your experience and interests

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Continuous Improvement

We regularly review our process based on:
  • Candidate feedback
  • Hiring outcomes
  • Team input
  • Industry best practices
The goal is to keep evolving while maintaining our core principles of practical assessment and values alignment.
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