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Documentation Index

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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 Process

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1. Introduction Call (30 minutes)

Who: Birk Purpose:
  • Get to know the candidate & Polar
  • Explain our process and company culture
  • Answer initial questions

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2. Technical Assignment

Format: Review and analysis of a pull request Duration: Candidate’s choice (~ 1-2 hours)

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3. Assignment Review & Technical Discussion (1 hour)

Who: Engineering team member Purpose:
  • Review the technical assignment and discuss technical decisions and trade-offs
  • Understand how the candidate navigates and reasons about a large and complex code base
  • Evaluate critical thinking and approach to solving complex problems
  • Explore how the candidate would improve or extend their solution
  • Assess written communication skills and remote collaboration skills

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4. Team Conversations (30 min)

Purpose: 2-3 video calls where you get the chance to meet future team members and we get to know you better.

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5. Offer

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6. Reference Calls

Format: Brief conversations with previous colleagues/managers

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For Candidates

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What to Expect

  • Respectful, efficient process with clear communication about next steps
  • Feedback on your technical assignment
  • Opportunities to ask questions at every stage and learn more about Polar

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How to Succeed

  • Take time to understand Polar and 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.