Inspired by Netflix Interview Process with 30 Questions You Can Use

Tadummm.. The unique opening sound is then followed by the big red ‘N’ in the middle of the screen. There is no denying that Netflix is one of the most successful and influential entertainment companies in the world. But as Netflix is known for its original and diverse content, as well as its innovative and inclusive culture, the big questions are: How does Netflix attract, hire, and retain the best talent in the industry? What are the secrets behind the Netflix interview process? Let’s grab a bucket of popcorn, hit the play icon, and take inspiration from them to elevate your hiring game.

Targeting the Contingent Workforce

In our conversation with Vinos Samuel, TA Operations & Contingent Talent Leader - APAC of Netflix, he revealed the secret behind the streaming Titan’s success is contingent workforces. The company values contingent worker’s skills and sees them as the opportunity to possibly fill in empty seats in the near future.

“At Netflix, we put contingent recruitment’s responsibility under the Talent department, because we know that, though we are hiring contractors, we are hiring certain skills that are coming along with it. And that is part of your overall workforce. So, from a talent perspective, or from an HR perspective, it is a great pipeline for us to build full-time talent as well. So, if you’re hiring good contractors on the temporary workforce side, or independent contractor side, tomorrow, when you have a full-time need, you could easily convert them. If you do this well, it is a great inlet for your full-time employees,” says Samuel.

As of 2023, Netflix employs over 13,000 people[1], making large-scale hiring a significant challenge. To put this into perspective, the average time-to-hire in the US is 36 days. Tools like Manatal’s ATS can streamline this process, offering features such as Candidate Sourcing, which allows recruiters to easily find candidates from sources like LinkedIn, over 2,500 job boards, branded career pages, referral programs, and more. This enables recruiters to efficiently fill thousands of positions, even at large companies like Netflix.

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Steps in the Netflix Interview Process

The Netflix interview process is not a typical one. It is designed to assess not only the skills and experience of the candidates but also their fit with the company’s culture and values. Here are some of the main features of Netflix’s interview process:

• Estimation questions: Netflix likes to challenge candidates with estimation questions that test their analytical and problem-solving skills. For example, a candidate might be asked to estimate how many subscribers Netflix has in a certain country, or how much bandwidth Netflix consumes globally. These questions require candidates to make reasonable assumptions, use logical reasoning, and show their thought processes.
• Interview rounds: The top streaming platform usually conducts four to six rounds of interviews for each role, depending on the level and function. The first round is usually a phone screen with a recruiter, followed by a technical or functional interview with a hiring manager or a senior team member. The second round is a culture fit interview, where candidates are evaluated on how well they align with Netflix’s core values. The culture fit interview is very important, as the company only hires people who share its vision and philosophy. The remaining rounds are usually more technical or functional interviews with other team members or stakeholders, where candidates are asked to demonstrate their skills and knowledge through coding challenges, case studies, or presentations.
• Minimum experience: Netflix prefers to hire experienced candidates who have at least three years of relevant work experience in their field. Netflix believes that hiring seasoned professionals allows them to delegate more responsibility and autonomy to their employees, and avoid micromanagement and bureaucracy. The company also values candidates who have diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and who can bring fresh ideas and insights to the company.
• The Keeper test: The home of popular shows such as ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘Dark’ has a high-performance culture, where employees are expected to deliver exceptional results and constantly improve themselves. Netflix applies the keeper test to evaluate its current and potential employees, which is a simple question: “Would you fight for this person to stay on your team?” If the answer is yes, then the person is a keeper. If the answer is no, then the person is not a good fit for the company and should be let go or not hired. Netflix believes that the keeper test ensures that they only have the best people on their team and that they reward and retain them accordingly.

What Does Netflix Look For In Candidates?

Netflix has a unique and distinctive culture that values freedom, responsibility, and excellence. The company has a famous culture deck that outlines its core philosophy and expectations.

“Netflix has a unique and distinctive culture that values freedom, responsibility, and excellence. The company has a famous culture deck that outlines its core philosophy and expectations.” [2]

According to the deck, Netflix looks for candidates who have the following characteristics:

• Judgment: Ideal candidates would make wise decisions despite ambiguity, use data to inform their intuition and choices, look beyond symptoms to identify systemic issues, spend money wisely, and think long-term.
• Selflessness: Netflix looks for talent who seek what is best for the company, not themselves or their team, who are humble and open-minded, make time to help colleagues, debate ideas openly, and support decisions even when they disagree.
• Courage: The right candidates for Netflix would be able to make tough decisions without agonizing or delaying, take informed risks and are open to failure, question actions inconsistent with the culture, are vulnerable in search of truth and connection, and give and take feedback.
• Communication: The global streaming platform prefers individuals who listen well and seek to understand before responding, who are calm in stressful situations, who write and think concisely and coherently, who adapt their communication style to different people and contexts, and who embrace inclusion and diversity.
• Inclusion: Candidates who work well with people of different backgrounds, identities, values, and cultures, are excited to build diverse teams where everyone feels welcome and respected, recognize and counteract their biases, take action if someone is marginalizing a colleague, and treat everyone with respect regardless of their position would be perfect for Netflix.
• Integrity: Last but not least, Netflix is looking for talent who exhibit and are known for candor and transparency, admit mistakes and apologize, share information openly and deliberately, are loyal to the company when absent, and only say things about others that they would say to their face.

30 Common Interview Questions

Before you interview candidates, you need to have a set of questions and understand the purpose of each of them. These questions are designed to evaluate their skills, experience, cultural fit, and how a candidate handles various situations. Here are 30 common interview questions that most companies use that you can adapt to your hiring goals and business needs.

1. Behavioural Questions

Purpose: To understand a candidate’s past behavior and predict future performance.

1. Tell me about a time when you disagreed with a decision made by your team. How did you handle it?
2. Describe a situation where you took the initiative to solve a problem.
3. Can you share an example of a project you led? What was the outcome?
4. Give an instance when you had to deal with a tight deadline. How did you manage?
5. Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work. How did you rectify it?

How you can use them: These questions help assess a candidate’s problem-solving skills, teamwork, and resilience. You can adapt them to any industry to gauge how candidates handle real-world scenarios.

2. Technical Questions

Purpose: To evaluate a candidate’s technical skills and knowledge relevant to the job.

1. Walk me through how you would debug a software application.
2. Explain how you would design a scalable web service.
3. What is the difference between REST and GraphQL?
4. How do you ensure code quality in your projects?
5. Describe your experience with cloud computing platforms.

How you can use them: Tailor these questions to the specific technical requirements of the role. They help ensure candidates have the necessary technical expertise.

3. Culture Fit Questions

Purpose: To determine if a candidate aligns with a company’s unique culture and values

1. How do you handle feedback and criticism?
2. What motivates you to perform well at work?
3. Describe a time when you had to adapt to a significant change at work.
4. What are your thoughts on taking risks in the workplace?
5. How do you prioritize tasks in a fast-paced environment?

How you can use them: These questions help identify candidates who share the company’s values and work ethic. You can customize them to reflect your company culture.

4. Situational Questions

Purpose: To assess how a candidate would handle hypothetical work situations.

1. How would you approach a project with limited resources?
2. Imagine you’re faced with an ethical dilemma at work. What steps would you take?
3. What would you do if you realized you made a significant error on a project?
4. How would you manage a project that requires collaboration across multiple teams?
5. What would you do if you were asked to take on a task outside your job description?

How can you use them: These questions help evaluate a candidate’s critical thinking and decision-making skills. They can be adapted to various job roles to test problem-solving abilities.

5. Motivational Questions’

Purpose: To understand a candidate’s motivations and career aspirations.

1. What attracted you to apply for a position at this company?
2. What do you most about your current role?
3. Where do you see yourself in five years?
4. What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?
5. How do you stay motivated during challenging times?

How can you use them: These questions help gauge a candidate’s long-term commitment and alignment with the company’s goals. You can adapt them to ensure candidates are genuinely interested in the role and the company.

6. Self-Assessment Questions

Purpose: To get a sense of a candidate’s self-awareness and personal growth.

1. What is one area you’d like to improve in your personal life?
2. How do you handle stress and pressure?
3. Describe a recent learning experience and what you gained from it.
4. What sets you apart from other candidates?
5. How do you incorporate feedback into your work?

How can you use them: These questions help assess a candidate’s self-awareness and willingness to improve. You can use them to identify candidates who are proactive and committed to continuous learning.

Netflix’s Post-Interview Process and Decision-Making

After the interview process at Netflix, the post-interview phase involves a thorough evaluation of the candidate's performance across all interview stages. This includes feedback from interviewers, assessment of technical skills, cultural fit, and overall potential. The decision-making process is highly collaborative, with input from various team members who participated in the interviews. Netflix values transparency and data-driven decisions, so feedback is candid and focused on identifying the best match for the role and the company's culture.

Netflix's decision-making culture emphasizes empowering employees to make wise decisions, even in ambiguous situations. This means that once a candidate is selected, they are expected to take ownership of their work and make decisions that align with the company's long-term goals. The company's unique approach to decision-making and its emphasis on a high-performance culture ensure that new hires are well-prepared to contribute effectively from day one.

Take Inspiration from the Netflix Interview Process

Needless to say, the Netflix job interview process is unique and effective. Netflix has been able to hire and retain some of the most talented and diverse people in the industry, who have helped the company achieve its vision and goals. This recruitment process also reflects its culture and values, which are the core of its success and differentiation. Here are some key takeaways that you can draw inspiration from and apply to your own hiring strategy:

• Showcase your culture and values: Your culture and values are what make your company unique and attractive to potential candidates. Make sure you communicate them clearly and consistently throughout your website, social media, content, and events. Also, make sure you live up to them internally, by providing feedback, recognition, rewards, and opportunities to your employees.
• Hire for fit and potential: The candidates you’re looking for should not only have the skills and experience required for the role - but also the fit and potential to thrive in your culture and environment. Shine a spotlight on individuals who share your vision, mission, and values, and who can bring new perspectives, ideas, and solutions to your company. It’s also a good idea to look for candidates who have the ability and willingness to learn, grow, and adapt to changing needs and challenges.
• Be rigorous and selective: Make sure that your hiring process is structured and consistent, to ensure that you evaluate candidates fairly and objectively. Use multiple methods and sources to assess candidates’ skills, knowledge, fit, and potential, such as tests, portfolios, interviews, presentations, or demonstrations.
• Promote diversity and inclusion: Your hiring process should promote diversity and inclusion, by attracting and hiring candidates from different backgrounds, identities, values, and cultures. Why? Diversity and inclusion can help you enhance your creativity, innovation, and problem-solving, as well as your customer satisfaction and loyalty. A good start to promoting diversity and inclusion is partnering with organizations, programs, and initiatives that support underrepresented and marginalized communities. Also, provide training and resources to your recruiters and hiring managers on how to reduce bias, promote inclusion & diversify your hiring sources, methods, and panels.

Conclusion

Netflix achieved remarkable success and influence in the entertainment industry. Part of the company’s accomplishment stems from its unique and rigorous interview process designed to attract, hire, and retain the best talent. As a recruiter, you can learn from Netflix’s interview process and apply it to your own hiring strategy by focusing on showcasing your culture and values, being rigorous and selective in your hiring, and encouraging diversity and inclusion. Adopting these practices will not only help you attract more talent and widen your candidate pool but will also enable you to foster a strong culture, maintain growth in your company, and increase employee engagement and retention.

Citation:

1. Statista
2. Netflix