Glovo's coding rounds are typically medium to hard difficulty, similar to Meta's standard, with a strong focus on clean, production-quality code. The key differentiator is the 'Bar Raiser' round, which heavily evaluates Glovo's Leadership Principles alongside technical depth, making it more holistic than a pure algorithmic interview at some FAANGs.
Aim for 2-3 months of consistent preparation. This should include solving 150-200 LeetCode problems (focusing on mediums and hards), thoroughly preparing 8-10 behavioral stories aligned with Glovo's 16 Leadership Principles, and for senior roles, studying system design fundamentals for scalable logistics platforms.
Focus heavily on Data Structures & Algorithms (arrays, strings, graphs, DP, trees) and be ready to discuss time/space complexity. For system design roles, study microservices, API design, and scalability for on-demand logistics. Glovo's stack uses Kotlin and Go, so being proficient in either is a plus, but they accept any language; prioritize clear problem-solving over syntax.
The top mistake is treating the Bar Raiser as just another coding round—it's a deep behavioral and leadership assessment. Other errors include not clarifying requirements before coding, poor verbalization of thought process, and failing to connect examples to Glovo's specific principles like 'Customer Obsession' or 'Bias for Action'.
Candidates who excel can articulate how their past experiences demonstrate Glovo's Leadership Principles with concrete metrics. Asking insightful questions about Glovo's product challenges (e.g., managing dark stores, courier dispatch optimization) and showing genuine product sense during the Bar Raiser significantly differentiates top performers.
The entire process usually takes 3-6 weeks. You can expect feedback within 1-2 weeks after each interview round. The Hiring Committee review after all rounds can take an additional week. Delays are common, so patience is key; it's acceptable to send a polite follow-up to your recruiter after 10 business days post-final round.
SDE-1 focuses on core DSA, code quality, and learning agility. SDE-2 adds system design fundamentals (design a small service), requires some mentorship examples, and deeper principle application. SDE-3 expects advanced system design (full platform architecture), technical leadership stories, and strategic thinking about trade-offs for large-scale logistics systems.
Use LeetCode/NeetCode for DSA, but supplement with Glovo's Engineering Blog for real system design context. Practice behavioral responses using the STAR method strictly tied to Glovo's 16 Leadership Principles (find them on their careers site). Conduct mock interviews with ex-Glovo engineers via platforms like Interviewing.io to simulate the Bar Raiser's behavioral depth.
