Interviewing at HubSpot

We’re excited that you’re joining us for an interview!

We want to make your interview as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. HubSpot’s culture is built on several core principles, one of which is real transparency. We want you to feel like you’re fully prepared to interview and know what to expect. This is a chance for you to learn about and interview us as well. This guide will help you prepare to interview and learn how we approach interviewing.

Visiting HubSpot

We want you to be comfortable during your visit. Our office is casual in the way we dress so there's no need to wear a suit, tie, or heels.

If possible please bring your laptop, especially if it will make you more comfortable working in your usual environment. We'll provide alternatives if that isn't feasible.

HubSpot Cambridge

The Cambridge office is located at 25 1st St, steps from the Lechmere Green Line stop and a 10-minute walk from the Kendall Square Red Line stop. Reception is on the 2nd floor. Feel free to walk into reception and ask someone at the front desk to ping whoever you're meeting.

HubSpot Dublin

DubSpot is located at One Dockland Central. You'll see signs for HubSpot at the entrance. Buzz the intercom and then take the elevator to the 4th floor. We'll be waiting for you at reception.'

What to Expect

Technical interviews typically consist of writing code in your choice of language, designing systems, and discussing your background and passions. We don't ask any trick questions or focus on language minutia. We strongly believe that we should test for the practical skills and abilities which are used on the job. We suggest crafting a working solution rather than optimizing first. Keep in mind that there are often multiple ways to answer a question. Please ask your interviewer clarifying questions and work together with them on the exercises. At the beginning and end of each interview you'll have time to ask us questions. This is an opportunity to interview us to see if HubSpot would be a match for you, so please use it.

Interviews are tailored to the role you're applying for. We focus development interviews on either front-end, back-end or more specialized roles like infrastructure operations. Engineers at HubSpot are often full-stack but we encourage you to select your strongest skillset to date (even if you want to grow in a new direction). Front-end interviews consist of questions about JavaScript/HTML/CSS and we assume you have a strong knowledge of how web technologies work. Back-end interviews usually consist of questions about building RESTful APIs, data storage and manipulation and system architecture. Prior experience with our exact tech stack is not a requirement.

We evaluate candidates on their problem solving skills and their ability to adapt to new information and communicate their thinking clearly in code and in speech. You'll be using these skills daily as a member of the product team. It is definitely okay to say "I don't know" if presented with something unfamiliar - the interviewer is happy to work through the problem with you. Candidates are not expected to know everything that might be asked - it is by design that we attempt to find the limits of your prior experience. Having limits doesn't disqualify you from anything.

How to Prepare

  • Check out our Interviewing Tips for how to succeed in the technical interview.
  • Be prepared to discuss a recent project - Think about a project that you would be comfortable describing, especially your specific contributions, the problem being solved, and how it works. It could be from your professional experience or something you built as a side-project or class project.
  • Practice can help - If you haven't interviewed much previously, or if it's been a while, practicing can help. There are books like Cracking the Coding Interview or sites like Project Euler with sample problems that can be useful to make you feel more prepared and comfortable. Refreshing your knowledge about simple data structures and web technologies can also be valuable.
  • Bring questions for us - Some ways to research us include reading HubSpot's "Culture Code", reviews on Glassdoor (always taking anonymous feedback with a grain of salt), our open source projects or even use our products - you can get use the free versions of our marketing, sales, and CRM products. We also publish regularly on engineering topics on our blog, including how we've built our stack for shipping frequently.