The selection process consisted of a total of 6 rounds, including 1 online assessment and 5 interviews.
Online Assessment
This was an online test hosted on the HackerRank platform. It comprised 12 multiple-choice questions and 2 coding questions. The coding questions ranged in difficulty from easy to medium. I successfully solved the first coding question, which involved a graph-based problem solved using Dijkstra’s Algorithm, and partially completed the second, which was related to dynamic programming.
1st Interview Round (Technical)
In the first technical interview, I started with my introduction. The interviewer presented me with two puzzles: “Camel and Bananas” (which I had encountered previously, so it was skipped) and the “12 Balls Weight Puzzle.” Following this, the interviewer asked me to explain one of the projects mentioned in my resume in detail (a web application). He then asked a few questions related to that.
- How did you perform state management?
- What type of data storage did you use and why?
- What is responsive design, media queries, and working of Bootstrap
This was followed by a discussion on Object-Oriented Programming:
- The four pillars of OOP and their applications in software development.
- A class diagram design exercise for a traffic management system (lasting approximately 10-12 minutes).
Several questions regarding Operating Systems followed:
- An explanation of paging in memory management.
- Discussion of the drawbacks of paging and strategies to mitigate them.
The interview also included basic programming questions such as:
- Writing code to print a star pattern.
- Finding the third smallest element in an array, with consideration of multiple approaches and selection of the most optimal.
- Identifying the appropriate data structure for implementing a snake and ladder game.
Duration: 60 minutes
2nd Interview Round (Case Study)
In this round, I was presented with a scenario involving a well-established kids’ brand with 50 outlets in India facing competition from a new-age startup with a digital presence. The interview focused on:
- Conducting a SWOT analysis of the problem statement.
- Strategies for increasing profits and reducing costs.
- Marketing strategies.
- Strategies for differentiating from competitors.
Duration: 30 minutes
3rd Interview Round (Managerial)
This round was a techno-HR interview. It commenced with introductions and was followed by questions about my projects. I was presented with an image depicting how a lack of communication in project development can lead to undesired outcomes and was asked to interpret it. Additional questions included:
- What motivates you?, What demotivates you?
- What new technologies are you exploring currently?
- Why do you want to work for ION?
The interview concluded with a discussion about the use of cloud services in ION’s products and its data analysis policies.
Duration: 30 minutes
4th Interview Round (Country Head)
Conducted online with 8 other candidates and the country head of ION, this round involved introducing ourselves with details such as our names, native places, location preferences, and family backgrounds. Each candidate was individually asked questions including:
- Why do you wish to join ION?
- How do you define work-life balance?
- What does success mean to you?
- What qualities do you desire in your manager?
The remaining 60 minutes were more of an informal discussion.
Duration: 90 minutes
5th Interview Round (Global Head)
My final interview was with the Italian executive, the CXO of the company. It was a brief and informal online interaction, covering topics such as:
- Introduction.
- Explanation of the projects mentioned on my resume.
- Experience working on team projects.
- Future aspirations.
- Strengths and areas of improvement.
Duration: 10-15 minutes