HubSpot’s software is built with a singular mission: to create elegant, scalable systems that help businesses grow smarter.
Engineers are expected to be builders and strategists, shaping the product experience while solving complex problems behind the scenes. Engineering teams operate in autonomous product pods, focusing on ownership, speed, and delivering exceptional customer experiences.
The coding interview process reflects this, except for conversations that explore how you think in systems, communicate in code, and build for real-world scale.
HubSpot interview structure
Recruiter screen
The first step is a 30-minute call with a recruiter. This conversation helps determine role fit and alignment with HubSpot’s engineering culture.
Be prepared to:
- Discuss your background, recent projects, and why you’re excited about HubSpot.
- Ask about HubSpot’s product teams, current tech stack (e.g., Java, React, GraphQL, Kafka), and engineering values.
- Learn what “HEART” means at HubSpot (Humble, Empathetic, Adaptable, Remarkable, Transparent).
Online coding challenge
Many candidates are asked to complete a HackerRank-style coding assessment or a take-home project. These are designed to be practical, not abstract.
You might be asked to:
- Build a small API or feature with clean, testable code.
- Solve a data processing task (think stream vs. batch decisions).
- Focus on readability, maintainability, and thoughtful trade-offs.
Technical interviews
Next, you’ll participate in two to three virtual interviews. Each is led by HubSpot engineers who care deeply about clarity, code quality, and collaboration.
Coding interviews:
- Expect practical questions like building a REST endpoint, debugging a backend issue, or modeling data for a user-facing feature.
- You might be asked to refactor legacy code or optimize an existing solution, like improving the performance of HubSpot’s Conversations inbox or timeline API.
- The focus isn’t “Can you code?” but “Can you write production-quality code others can build?”
System Design:
- HubSpot’s System Design questions are often grounded in real product scenarios, such as scaling CRM timeline infrastructure, building a performant comment system for collaboration tools, or evolving the schema for reporting dashboards (e.g., designing an activity timeline, comment system, or workflow engine).
- You’ll be expected to think about scale, consistency, database choices, and frontend/backend communication.
- Diagrams, clear mental models, and trade-off reasoning are all essential.
Tips:
- Explain your reasoning and ask clarifying questions. HubSpot values curiosity and thoughtfulness.
- Consider edge cases, performance, and how your design supports long-term evolution.
Culture and values interviews
Culture fit is not a buzzword at HubSpot; it reflects how well you collaborate, grow, and contribute in a transparent, autonomous environment.
Expect behavioral interviews that explore:
- How you’ve handled feedback or changed your mind.
- Times you made a product or team decision with long-term impact.
- Moments where you solved ambiguity with communication.
HubSpot values authenticity. Be honest, open, and focused on learning.
What HubSpot looks for in engineers
Great HubSpot engineers:
- Write code with empathy for both users and teammates.
- Build scalable systems that support fast-growing products.
- Communicate clearly and often across roles and disciplines.
- Embrace autonomy and ship iteratively.
What gets noticed at HubSpot:
- Demonstrating the ability to balance product goals with sound engineering judgment.
- Advocating for quality in a fast-paced, customer-first environment.
- Living the HEART values not just during the interview but also in how you approach problems, collaboration, and decision-making.
- Show how you balance business goals with technical trade-offs.
- Talk about how you keep code quality high in fast-paced environments.
- Reference how you apply HEART values in your daily work.
Final prep for the HubSpot coding interview
The HubSpot coding interview doesn’t reward flashiness; it rewards clarity, craftsmanship, and care.
Prep like a HubSpot engineer would:
- Practice implementing backend features and APIs under time constraints.
- Review frontend-backend integration patterns. HubSpot frequently uses React and GraphQL to deliver interactive CRM features across marketing and sales products.
- Brush up on System Design concepts like microservices, queues, caching, and schema evolution.
- Read through the HubSpot Product Blog to explore how their engineers scale the CRM, choose GraphQL over REST, and evolve backend services to support product-led growth.
If you value craftsmanship, context, and customer impact, you think like a HubSpot engineer.