Sources checked
A four-phase loop that hires for potential, with each interview owning a named skill area, coding, craftsmanship, engineering design, communication and leadership.
The LinkedIn process
2 of 4 stages you can practise here
- 01Application
Recruiting reviews applications against the basic and preferred qualifications on the job description. Not simulated as a live round.
- 02
- 03Interview
You meet several team members, and per LinkedIn 'each interview will focus on a different skill area.' For SWE this reliably includes coding rounds, system design (experienced hires), and a behavioral/values round. Simulated as the coding, system-design, and behavioral rounds.
4 rounds you can practise
Usually the hiring manager
critical thinkinggrowth mindsetleadership/collaborationWhiteboard/virtual-canvas discussion, product-centric and anchored on real LinkedIn features
requirement gatheringarchitecture & data modelingscalability~60 minutes in a shared online editor where code runs
problem-solvingcomplexitycode quality45-60 minutes in a shared editor or on a whiteboard-style canvas
depth under pressuredata-structure designoptimization - 04Decision
The hiring team assesses fit and potential; LinkedIn notes this stage 'may need several weeks.' Includes team-match. Not simulated.
Common questions
- How many stages are in LinkedIn's hiring process?
- LinkedIn's careers site describes four: Application, Conversation (a recruiter call, often followed by a hiring-manager video call), Interview, and Decision. In the interview stage you meet 'several more team members' and 'each interview will focus on a different skill area.' The decision stage 'may need several weeks.'
- What does LinkedIn say it prioritizes when hiring?
- LinkedIn's How We Hire page states that its 'top priority is facilitating a fair, inclusive and transparent process for every candidate.' Interviewers take notes to share back with the hiring team, and the team assesses your potential to succeed in the role before making a decision.
- What behavioral questions does LinkedIn publish for engineers?
- LinkedIn's Talent Solutions engineer hiring guide pairs each question with a competency, for example 'How would you approach solving an engineering challenge you've never faced before?' (problem-solving/critical thinking) and 'How have you demonstrated leadership skills in your current role?' (leadership and collaboration).
- What coding format should I expect?
- LinkedIn does not publish its coding format. Candidate reports consistently describe a shared online editor where code runs, LeetCode-Medium-level problems, explicit complexity analysis, and follow-ups that extend the base problem. Confirm the specific tooling and round count with your recruiter.
Sources
Built from what LinkedIn publishes about its own process and from real interview data. No leaked question lists. The questions you get are generated against your own resume, so they are not from anyone else's interview.
The four official stages (Application, Conversation, Interview, Decision), the 'each interview will focus on a different skill area' language, and the 'fair, inclusive and transparent process for every candidate' priority.
The official engineer behavioral/technical sample questions, each mapped to a competency and what-to-assess (the closest thing to a published rubric).
The IC ladder used for level framing: IC1 Apprentice, IC2 Software Engineer, IC3 Senior, IC4 Staff and above; new grads typically enter at IC2.
Commonly-asked coding patterns and the algorithm practice set used to inform the coding-round problem selection.
Sources last checked . Hiring loops change, so this date is the honest limit on everything above.