> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://polar-handbook-event-sequences.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Recruitment Process

> Our engineering recruitment process and philosophy

Our recruitment process is designed to identify engineers who align with our values. We believe in practical assessment over theoretical interviews.

## Our Philosophy

* **Values-first hiring**: Technical skills matter, but cultural fit and behavioral alignment are equally important
* **Practical assessment**: Real code contributions tell us more than whiteboard exercises
* **AI-friendly**: We encourage and expect candidates to use AI tools effectively

## The 5-Step Process

### 1. Introduction Call (30 minutes or 1 hour)

**Who**: Birk

**Purpose**:

* Get to know the candidate
* Explain our process and company culture
* Answer initial questions
* Assess basic communication and interest

### 2. Technical Assessment

**Format**: Pull request to our main repository

**Duration**: Candidate's choice (typically 3-6 hours)

**Purpose**:

* See how candidates approach real problems in our codebase
* Evaluate code quality, problem-solving, and attention to detail
* Understand their comfort level with our tech stack
* Encourage AI tool usage

**What we look for**:

* Clean, readable code
* Thoughtful approach to the problem
* Effective use of available tools (including AI)

### 3. Technical Discussion (1 hour)

**Who**: Engineering team member

**Purpose**:

* Deep dive into the pull request
* Discuss technical decisions and trade-offs
* Explore how they would improve or extend their solution
* Assess problem-solving approach and communication

### 4. Behavioral & Culture Interview (1 hour)

**Who**: Engineering team member

**Purpose**: Assess alignment with our values and working style

**Key areas to explore**:

* **Ownership**: "Tell me about a time you took ownership of a problem that wasn't clearly yours"
* **Delivery**: "Describe a situation where you had to balance speed and quality"
* **Collaboration**: "How do you handle disagreements about technical decisions?"
* **Initiative**: "Describe a time you improved something without being asked"

### 5. Reference Check

**Format**: Brief conversations with previous colleagues/managers

**Purpose**: Validate our assessment and understand working style

## Decision Making

* **Strong no at any stage**: Process stops immediately
* **Final decision**: Consensus among interviewers
* **Timeline**: Aim to complete entire process within 1 week of initial contact

## For Candidates

### What to Expect

* Respectful, efficient process
* Real feedback on your pull request
* Opportunities to ask questions at every stage
* Clear communication about next steps

### How to Succeed

* Take time to understand the codebase before jumping in
* Write clean, well-commented code
* Use AI tools effectively (we want to see this!)
* Ask clarifying questions
* Be authentic about your experience and interests

## Continuous Improvement

We regularly review our process based on:

* Candidate feedback
* Hiring outcomes
* Team input
* Industry best practices

The goal is to keep evolving while maintaining our core principles of practical assessment and values alignment.