Facebook Onsite Interview Acceptance and Success Rates (Meta)

Getting an onsite interview at Facebook is a major accomplishment. It’s the first step towards joining one of the most successful and innovative companies in the world. But what happens after you get that coveted invitation? What are your chances of success?

In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at Facebook onsite interview acceptance and success rates. We’ll present the data, discuss the process, and provide tips to help you maximize your chance of success. So if you’re preparing for a Facebook onsite interview, read on to get all the information you need!

What Is the Facebook Interview Acceptance Rate?

The Facebook onsite interview is a rigorous endeavor, lasting approximately six hours and featuring 45-minute rounds of coding, system designing, product designing, and behavioral interviewing. Out of the countless candidates who apply for this position each year only a select few make it to this final stage.

Facebook onsite interview success rate is quite low, but also comparably realistic. Although some sources cite an onsite interview acceptance rate of 5%, other sources suggest a higher estimate of 20%.

Facebook is known for its highly selective hiring process, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Only the most talented and qualified candidates make it through to the onsite interview round.

But fear not, as it is easy to overestimate how many people don’t put due diligence into preparing for the onsite interview. As such, consider it a golden opportunity to outperform others based on the amount of work and sweat you put into doing your best at the interviews.

What Is the Meta Interview Process Like?

Once you pass the initial resume screen, the entire interview process, from the first phone screen to a potential offer, takes about 4-8 weeks.

There are 4 different stages of the application process at Facebook, which include the following.

1. Resume Review

Your application will be reviewed by a recruiter or hiring manager. The resume review is the first step and can take anywhere from 1-3 weeks. During this process, the recruiter will decide if you’re a good fit for the position and initiate first contact.

2. Recruiter Phone Screen

If your application is successful, you’ll be invited to a 45-minute screening session with a recruiter where you’ll discuss your background, experience, and interest in the role.

During the phone screen, you will be asked to share your professional background, favored coding language(s), and any extraordinary projects or achievements. Additionally, the recruiter will provide a thorough explanation of the procedure timeline (which usually takes between four to eight weeks) plus answer questions related to teams and daily tasks.

3. Technical Phone Interview

The technical phone screen is used to assess your technical abilities and problem-solving skills through a live coding interview. This phone screen usually lasts around 45 minutes and consists of a few coding questions and technical discussions.

The interview will kick off by having the interviewing panel (usually consisting of a software engineer on the team) introduce themselves and explain what roles they hold at Facebook. Then, expect a 5-10 minute discussion focused on you – your work background and professional ambitions.

Subsequently, you will be tested on your data structures and algorithms knowledge. Your Facebook interview questions may vary in their complexity; however, they should be solved within a 10-30 minute window. During this time period, the interviewer is assessing your problem-solving capability – they might even modify or add additional components to assess how far-reaching your expertise is.

With remote interviews, you’ll be required to code on an interactive digital editor. When it comes to in-person interviews though, the process is more difficult as writing your coding onto a whiteboard will have to suffice. At the conclusion of this round you will be given an opportunity to ask questions to the interviewer; taking full advantage of this chance can provide further understanding about what’s expected from the role and team or even the company itself.

4. Onsite Interview

Once you pass the initial phone screens, the final stage of the application process is the onsite interview. This usually consists of 4-6 rounds, each lasting 45 minutes.

The onsite interviews at Facebook are meant to provide a more in-depth assessment of your technical abilities, as well as evaluate how well you would fit into the team and culture.

The onsite interviews consist of 3 parts:

4.1. Coding interviews (2 x 45 min)

During the two coding sessions, lasting a total of 90 minutes, you will be expected to demonstrate your knowledge of algorithms and data structures. This may include topics such as strings, binary trees, lists, and stacks – all requiring drawing codes on the whiteboard after conversing with your interviewer about a potential solution.

4.2. System/Product Design (2 x 45 min)

The System/Product Design interviews will explore your technical leadership skills and problem-solving abilities with regard to the ability to build a system or product (depending on the role and your background) from scratch. These interviews typically involve high-level design questions that require you to explain and break down complex problems into simple, easy-to-follow steps.

During this interview session, you will often not be required to write any code. Instead, it’s meant to evaluate your ability in constructing a practical answer for an engineering design dilemma.

4.3. Behavioral Interview (1 x 45 min)

At this stage of the Facebook onsite Interview, you’ll be asked to answer open-ended questions. These behavioral round inquiries are designed to evaluate your team playing skills, leadership capabilities, and ability to think independently. Additionally, one should anticipate responding with information about their past jobs as well as another coding challenge added into the mix.

What Knowledge Will Be Tested at the Facebook Onsite Interview?

Now that we have discussed the general structure and what to expect during the Meta onsite interviews, let’s go ahead and talk about what kind of topics & questions you are likely to encounter during the interviews and what you should prepare for.

Data Structure and Algorithms 

• You will be tested on the ability to come up with and implement the most efficient algorithm.
• By the end of the allotted time (around 40 minutes), you should have a functional code.
• You should be able to use the most suitable data structures for each problem.
• With no doubt, array and string queries are the most often requested coding questions on Facebook. Make sure to be well-prepared for them!

According to one source, the coding challenges during Facebook onsite interviews test the knowledge of the following topics:

• Arrays / Strings (38% of questions, most frequent)
• Graphs / Trees (29%)
• Dynamic Programming (18%)
• Search / Sort (9%)
• Linked lists (4%)
• Stacks / Queues (2%, least frequent)

System/Product Design

• If you are applying for more senior positions, mastering the system design interview is a must.
• You will be expected to build a system or a product that fulfills the requirements directed by the interviewer. 
• The system should be able to accommodate new features without any restrictions and be precise in its accuracy.

Behavioral Questions

Answering behavioral questions during an interview is a great way to showcase your soft skills, such as interpersonal communication and leadership. However, it is important that you give thoughtful responses in order to demonstrate self-awareness and engagement.

Utilize Facebook’s five core values when crafting these answers for optimal results! Poorly thought out or confrontational replies may damage your candidacy; hence why preparation ahead of time will prove beneficial.

Meta’s five core values include:

• Be bold
• Focus on impact
• Move fast
• Be open
• Build social value

At Facebook, it is essential that you show how your behavior and activities reflect their core values.

Also, during the behavioral interview, they may also include a coding question which will be shorter in comparison to technical interviews.

They prioritize stories from past experiences over hypothetical scenarios when evaluating answers. Therefore, make sure to share pertinent anecdotes while keeping these principles in mind!

Interview Expectations for Different Positions

As you’d expect, there are certain differences between the content and quality of interviews at Meta with regard to the types of positions and seniority levels. Let’s discuss those.

Junior vs. Senior Positions

Junior and senior engineers have distinct expectations for them to meet. As a beginner or junior engineer, doing exceedingly well in coding interviews is expected. However, typically you will only have one system design interview with the performance bar being set lower than that of more experienced candidates – and if it doesn’t fit within your job description then no design interviews may be granted whatsoever.

As a senior engineer, however, you must excel in both the coding and system design interviews to be successful. In certain scenarios—say, if you’re applying for the infrastructure team—you may even have two design interviews.

Individual Contributor vs. Manager Tracks

Facebook offers two distinct paths for career advancement. You can climb the ladder and become a manager, where you will be responsible for leading teams of engineers (management track). Alternatively, you may stay hands-on with your technical skill set while progressing in seniority (individual contributor track).

If you’re applying for a role as an individual contributor, it’s likely that most of your interviews will be technical-oriented. In this case, you will likely only have one behavioral interview included in the process.

When you’re interviewing for a managerial role, such as manager, director, or higher, anticipate that there will be at least two behavioral interviews. Therefore it is pertinent to get ready to respond to questions about how you can guide people in their growth and development; cooperate with other teams within the company; complete projects on time and efficiently; expand an organization, etc.

Facebook Interview Scoring System

So what happens behind the curtains once your interviews have been carried out? How do interviewers score your candidacy?

Your recruiter is the one taking you through all of the steps involved in this process. Behind each stage, here’s what happens:

Once the technical phone screen concludes, your interviewers have 24 hours to submit their ratings and comments in the internal system. Your recruiter then reviews this feedback and decides if you will advance to an onsite interview based on your performance.

Following the onsite interview, up to six interviewers will be prepared to make a decision on hiring you or not. The recruiter responsible for your case would then collate your “packet” (interview feedback, resume, referrals, and so forth). If it is ascertained that you could land the job, they shall present their opinion at the next candidate review meeting.

The candidate review meeting is an assessment of each applicant who has recently completed their interview process and is near to obtaining an offer. All components of your application packet will be examined thoroughly, along with any questions or issues that may arise. Your interviewers can join the meeting if they render a strong discrepancy in the score you were given (e.g., two no-hires vs two hires). Hence, this review helps ensure you receive fair judgment during hiring decisions.

If, after debating the merits of your candidacy, the team is still unable to reach a consensus on whether you merit an offer or not, it might be necessary for you to attend another interview.

Subsequently, at the closing meeting following this review process, a recommendation – hire/no hire – will then be presented for further discussion by all stakeholders present in the hiring committee.

The hiring committee includes senior leaders from across Facebook. This part of the process is mainly a formality, as the committee typically follows through with what was established in the candidate review meeting. The main objective at this point is to make sure that you get exactly what level and salary were agreed upon.

Response Time after Facebook Onsite Interview

After the interviews have been concluded, you will be anxiously waiting for the response from your recruiter. Understandably, you would like to know how long that may take.

The exact timeline for a response from Facebook after your onsite interview will depend on the type of role. Generally, you can expect an answer within one or two weeks following the onsite interview.

In some cases, a decision may be made sooner or later. It is usually at the discretion of your recruiter and the individual managers involved in the decision-making process.

In case of clear rejection, you might hear the unfortunate news from the recruiter sooner – within just several days.

In any case, it is important to keep the communication lines open with your recruiter. If you have any queries or concerns, it is always a good idea to reach out and check in. This shows that you are engaged and interested in the role, which can make a difference in the decision-making process.

Onsite Interview Acceptance and Success Rates at Other FAANG Companies

Comparing the onsite interview success rates between different companies in the FAANG (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google) might shed some light on just how competitive Facebook onsite interviews are.

The exact acceptance and success rates for onsite interviews at FAANG companies are not known. However, there are certain sources and estimates that have been seen online.

Each company has its own unique interview process, style, and approach to interviewing candidates. Furthermore, the success rates will vary based on the skillset, position, and other factors.

Dubbed “The Loop,” Amazon interviews are a thorough ordeal that examines your expertise with data structures, system design, and algorithms. Low compared even to FAANG companies, only 3% pass the test – it’s an arduous process to achieve success in The Loop.

Apple also has a low success rate of around 10%. 

Google’s overall acceptance rate stands at an incredibly low 0.2%, making it a remote possibility for aspiring software engineers and developers to join the ranks of this highly esteemed organization. The competition is already fierce, but with such a meager chance of entrance, Google has become the ultimate goal for many in these fields.

Tips for Acing Facebook Onsite Interview

Acing the Facebook onsite interview is no easy feat. You need to do your research, prepare in advance and be confident with your skills and qualifications to get the job. Here are a few tips to help you ace your Facebook onsite interview:

• Research: Learn as much as you can about Facebook, the company culture, and the job position. Make sure to research the kind of skills that are needed for the role so that you can be well-prepared for the interview.
• Practice: It is important to practice beforehand in order to be comfortable with the types of questions that will be asked. You can practice with a friend, use online resources or attend mock interviews to get familiar with the types of questions you could face. In order to get ready for the coding interviews, make sure to practice LeetCode daily.
• Be confident: Believe in yourself and your skills, even if you make a mistake or stumble on a question. It’s important to stay positive and remember that everyone makes mistakes.
• Relax: Take a deep breath before the interview, remind yourself that you are equally as qualified as the other candidates, and try to stay relaxed.

The ideal duration to prepare for FAANG interviews is 2-3 months (9-12 weeks). Without an adequate amount of time, you won’t be able to grasp the essential programming concepts and practice enough problems (check out this link for sample Facebook interview questions!).

For behavioral interviews, it is imperative to learn and apply the STAR method. The STAR or Situation-Task-Action-Result approach is an ideal way to showcase the unique abilities and characteristics that are necessary for a job.

Leveraging this framework structures your answers, making them more logical and easier to follow. It also keeps you on track by removing the guesswork of what comes next – a bonus for both yourself and any listeners!

STAR stands for:

• Situation: An event, project, or challenge you have faced
• Task: Your responsibilities and assignments in this situation
• Action: Steps or procedures you have taken to relieve or rectify the situation
• Result: Results of the actions you have taken

Practicing for the FAANG interviews is tedious, strenuous, and time-consuming. However, it’s worth taking the effort to make sure you land your dream job! With these tips, you’ll be well-prepared to conquer any upcoming FAANG interviews.

Conclusion

Preparing for a Facebook onsite interview can be intimidating, especially with the seemingly low acceptance and success rates, but it’s certainly possible to succeed.

By taking the time to familiarize yourself with the process and hone your skills, you can increase your chances of success. We hope this article has given you all the information you need to get your best foot forward when going through this important stage of the application process.

With hard work and dedication, you can be one step closer to joining the world’s most successful tech companies. Best of luck with your onsite interview!