Tesla·Software Engineer·Technical Phone Screen·Senior

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Jun 2026

Summary

Tesla data engineering interview with a recursive SQL problem that sounds straightforward until you're actually writing it out under pressure.

Questions Asked (1)

Given an org table with employee_id, manager_id, and name columns, write a query to find all direct and indirect reports under a specific manager at every level of depth. Return employee_id, manager_id, name, the depth level, and the full hierarchy path.

Data ModelingAlgorithms & Data StructuresSystem Design

Author's notes

Knew immediately it was a recursive CTE problem but fumbled the anchor member the first time.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Use a recursive CTE to traverse the hierarchy starting from the given manager, tracking depth and path. Ensure the query handles cycles and returns all levels of reports.

Pro tip: Mention that recursive CTEs are standard in modern SQL and discuss performance considerations like indexing manager_id and limiting depth to avoid infinite loops.

1. Clarify requirements and edge cases

Confirm the input (manager_id) and output columns, and discuss handling of cycles, multiple roots, and depth limits.

2. Design recursive CTE structure

Define the base case (direct reports) and recursive step (reports of reports), incrementing depth and concatenating path.

3. Write the SQL query

Implement the recursive CTE with proper column aliases, and select the final result ordered by depth and path.

4. Address performance and correctness

Discuss indexing, cycle detection (e.g., using path or depth limit), and potential alternatives like closure tables.

Key Points to Mention

Recursive CTE syntax (WITH RECURSIVE)
Base case and recursive term
Depth calculation and path concatenation
Cycle detection and prevention
Indexing on manager_id for performance
Alternative approaches (e.g., closure table, nested sets)

AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.