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Expedia·Software Engineer·Hiring Manager Screen·Intermediate

Intermediate
May 2026

Summary

Behavioral hiring manager screen for a software engineer role at Expedia. Three questions, pretty standard territory except question three which has a specific angle that'll trip you up if you're not ready for it.

Questions Asked (3)

Q1

Why do you want to work at Expedia, and why this particular team?

Adaptability & Ambiguity
Author's notes

Pretty expected opener.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Connect Expedia's mission and scale to your personal interests, then specifically explain why this team's domain and challenges excite you. Show you've researched the team's work and articulate how your skills align with their needs, while demonstrating adaptability to ambiguity.

Pro tip: Mention a specific Expedia product or feature you've used and how you'd improve it, then tie that to the team's focus—this shows genuine user empathy and technical insight. Also, acknowledge that ambiguity is part of the role and express enthusiasm for navigating it.

1. Show company alignment

Explain what draws you to Expedia's mission, culture, or products, using specific examples that resonate with your values or career goals.

2. Highlight team-specific interest

Demonstrate knowledge of the team's domain, recent projects, or technologies, and explain why that work excites you more than other teams.

3. Connect to your skills and goals

Articulate how your technical skills and career aspirations align with the team's needs, showing you can contribute immediately and grow with them.

4. Embrace ambiguity

Acknowledge that the team operates in a dynamic environment and express comfort with navigating uncertainty, giving a brief example of how you've thrived in ambiguous situations.

Key Points to Mention

  • Expedia's global impact on travel and its use of technology to solve complex problems
  • Specific team projects, tech stack, or domain challenges you've researched
  • Your relevant technical skills and experiences that match the team's needs
  • A personal anecdote about using Expedia's products and ideas for improvement
  • Your ability to adapt and deliver results in ambiguous or fast-changing environments
  • Enthusiasm for collaborating with cross-functional teams and learning from diverse perspectives

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

Q2

What project are you most proud of, and what was your specific contribution to it?

Cross-functional AlignmentStakeholder Management
Author's notes

The 'specific contribution' part is the whole point.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Choose a project that demonstrates both technical depth and cross-functional collaboration, ideally with measurable impact. Structure your answer to highlight your specific contributions and how you navigated stakeholder alignment to drive the project forward.

Pro tip: Quantify your impact and explicitly connect your contributions to team or company goals, showing you understand the bigger picture beyond just coding.

1. Set the Context

Briefly describe the project, its goals, and why it mattered to the company or users. Keep it concise to focus on your role.

2. Define the Challenge

Explain the key technical or organizational challenge, such as aligning multiple teams or solving a complex problem, to set up your contributions.

3. Detail Your Contributions

Clearly state your specific actions, decisions, and technical work. Use 'I' statements to distinguish your role from the team's.

4. Highlight Collaboration

Describe how you worked with stakeholders, resolved conflicts, and ensured cross-functional alignment to achieve the project goals.

5. Share Results and Learnings

Quantify the impact (e.g., metrics, user feedback) and reflect on what you learned, showing growth and self-awareness.

Key Points to Mention

  • Quantifiable impact (e.g., performance improvements, user growth, cost savings)
  • Specific technical contributions (e.g., architecture design, algorithm implementation)
  • Cross-functional collaboration (e.g., working with product, design, data science)
  • Stakeholder management (e.g., aligning priorities, communicating trade-offs)
  • Problem-solving and innovation (e.g., overcoming obstacles, creative solutions)
  • Personal growth and learnings (e.g., new skills, leadership experience)

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

Q3

How do you hold yourself accountable on a team? Specifically, how do you keep projects on track and what do you do when someone else is blocking your progress?

Agile / Sprint ManagementStakeholder ManagementCross-functional Alignment
Author's notes

This one is sneaky.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Use the STAR method to describe a specific project where you maintained accountability and addressed a blocker. Emphasize proactive communication, ownership, and collaboration to keep the project on track. Highlight how you balanced individual responsibility with team success.

Pro tip: Show that you focus on solutions rather than blame when someone blocks your progress. Demonstrating empathy and a problem-solving mindset will set you apart.

1. Set Clear Expectations

Explain how you establish clear goals, deadlines, and responsibilities at the start of a project to ensure everyone knows what is expected.

2. Monitor Progress

Describe how you regularly track progress through daily stand-ups, sprint boards, or other tools to identify potential delays early.

3. Communicate Proactively

Discuss how you keep stakeholders informed and raise issues promptly, especially when you anticipate or encounter blockers.

4. Address Blockers Collaboratively

Explain your approach to resolving blockers caused by others: understand their perspective, offer help, and escalate if necessary while maintaining a positive relationship.

5. Reflect and Improve

Mention how you conduct retrospectives or personal reviews to learn from each project and improve future accountability processes.

Key Points to Mention

  • Ownership of tasks and outcomes
  • Proactive communication and transparency
  • Use of Agile tools (e.g., Jira, daily stand-ups) to track progress
  • Collaborative problem-solving when blocked
  • Escalation with diplomacy and data
  • Continuous improvement through retrospectives

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