Three McDonald's Software Engineer candidates report varied paths. Stages mentioned include a recruiter or hiring manager call, a HackerRank test with SQL and coding, a developer technical round, and, in one account, a final hiring manager chat.
$123K
Avg. Base Comp
$150K
Avg. Total Comp
Not reported
Typical Rounds
Not reported
Process Length
Three candidates describe McDonald's Software Engineer interviews, and their paths differ. One began with a recruiter phone screen, while two met a hiring manager first. Outcomes also differed: one candidate accepted an offer and two did not advance.
Two candidates mention a HackerRank assessment. One describes multiple choice questions, a SQL problem and a coding question. Another describes LeetCode-style problems, C# and SQL questions, some AWS-related material, and a tight time limit. SQL appears in both accounts, so practice sorting and querying data under time pressure.
The technical conversation seems to reward clear reasoning. One candidate walked a senior developer through the HackerRank solution, then solved a new live problem while talking through the approach first. Another discussed an algorithmic problem with a developer who asked follow-ups about optimizing and explaining the reasoning.
Behavioral and motivation questions came up in all three accounts. Candidates report being asked why they want to work at McDonald's, about a conflict at work, and about a difficult challenge. One was also asked a light personality question about which burger they would be. Prepare a specific answer about building software for a large customer base, and examples that connect technology to restaurant operations or user experience. One candidate was asked about projects that combined .NET, Angular and Docker.
The final hiring manager conversation in the accepted-offer account felt relaxed and focused on the team.
Synthesized from 3 candidate reports by our editorial team.
Had an interview recently?
Share your experience. Unlock the full guide.
Real interview reports from people who went through the Mcdonald'S process.
I got a referral through a friend and started with a phone call with the hiring manager, which was encouraging. After that initial conversation went well, they sent me a HackerRank coding test to complete on my own time. The test included basic LeetCode-style problems, C# and SQL questions, and some AWS-related material. I found the SQL portion asked me to write a query to sort through data, which felt straightforward but the overall time constraint made it tighter than I expected.
Beyond the technical questions, they mixed in behavioral ones — I got asked about a conflict I'd had at work and how I handled it, and they were curious about why I wanted to work at McDonald's specifically. The interviewers came across as very welcoming and technical, and there was genuine respect in how they asked questions about customer service and my background. They were interested in hearing about complex projects I'd worked on, especially anything involving multiple technologies like .NET, Angular, and Docker. The environment felt understanding and collaborative, which was nice, but ultimately I didn't advance past this stage.
Prep tip from this candidate
Brush up on SQL window functions and data sorting queries before the HackerRank test, and have a few concrete examples of multi-technology projects ready to discuss — they dig into those integration stories.
Share your own interview experience to unlock all reports, or subscribe for full access.
Sourced from candidate reports and verified by our team.
Topics based on recent interview experiences.
Featured question at Mcdonald'S
Describing a data project and its challenges
| Question | |
|---|---|
| Sales Leaderboard | |
| Why Do You Want to Work With Us | |
| Decreasing Tech Debt | |
| Your Strengths and Weaknesses | |
| 2nd Highest Salary | |
| Monthly Customer Report | |
| String Shift | |
| Bagging vs Boosting | |
| Over-Budget Projects | |
| Maximum Profit | |
| Download Facts | |
| Daily Retention Summary | |
| Delivery Estimate Model | |
| Size of Joins | |
| Month Over Month | |
| Google Maps Improvement | |
| Average Order Value | |
| Longest Streak Users | |
| Resumable Fact Table Load | |
| Portfolio Platform Architecture | |
| Clickstream Data | |
| Valid Anagram | |
| Success Measurement | |
| Target Indices | |
| Order Addresses | |
| Christmas Dinner Ingredient Optimization | |
| How Many Friends | |
| Coin Dispenser | |
| Count Transactions |
Synthesized from candidate reports. Individual experiences may vary.
Candidates report different openings. One had a recruiter phone screen about their background and was asked why they wanted to work at McDonald's. Two spoke with a hiring manager first, and one of them was asked about a difficult challenge they had faced.
Two candidates report a HackerRank test. One describes multiple choice questions, a SQL problem and a coding question. Another mentions LeetCode-style problems, C# and SQL questions, AWS-related material, and tighter time than expected. Expect to work on SQL and coding fundamentals.
Candidates describe a technical conversation with a senior developer or another developer. One reviewed their HackerRank solution and then solved a new live problem. Another discussed a challenging algorithmic problem with follow-ups on optimization. Explaining your approach before coding appears to matter.
The candidate who accepted an offer describes a final hiring manager conversation that felt collegial and focused on learning about the team. It was the most relaxed part of that candidate's process.
