Instacart Hiring Process: Job Application, Interviews, and Employment

By | July 15, 2023
Instacart Hiring Process
The Instacart hiring process involves an interview where the company learns about the applicant’s experience, skills, knowledge, and education. Image source: Techcrunch.

This post provides detailed information on the Instacart hiring process, including the job application and interview stages you will need to complete to be hired by the company.

If you are seeking to work at Instacart, it is important to learn about the company’s hiring process, so you will be able to fulfill the requirements of the position you are interested in and be hired.

Please, read on:

Instacart Hiring Process

The hiring process at Instacart involves various stages that applicants need to complete to be hired, these include:

Instacart Job Application Process

On the company’s page, applicants can search for open positions based on location or department.

After an applicant has found a position they are interested in, they can submit their resume online.

If the employer accepts the resume, he/she can click “Apply Now” button. The applicant receives a confirmation email after submitting the application.

Available Jobs at Instacart

Applicants can find information about available jobs at Instacart on the company’s career section.

Here, you can learn about the different departments, such as customer support, marketing, finance, human resources, operations, sales, etc., where you can apply for jobs.

You can also find out how to apply for specific roles.

Instacart Interview Process

When the candidate applies for the position, she/he gets an invitation to attend an interview.

During this time, the interviewer asks questions about the applicant’s experience, skills, knowledge, education, etc.

The interviewer also checks whether the applicant meets the minimum requirements of the position.

If so, then the applicant will be invited to join the next round of interviews.

First Round of Interviews

The first round of interviews includes two parts: Phone Screening and Onsite Interview.

In the phone screening, the applicant answers some general questions about herself/himself.

Then the recruiter asks questions about her/his work history, why she/he wants to work at Instacart, what makes her/him qualified for the role, etc.

After answering these questions, the applicant is asked to send her/his resume via email.

If the applicant passes the phone screen, she/he will be invited to participate in the second part of the first round of interviews.

Second Round of Interviews

In the second round of interviews, the applicant will meet one of the recruiters face to face.

The recruiter will ask the same set of questions as during the phone screen.

However, there will be no phone call between the applicant and the recruiter.

Instead, the applicant will answer all questions directly to the recruiter.

Tips for Passing Instacart Interview

If you want to get hired at Instacart, then here are some tips to ace the interview:

  • Prepare thoroughly before applying for a role.
  • Research Instacart’s culture, values, mission statement, vision, goals, etc.
  • Find out if the organization offers any training programs, scholarships, internships, etc.
  • Be confident and professional during the interview.
  • Dress appropriately (e.g. business attire) and prepare your best answers to the questions.
  • Practice your responses. Before attending the interview, practice answering questions similar to those asked during the interview.
  • Also, think about the keywords that describe your strengths and weaknesses. These keywords should appear in your cover letter and resume.
  • Follow up after the interview.
  • Send a thank you note to the recruiter who interviewed you. This shows your interest in working at Instacart.
  • Keep your LinkedIn profile updated. Update your profile with new skills, achievements, certifications, awards, publications, etc.

Instacart Interview Questions and Answers

Below are some sample questions from previous rounds of interviews at Instacart. Feel free to use them to prepare effectively for your interview.

  • Tell me about yourself?

I am a recent graduate with a degree in Computer Science from University of California, Berkeley.

My work experience includes several projects related to machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and mobile applications.

I love playing basketball, reading books, traveling, and cooking when I’m not working.

  • What do you know about Instacart?

Instacart is a grocery delivery service based in San Francisco, CA.

They deliver groceries and other items from local stores to customers’ homes.

Instacart started operations in 2012 and now operate in more than 17 States in the U.S, including Ontario, Canada.

The company’s goal is to make it easy for people to shop online and pick up their orders at nearby stores.

  • How do you see yourself contributing to Instacart?

As an engineer, my focus would be on developing algorithms that can improve the efficiency of our systems.

For example, we currently use a combination of techniques such as A* search algorithm to find the shortest route between two locations.

It works well but it takes a lot of time to calculate the path.

I would like to develop an algorithm that can quickly identify the optimal path without calculating every single step.

  • Why did you apply to this position?

I’m impressed by the diversity of roles available at Instacart.

There are opportunities to work on different parts of the system, ranging from frontend development to backend development.

I also like the fact that they offer competitive salary and benefits package.

How Long Does Instacart Hiring Process Take?

After the interview, the applicant can expect to hear from the company within a week.

You will receive an email confirming if you have been selected for the position.

Instructions regarding the next steps to take will also be communicated to you.

These include sending documents related to the background check and drug test.

  • Offer and Acceptance

After the second round of interviews is over, the recruiter will prepare a list of candidates who passed both rounds of interviews.

He/She will invite those candidates to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).

After signing the NDA, the recruiter will contact each candidate individually to let him/her know if he/she was selected for the position.

Candidates who were not chosen will receive an explanation about why they did not get the job offer.

Instacart Careers and Jobs

The following are the major jobs and careers available at Instacart:

  • Software Engineer

Description: Responsible for designing, coding, testing and debugging software components.

This includes writing code, troubleshooting bugs, and performing unit tests.

  • Data Scientist

Description: Responsible to design and implement data science solutions for predictive modeling, forecasting, and optimization problems.

  • Product Manager

Description: Responsible managing product lifecycle, business strategy, marketing, sales, customer support, and technical support.

  • Customer Support Specialist

Description: Responsible answering questions and providing guidance to customers.

  • Marketing Associate

Description: Responsible in creating content for various social media platforms.

What to Expect Working at Instacart

Working at Instacart means being part of a fast growing startup with a great team.

You are expected to take initiative and make decisions independently.

The environment is very dynamic and there’s always something new to learn.

Company culture is fun and collaborative.

The company offers great benefits like health insurance, 401k matching, unlimited vacation days, paid sick leave, parental leave, and more.

What some Employees Dislike about Instacart

Some things that employees have mentioned about Instacart that are not so good include:

  1. Lack of transparency in compensation
  2. Poor communication channels
  3. Bad management
  4. Unclear career growth
  5. High turnover rate
  6. Low pay

Instacart Company Profile

Instacart is a technology firm headquartered in California, USA. It created a platform that allows consumers to purchase groceries online using a single app.

Apoorva Mehta, a former Amazon employee, created Instacart in 2012.

Metha had previously worked in Amazon’s fulfillment shipment services and saw the need for a grocery-specific app, so she immediately began developing the software that would later become Instacart.

In only nine years, Instacart has grown to 5,500 cities and 40,000 shops across North America.

Conclusion

If you are hoping to get hired at Instacart, then it is important to understand its hiring process.

By knowing this information, you are better prepared to access the job that you are looking for at Instacart and get it.