Toast, Inc. Software Engineer Position Overview

Toast, Inc. is revolutionizing the restaurant industry with its innovative all-in-one management platform. By connecting employees, operations, and guests through user-friendly digital solutions, Toast helps restaurants increase sales, engage customers, and streamline operations. Our platform is designed with the unique needs of restaurateurs in mind, empowering them to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market.

As a Software Engineer at Toast, you'll play a pivotal role in developing and enhancing tools that impact the daily operations of restaurants globally. Our engineering team is dedicated to building products that are both robust and user-friendly, addressing real-world challenges faced by our customers. Join us to create technology that makes a tangible difference in the lives of restaurant employees and guests every day.

In this guide, we’ll navigate through the interview process and provide valuable insights to help you succeed in your application to Toast. Let’s get started!

Submitting Your Application

The first step is to submit a compelling application that reflects your technical skills and interest in joining Toast, Inc. as a Software Engineer. Whether you were contacted by a Toast recruiter or have taken the initiative yourself, carefully review the job description and tailor your CV according to the prerequisites.

Tailoring your CV may include identifying specific keywords that the hiring manager might use to filter resumes. Additionally, crafting a targeted cover letter that highlights your relevant skills and work experiences is essential.

Recruiter/Hiring Manager Call Screening

Upon successful CV screening, a recruiter from Toast’s Talent Acquisition Team will make contact to verify key details like your experiences and skill level. You may also encounter behavioral questions during this initial screening.

In some instances, the Toast Software Engineer hiring manager might also be present during the screening round to answer your queries about the role and the company. Their insights can include both professional and technical discussions.

This recruiter call is expected to take around 30 minutes.

Technical Virtual Interview

Moving forward from the recruiter screening, you will receive an invitation for a technical virtual interview. This stage typically includes video conferencing and screen-sharing sessions lasting about 1 hour. Technical questions in this round often relate to basic data structures, algorithms, and problems specific to what Toast is trying to solve.

You may be asked about coding solutions for problems like checking if a string is a palindrome or using Java libraries effectively. Be prepared to discuss the time and space complexity of your solutions.

Onsite Interview Rounds

If you succeed in the technical virtual round, you’ll be invited to the onsite interview loop at Toast’s office. This process involves multiple rounds focusing on different aspects of the role. The onsite round typically includes:

1. Coding Round: Tackling problems relevant to Toast’s work, with the chance to use additional libraries.
2. Product Management & STAR-based Round: Discussing your work experience and STAR-based behavioral questions with a product manager and senior engineer.
3. System Design Round: Designing systems similar to those used at Toast, evaluated by a Tech Lead and other engineers.
4. Hiring Manager Round: More STAR-based questions, focusing on your fit for the Toast team and culture.

Final Feedback and Offer Decision

Post-interviews, you should expect to hear back within 48 hours regarding feedback. Toast values a professional and positive interview experience, from detailed feedback calls to prompt communication throughout the process.

Quick Tips For Toast, Inc. Software Engineer Interviews

You should plan to brush up on any technical skills and try as many practice interview questions and mock interviews as possible. A few tips for acing your Toast, Inc. interview include:

• Understand Toast’s Mission: Research Toast’s platform and its impact on the restaurant industry. Tailor your problem-solving approach to reflect real-world scenarios they are addressing.
• Strong Behavioral Competencies: Prepare to discuss your past experiences using the STAR method and demonstrate cultural fit by aligning with Toast's values.
• Technical Acumen: Practice coding problems, system design, and technical discussions relevant to backend technologies like Java and Kotlin, as well as frontend technologies used by Toast.

Typically, interviews at Toast vary by role and team, but commonly Software Engineer interviews follow a fairly standardized process across these question topics.

• What retention rate is needed for Smart Sales Incorporated to break even with a two-year contract? Smart Sales Incorporated is considering a subscription model for its POS systems. Calculate the retention rate required to break even with the traditional one-time sale model over a two-year contract period.

• What retention rate is needed to break even in four and six years if the two-year target is missed? If the company does not break even within the initial two-year contract period, determine the retention rates required to break even in the subsequent four years and six years. Assume the cost for subscription and one-time sales are equivalent.

• Write a SQL query to select the 2nd highest salary in the engineering department. Note: If more than one person shares the highest salary, the query should select the next highest salary.

Example:

Input:

employees table

|Column|Type| |---|---| | id | INTEGER | | first_name | VARCHAR | | last_name |VARCHAR| | salary | INTEGER | |department_id| INTEGER |

departments table

|Column|Type| |---|---| | id | INTEGER | | name | VARCHAR |

Output:

|Column|Type| |---|---| | salary | INTEGER |

• What retention rate is needed to break even with a two-year contract under a subscription model? Smart Sales Incorporated is considering switching from a one-time sale model to a subscription-based model for their POS systems. Calculate the retention rate required to break even with the traditional model within a two-year contract period.

• What retention rate is needed to break even in four and six years if the two-year target is missed? If Smart Sales Incorporated does not break even within the initial two-year contract period, determine the retention rates required to break even in the subsequent four years and six years. Assume the costs for subscription and one-time sales are equivalent.

• How do we deal with missing square footage data to construct a housing price prediction model? You have scraped 100K sold listings in Seattle over the past three years, but 20% of the listings are missing square footage data. How would you handle this missing data to build your housing price prediction model?

• What kind of model and features would you use to predict restaurant food preparation time? You want to build a model to predict the time taken for a restaurant to prepare food from the moment an order is received until it is ready. What type of model would you use, and what features would you consider?

What is the average salary for a Software Engineer at Toast, Inc.?

Q: What is the interview process like at Toast, Inc. for a Software Engineer position?

The interview process at Toast, Inc. typically consists of multiple stages including an initial recruiter call, a technical phone screen, and a panel interview. The technical rounds focus on practical problem-solving and real-world scenarios rather than traditional Leetcode-style questions. Depending on the stage, you may also encounter system design challenges and behavioral interviews.

Q: What kind of technical skills and experience are required for a Software Engineer role at Toast, Inc.?

Toast prefers candidates proficient in Android development and modern backend technologies like Java or Kotlin. Familiarity with React, PostgresQL, DynamoDB, and other tools within our tech stack is beneficial. Candidates should also have a good understanding of software development best practices including code quality, unit testing, and behavioral-driven development.

Q: What is the company culture like at Toast, Inc.?

Toast, Inc. prides itself on a positive, inclusive, and collaborative culture. The company values authenticity, inclusivity, high standards of respect and trust, and leading with humility. Employees are considered the “secret ingredient” to Toast’s success and the diverse restaurant industry inspires this inclusive approach.

Q: How can I prepare for my interview at Toast, Inc.?

To prepare for the interview, ensure you have a strong grasp of coding fundamentals and real-world problem-solving. Practicing with Interview Query can help you get ready for the types of coding and system design questions you may encounter. Additionally, reviewing your past projects and experiences, especially those involving teamwork and agile methodologies, can be advantageous.

Q: What should I expect in terms of communication and feedback during the hiring process?

Toast, Inc. aims for a transparent and informative hiring process. Feedback is usually prompt, with updates following each interview round. In case of a rejection, candidates have the option to schedule a detailed feedback discussion to understand the reasons and areas of improvement.

Conclusion

In the quest to join Toast, Inc. as a Software Engineer, it's crucial to be well-prepared for a multifaceted interview process that's both challenging and rewarding. While feedback varies, with some candidates citing a smooth, supportive experience and others calling out certain shortcomings, the overall goal is to find the right fit for a company dedicated to innovation and quality.

If you want more insights about the company, check out our main Toast Interview Guide, where we have covered many interview questions that could be asked. We’ve also created interview guides for other roles, such as software engineer and data analyst, where you can learn more about Toast's interview process for different positions.

At Interview Query, we empower you to unlock your interview prowess with a comprehensive toolkit, equipping you with the knowledge, confidence, and strategic guidance to conquer every Toast Software Engineer interview question and challenge.

You can check out all our company interview guides for better preparation, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Good luck with your interview!