This piece was originally published in January 2021 and updated in December 2021.
Instacart is quickly becoming one of the most powerful players in online grocery in North America, closing 2021 with a valuation of $39 billion.
Instacart has grown its shopper base from 200,000 in March 2020 to more than 500,000 currently. This year, the company added a 30-minute delivery service and partnered with Fabric to bring automated fulfillment technology to retailers. The company is also reviewing options in the rapidly growing 15-minute delivery space.
Amid its expansion, Instacart has seen top leaders come and go. In August, the San Francisco-based company named a new chief executive, Fidji Simo, to replace founder Apoorva Mehta.
The company, which employs about 3,300 full-time workers, is looking to hire various roles from engineering managers to product designers. The San Francisco, California, based e-commerce grocery giant has more than 100 open positions listed on its website. Here's what some of those positions at Instacart pay.
Insider spoke with Instacart's chief HR officer and a vice president of engineering about the ins and outs of the hiring process. Both revealed the best way to stand out, nail the interview process, and get a job offer from the company.
"Passion and excitement go a long way here at Instacart," said Christina Hall, Instacart's chief human resources officer. "We want to know why you're excited about the product, our industry and what new perspectives and experiences you can bring to the team. Most importantly, Instacart is a place where we aim for everyone to bring their whole selves to work each day, so just be your authentic self."
Instacart offers employees a base salary, restricted stock units (RSU), and benefits package that includes medical, dental, and life insurance. In addition to vacation and parental leave, financial support for family planning, and mental health services are also offered to new hires.
From what the recruitment process entails to the best ways to prepare for the interview, here's what we learned about how to land a job at this fast-growing grocery company.
The hiring process
Though many people apply to roles at Instacart on their own, candidates can also be referred by a current employee or might hear from a recruiter directly on LinkedIn. If an application looks good, a recruiter will set up an introductory call to share more details about the job and learn more about the candidate.
The next step is a team assessment," or a virtual meeting with different members of the candidate's future team. In this stage, an applicant might be asked to complete problem-solving exercises. This step is generally followed by a virtual office tour and the chance to meet more potential teammates. Finally, Instacart will provide feedback to candidates and later extend an offer if all checks out.
Vik Gupta, who was hired as the vice president of engineering for Instacart Ads last year, said that his interview process was the best he has ever experienced.
"There was deep respect for everyone's time across the board, and people were humble and excited about what they were building," he said. Gupta added that he valued being able to meet so many different people during the interview process to see how the team worked together.
Gupta, who was previously an engineering VP at Google, currently leads Instacart's advertising engineering teams and plays a role in hiring for this department as well.
While certain aspects of the hiring process have changed during the pandemic, Instacart has pivoted to keep its culture vibrant during this extensive period of remote work.
"When we switched to fully-remote interviews, we got creative to see how we could replicate our in-person experience virtually," Hall said. Before the pandemic, Instacart would often invite candidates for an onsite lunch and tour to display what it feels like to work at Instacart.
These days, interviewers working from home use high-res images from the office as their backgrounds and offer candidates virtual office tours. In advance of the interview, Instacart also sends candidates packages filled with Instacart swag and a voucher for a free drink — from Instacart, naturally — to enjoy during the virtual meeting.
Understanding Instacart's values
While Instacart doesn't require its candidates to have a background in grocery or e-commerce, the company said it looks for problem-solvers who are passionate about Instacart's mission to provide groceries to everyone. It also looks for people who are willing to collaborate and keep improving day after day.
"We value 'we' over 'I' and look for candidates who demonstrate a willingness to collaborate across the company," said Hall, adding that the company also values a sense of humility and a desire to always do better. "We're looking for humble go-getters that can celebrate the work we're doing and always strive for more."
As such, candidates should come prepared with specific examples of collaboration and problem-solving experience, Hall added. She also noted that candidates applying for technical roles should be prepared to complete exercises in data structures, algorithms, architecture or design.
According to Gupta, as an engineer, "no matter what level you're interviewing for, it's important to make sure you're up to speed on your technical skills, both coding and tech/systems design." Candidates for technical roles should brush up on tools like Code Signal, Google Draw, and Lucidchart in advance of their Instacart interviews, he said.
Remember to be yourself
Technical skills aside, Instacart wants to get to know a candidate's personality throughout the interview process. At some point, a candidate might be asked to name the item that will always be included in their own cart.
"We'd never judge a candidate by their cart, but it's a fun way for us to get to know them," Hall said, adding that this question also helps ensure that a candidate is familiar with how Instacart works.
Overall, both Hall and Gupta emphasized the importance of letting your true personality and unique self shine through in the interview process. Instacart is looking to hire people with "diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences," Hall said, so it pays to for candidates to open up about what makes them unique.
"Bring your whole self to the table: your background, your excitement for what we're building, and your skills," Gupta said. "I look for people who are excited to collaborate with others and create things that are bigger than what any one of us could do on our own."
