I applied through an employee referral. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Uber (Chicago, IL) in Jul 2014
Interview
Was contacted by phone after submitting initial application. Answered a few preliminary interview questions for about 20-30 minutes, wherein the interviewer inquired about my relevant employment experience.
Was then sent about 4 pages worth of 'homework' to complete and return within a day or two. The questions were related to CS strategies, communication scenarios, and other relevant hypotheticals. Because they were using real-world scenarios pertaining to Uber, it felt like I was doing work for them for free, rather than giving them insight into what kind of employee I'd be.
I was then invited to come to an in-person interview at their Chicago office. I was placed in a room where I awaited each round of interviewers. One after another, the Community Ops managers came in and started the conversation with "Tell me about yourself."
The interviewers themselves seemed largely disinterested and tired. They checked their cellphones multiple times during the interview, yawned, and had to wrap it up rather hurriedly.
The biggest negative for me in this whole experience was the emphasis on expected work hours, which they told me would be 80-90 hours a week. They used the 'unlimited vacation days' policy as a highlight, but then went on to tell me that no one feels comfortable taking off days, so they just have ''off moments.''
Even more shocking, a couple of the interviewers emphasized that their personal lives have suffered greatly due to the job's demands, and that I'd need to be willing to make the same sort of sacrifice. As a voluntary rejoinder to this obvious negative, they offered that the people they work with have become their closest family and friends.
In short, they made it clear that accepting this position meant trading your existing life as you know it for the new Uber lifestyle, which means working almost literally nonstop for the next 6-9 months at least.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Are you prepared to sacrifice your personal life and relationships to work here 80-90 hours a week?