How to answer Cabify's favorite question well in job interviews

This article was written and published in Spanish and has been translated into English via Google Translate. Click here to read the original article.

Sebastián Barrios has been at the head of the Cabify technology team for 2 years. The manager explains how to answer one of the company's favorite questions in job interviews.

For two years, Sebastián Barrios has been the head of the team that develops, implements and maintains the applications and functionalities of the Cabify driver rental vehicle platform, founded and directed by Juan de Antonio.

The manager is also the perfect proof that there is room for everyone in Cabify. With only 28 years this Mexican has reached one of the highest positions in a company that is taking over the streets of many cities in our country.

Cabify is transparent in its practices and has a manual (which Barrios has revealed that will be published shortly in an interview for Business Insider Spain) where it is explained what it means to be part of the team, how are the company's welcome processes, how are the interviews and how do you decide whether or not a candidate meets the company's values ​​and standards, among other points.

“I like to say that in Cabify people's career is limited only by how much you want to work and contribute to the company. There is no restriction for anyone and my example is proof of that. You are only limited by your desire. There is a clear meritocracy in which that is rewarded, ”explains the chief technology officer.

What profiles are you looking for?

For the most part Cabify hires engineers, followed by designers, product managers, user researchers, data scientists, etc. “There are many ways to work in Cabify. Obviously we are a technology company, so if you like to program and that is what you studied, it is clear. But if you are passionate about art, research, talking with users or data analysis, there is most likely a space in Cabify for you,” Barrios explains.

I'm interested, now what?

Once you've decided on Cabify and liked your profile, you must go through a process of interviews and code tests.

"Our six recruiters are always looking for top technology profiles both in Madrid and worldwide, because we work a lot with the remote team," Barrios explains.

Whether you have run as a candidate, or if the Cabify team has found you, you have to have a conversation with the organization so they know what your aspirations and interests are and see at what level you could potentially join. Then, you would have to go through a code test that is designed to be done in an hour or two, although "it depends on how much time each person wants to spend," he says.

That test is then reviewed by people who are experts in the subject and with this “it shows if people follow the best practices, if they follow the same code standards as the industry or if it is well documented”.

But that is not all. Once this test has been successfully passed, the most difficult is: a full day of interviews in the central offices. “More than the technical part, we evaluate the alignment part with the company's values. The questions we ask are designed to assess whether the candidate fits with the culture and values ​​of Cabify.”

The technology director's favorite question? Listen to what motivates people. “What motivates you to get up every morning or come to the office. I'm not looking for something that has to do with work, I want to know what makes you tick, as if you were a watch.” With this simple question, he knows which team the candidate could fit in well.

In Cabify they have a battery of questions based on experiences to prevent candidates from just saying what the employer wants to hear. In their interviews, the recruiters team asks people to tell concrete experiences such as projects that went wrong and what was done to correct them, a conflict between two teams, etc.

“We look for answers based on real situations that the candidates have lived,” explains Barrios.

How to ascend once inside

"We have something quite revolutionary, at least outside Silicon Valley, and our career plan is internally public," Barrios tells Business Insider Spain.

Cabify has a structure based on engineering levels which allows everyone to know the level that each partner is assigned and what the salary band is. "We believe that eliminates the injustices that may exist in other companies, such as getting along with the boss earn more," he says.

Another of the methods they use to avoid any inequality is to calculate wages with an algorithm that can be found in the company's internal manual. "This formula does not include gender, or the relationship with the boss, or how much you know how to negotiate," he says.

In addition, Cabify follows very specific parameters in the process to achieve a promotion that consists in sending a written case with evidence of how that employee has improved certain metrics in the company. This case is reviewed by a committee "to make it a fair, public and understandable process for the team, so people feel motivated knowing what it takes to get to the next level."

This article was written and published in Spanish and has been translated into English via Google Translate. Click here to read the original article.

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