Meta phone screen | UK | Feedback

I recently completed a phone screen interview for a Software Engineer position at Meta. I have 5+ years of experience and have prepared extensively for this interview.

The interview consisted of two coding challenges:

1. Pow(x, n) (simplified version without negative n): I provided two solutions (brute force O(N) and optimized O(logN)). I coded the solution in approximately 6 minutes but spent an additional 13 minutes on verification.

2. Merge 3 sorted arrays: I offered a linear solution using 3 pointers with estimated time complexity of O(N) and space complexity of O(1). I coded the solution in 4-5 minutes and began testing. The interviewer interrupted, suggesting I focus on specific test cases. I identified a bug, suggested a fix, and the interview concluded.

Despite solving both problems and discussing time and space complexity, I received a rejection email indicating my coding skills were below expectations. This was unexpected, as I completed both coding challenges. While feedback on my verification process might have been helpful, the lack of specific feedback is unclear.

Additionally, I felt the interviewer's communication could have been improved. The lack of communication made the experience somewhat uncomfortable. Effective communication is crucial for a fair candidate evaluation.