At MentorCruise, we can help you with your Salesforce interview experience. Here, our mentors can provide tips on their questions, what makes an ideal Salesforce candidate, and what to expect from the interview process.
Salesforce Hiring Process Overview
Salesforce uses a blend of remote screening methods, on-site interviews, and various tests to determine whether you're a suitable candidate. The entire hiring process for Salesforce is in-depth, and you can expect to spend at least three to five weeks between receiving an initial phone screening and finding out if you were successful.
This process may be longer for high-level roles, where a salesforce panel interview may be an additional requirement. Much like any other large company, the interview process can vary according to the role you're applying for. If you apply for a technical position, your interview may involve different questions, such as Salesforce behavioral interview questions, similar to Amazon behavioral questions, and technical questions related specifically to that role.
Salesforce Interview Process Timeline
Entire timeline: 3-5 weeks
Week #1: Prescreening
During the first week of hiring, Salesforce will conduct initial prescreening assessments. These checks allow their hiring team to decide whether you will proceed to the next stage as a suitable candidate. Usually, your initial call will be with a recruiter, where you are asked basic questions about your experience, knowledge, and skills.
Week #2: Phone Screening
At this point, you'll be on the list for internal screening through the Salesforce hiring team. A second round of screening usually takes place within the first or second week. Depending on the role, you should be ready to answer questions about your specific experience and knowledge of Salesforce.
Week #3-4: On-Site Interviews and HackerRank
Before you travel to Salesforce, you may be asked to complete a HackerRank challenge depending on the role you apply for this. This challenge is a three-hour test where you are provided with a problem statement and offered a series of questions to answer.
You'll then be invited to participate in on-site interviews and tests. Usually, these will include:
● A live coding challenge
● A chat with the hiring manager
● A computer science fundamental test
● A review of your HackerRank challenge
Week #5: Final Stages
If you are successful in your on-site interviews, you may be invited for further interviews with a specific team or panel. Alternatively, you may be offered the role directly after completing your interviews. We cover the individual steps of the process in detail below.
Salesforce Interview Stages
Stage #1: Application
Submitting your application to Salesforce is the first thing you'll need to do. Ensure your resume and cover letter are up-to-date and relevant to the role.
Using the STAR technique to prepare your application and get ready for interviews is a good starting point, particularly as many businesses are putting emphasis on the behavior side of hiring- with research showing this method is as much as 55% more predictive than traditional interview processes.
Stage #2: Screening Candidates
Following your application, you may receive a phone call from a recruiter to screen you for the role. If this is successful, you may have a secondary screening call with a hiring manager.
Stage #3: Testing
If you pass screening, the next step is testing. Depending on the role, you may be asked to complete a HackerRank challenge, an online test where you will resolve a problem you are provided with to demonstrate your coding expertise. The result of this challenge is typically a point of discussion for your interviews. Alongside this, you’ll also take part in on-site testing, such as general computer science and coding tests.
Stage #4: Interviews
Interviews are conducted at Salesforce with a hiring manager to review the testing results and get to know you. You may have salesforce integration interview questions or lightning questions at this stage, so it's important to do your research.
Salesforce integration involves looking at the technology that connects with the platform, such as MailChimp or SAP. Salesforce lightning interview questions, on the other hand, concern the application development framework that many companies use to simplify their business processes, a system that goes beyond the standard Salesforce package.
Stage #5: Offer
Successfully completing your interviews and gaining high test scores may lead to you being offered the role you applied for. At this point, you can choose to negotiate with Salesforce over the exact terms of your employment. Congratulations, you've done it!
How to Nail Your Salesforce Interview
Adapt Your Resume with STAR
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. When you create your resume and cover letter, using this process to explain your experience and the outcome of what you did is invaluable for demonstrating your knowledge and skill.
The STAR technique is invaluable for both your application and your response in an interview, particularly surrounding questions related to your leadership, competency, and general behavior.
Utilize Your Existing Salesforce Network
If you already know people that work at Salesforce, these relationships can be helpful for effectively 'getting your foot in the door' with recruiters.
You may be able to gain access to a referral program or ask a few questions about the culture and values of the business. Otherwise, reach out to relevant people on LinkedIn or attend Salesforce-related events.
Understand How Salesforce Works
Salesforce is a SaaS company; at minimum, they'll expect you to know what their software is and who uses it.
You can gain this knowledge with some research into the product and service, providing useful preparation if you're asked specific questions in the interview. 47% of recruiters say they wouldn’t offer a job to someone without knowledge of the company they’re applying to, so it pays to do some research.
Know Your Transferable Skills
Alongside technical skills, Salesforce will also look for candidates with strong soft skills and transferable skills. For instance, being a strong communicator, or knowing how to work as a team, is invaluable for many roles in almost every business. If you’re applying for technical roles, choosing to work with a coding mentor is one way you can gain an understanding of which skills are transferable if you’re having difficulty figuring it out yourself.
Common Interview Questions for Salesforce
Salesforce interviews include a wide range of questions covering different topics and areas of importance. Preparing for a variety of different topics and styles of interview questions is helpful for giving the best possible impression. For instance, using the STAR methodology - Situation, Task, Action, and Result - when you are asked behavior-related questions can make a significant difference to your success against other candidates.
Some examples of interview questions include:
● What is Salesforce?
● How is SaaS beneficial to Salesforce?
● What is the difference between Trigger and Workflow?
● What are the benefits of a cloud solution such as Salesforce?
● What is an object in Salesforce?
● What is an Audit trail in Salesforce?
● What is a junction object in Salesforce?
● What are the benefits of Salesforce?
● What can cause data loss in Salesforce?
● How does Salesforce track sales?
● What is a static resource in Salesforce?
● What are the different types of reports available in Salesforce?
● Can you explain the Salesforce dashboard?
● What do you mean by a sandbox in Salesforce?
● What is Salesforce Lightning?
● What is VisualForce in Salesforce?
Answering the right questions for the role is invaluable for nailing your Salesforce interview. For instance, you may be asked technical Salesforce questions about your experience and knowledge. You may also have more general salesforce behavioral interview questions to determine if you fit the company's values and mission.
Conclusion
With our tips and tricks, achieving your goals in your hiring process at Salesforce is a simple task. If you're keen to make the most out of your upcoming interview or application, our mentorship provides the ideal way to gain a competitive advantage.
Book a session with MentorCruise today to get an edge and achieve what you want out of your Salesforce career.