As a Software Engineer at Graco, you will play a pivotal role in developing and enhancing software solutions that drive the functionality and efficiency of our products. Your contributions will directly impact the design and performance of various manufacturing equipment, ensuring that our systems are innovative, reliable, and user-friendly. This role is critical not only for the success of our engineering teams but also for the overall satisfaction of our customers who rely on our products for their industrial needs. At Graco, you will work alongside talented engineers in a collaborative environment, focusing on projects that range from real-time control systems to advanced user interfaces. The complexity of our products, which include systems for fluid handling, paints, and coatings, offers a unique opportunity for you to engage with cutting-edge technology and tackle challenging problems that have a significant impact on the industry. You will be at the forefront of engineering solutions that enhance our manufacturing processes and product offerings.
Phone Screen
reportedInitial phone screen with HR and technical representatives to evaluate fit for the role.
What to demonstrate
- Initial phone screen with HR and technical representatives to evaluate fit for the role
- Depth in Behavioral Interviewing
How to prepare
- Be able to walk your CV end to end in two minutes, and say why this company specifically.
- Have your salary expectations, notice period and location constraints ready, and ask for the rest of the loop in writing.
In-Person Interviews
reportedOne or more in-person interviews with engineering teams and management, including behavioral and technical questions.
What to demonstrate
- One or more in-person interviews with engineering teams and management
- Including behavioral and technical questions
How to prepare
- Answer aloud and timed: What are the key considerations when designing a software architecture?
- Answer aloud and timed: How do you ensure the performance of your code?
Problem-Solving Showcase
reportedOpportunities to showcase problem-solving skills through case studies or coding challenges.
What to demonstrate
- Opportunities to showcase problem-solving skills through case studies or coding challenges
- Depth in Behavioral Interviewing
How to prepare
- Answer aloud and timed: Discuss a technical challenge you faced and how you resolved it.
- Answer aloud and timed: Tell me about a time you worked on a team project. What was your role?
PracHub editorial advice for the preparation topics above.
Research Graco
Demonstrating knowledge of the company’s products and values can set you apart as a candidate who is genuinely interested in the role.
Practice coding skills
Brush up on coding exercises and algorithms relevant to the position, ensuring you can solve problems efficiently and effectively during the interview.
Prepare behavioral examples
Reflect on past experiences that showcase your teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving skills to illustrate your capability in a real-world context.
Engage with your interviewers
Ask insightful questions during the interview to demonstrate your enthusiasm and to gather information about the team dynamics and expectations.
Choose a category, try a prompt, then open its approach, worked solution or follow-up when you need it.
Write a function to reverse a string in your preferred programming language.
Write a function to reverse a string in your preferred programming language.
Approach
- Restate the input: its shape, its size, and what is guaranteed about it.
- Name the brute-force solution and its complexity before improving on it.
- Choose the data structure from the access pattern, not from familiarity.
- State the target complexity and say which constraint rules the naive version out.
Follow-up
- How does this change if the input no longer fits in memory?
- What is the worst case, and how likely is it on real data?
How would you implement a search algorithm? Explain your choice.
How would you implement a search algorithm? Explain your choice.
Approach
- Restate the input: its shape, its size, and what is guaranteed about it.
- Name the brute-force solution and its complexity before improving on it.
- Choose the data structure from the access pattern, not from familiarity.
- State the target complexity and say which constraint rules the naive version out.
Follow-up
- How does this change if the input no longer fits in memory?
- What is the worst case, and how likely is it on real data?
Discuss the time complexity of different sorting algorithms.
Discuss the time complexity of different sorting algorithms.
Approach
- Restate the input: its shape, its size, and what is guaranteed about it.
- Name the brute-force solution and its complexity before improving on it.
- Choose the data structure from the access pattern, not from familiarity.
- State the target complexity and say which constraint rules the naive version out.
Follow-up
- How does this change if the input no longer fits in memory?
- What is the worst case, and how likely is it on real data?
Stop tag and share joins from fanning out a page
resource_tag is (resource_id, tag_id) with PK (resource_id, tag_id); resource_share is (resource_id, shared_with_user_id, permission). The tagged-and-shared listing inner-joins resource to both, filters tenant_id, tag_id = ANY($2) and shared_with_user_id = $3, orders by updated_at DESC and takes 50. Pages come back with fewer than 50 distinct resources and the total in the header is far too high. Explain the row multiplication, rewrite both the page query and the count query so each is correct, and name the index each one needs. PostgreSQL 16.
Approach
- Do the arithmetic against the predicates that are actually there. An inner join emits one row per matching child row, and both joins are filtered: tag_id = ANY($2) admits only the requested tags, shared_with_user_id = $3 admits one user's share rows. So a resource holding three of the requested tags and shared with $3 once yields three rows, not one — the multiplier is its count of matching tags times its share rows for that single user, and that second factor is 1 unless the table admits duplicate (resource_id, shared_with_user_id) pairs. LIMIT 50 then limits rows rather than resources, and COUNT(*) counts pairs — the header is the product, not the population.
- Reject DISTINCT as the fix. It deduplicates after the product has been built, so the planner must materialise and sort the fanned-out set before the LIMIT can apply, and it leaves any SUM or AVG in the same select list wrong.
- Rewrite both filters as semi-joins, keeping resource as the only row source: AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM resource_tag rt WHERE rt.resource_id = r.resource_id AND rt.tag_id = ANY($2)) and the same shape against resource_share. A semi-join stops at the first match per resource and preserves the driving index order, so ORDER BY updated_at DESC, resource_id DESC LIMIT 50 still stops after 50 rows.
- Count with the same predicates and no join at all: SELECT count(*) FROM resource r WHERE r.tenant_id = $1 AND r.status = 'active' AND EXISTS (...) AND EXISTS (...). Nothing multiplies a resource, so the number is the population.
Follow-up
- The filter changes from 'any of these tags' to 'all of these tags'. Rewrite it and state what it costs relative to the ANY form.
- A resource can be shared with the same user twice under different permissions. Does your count change, and should it?
Write the update path that detects a concurrent edit
resource carries version INT NOT NULL DEFAULT 1. resource_revision holds revision_id, resource_id, version, actor_user_id, change_kind, patch JSONB, request_id, created_at with UNIQUE (resource_id, version). outbox_event holds aggregate_type, aggregate_id, aggregate_version, event_type, payload, status. A PUT carries the version the client read. Write the exact statements for the single transaction that applies the edit, records the revision and enqueues 'resource.updated', and give the handler's branch on zero affected rows. Then say what PostgreSQL 16 does under READ COMMITTED when two of these updates hit one row at once.
Approach
- One transaction, three writes, no network call inside it: UPDATE resource SET title = $3, version = version + 1, updated_at = now() WHERE resource_id = $1 AND tenant_id = $4 AND version = $2; then INSERT the resource_revision row at version $2 + 1; then INSERT the outbox_event row at the same aggregate_version. The event goes to a table rather than a broker because no transaction spans both.
- Branch on the affected-row count before doing anything else. Zero has three causes — stale version, wrong tenant, row gone — so re-read once and map to 409 carrying the current version, or 404 for an id outside the caller's tenant, which also stops the endpoint confirming that another tenant's id exists.
- State the engine behaviour instead of assuming it. Under READ COMMITTED the second UPDATE blocks on the row lock, and when the first commits PostgreSQL re-evaluates the WHERE clause against the newly committed row, so the version predicate now fails and the statement reports zero rows. Under REPEATABLE READ the identical collision raises SQLSTATE 40001 instead, so the handler must fold both shapes into one conflict response.
- Keep UNIQUE (resource_id, version) even though the predicate already serialises writers. It is what makes a lost update unwritable if any other path ever reaches the revision table, and it converts a logic bug into 23505 rather than into a silently missing history row.
Follow-up
- A client sends the version it read ten minutes ago and the resource has moved three versions. What is in your 409 so it can resolve the conflict without a full re-fetch?
- Two editors, two disjoint fields, no overlap. Does your answer still refuse the second write, and should it?
Can you explain a complex software project you have worked on?
Can you explain a complex software project you have worked on?
Approach
- Clarify what is being asked and what a complete answer contains.
- State your assumptions explicitly before working the problem.
- Say what you would check first and why it is the highest-information step.
- Work from the requirement backwards to the design.
Follow-up
- What assumption would you test first?
- How would you know your answer was wrong?
What are the key considerations when designing a software architecture?
What are the key considerations when designing a software architecture?
Approach
- Fix the scope first: who calls this, how often, and what they do when it fails.
- Name the read and write paths separately; they rarely have the same bottleneck.
- Choose a partition key and say what query it makes expensive.
- State the consistency you need, and where you are willing to be stale.
Follow-up
- What breaks first when traffic grows ten times?
- How does this behave when that dependency is down for an hour?
How do you ensure the performance of your code?
How do you ensure the performance of your code?
Approach
- Clarify what is being asked and what a complete answer contains.
- State your assumptions explicitly before working the problem.
- Say what you would check first and why it is the highest-information step.
- Work from the requirement backwards to the design.
Follow-up
- What assumption would you test first?
- How would you know your answer was wrong?
Discuss a technical challenge you faced and how you resolved it.
Discuss a technical challenge you faced and how you resolved it.
Approach
- Clarify what is being asked and what a complete answer contains.
- State your assumptions explicitly before working the problem.
- Say what you would check first and why it is the highest-information step.
- Work from the requirement backwards to the design.
Follow-up
- What assumption would you test first?
- How would you know your answer was wrong?
Present a scenario where you had to quickly learn a new technology. How did you approach it?
Present a scenario where you had to quickly learn a new technology. How did you approach it?
Approach
- Clarify what is being asked and what a complete answer contains.
- State your assumptions explicitly before working the problem.
- Say what you would check first and why it is the highest-information step.
- Work from the requirement backwards to the design.
Follow-up
- What assumption would you test first?
- How would you know your answer was wrong?
Describe how you would optimize an existing software application.
Describe how you would optimize an existing software application.
Approach
- Clarify what is being asked and what a complete answer contains.
- State your assumptions explicitly before working the problem.
- Say what you would check first and why it is the highest-information step.
- Work from the requirement backwards to the design.
Follow-up
- What assumption would you test first?
- How would you know your answer was wrong?
What steps do you take to gather requirements from stakeholders?
What steps do you take to gather requirements from stakeholders?
Approach
- Clarify what is being asked and what a complete answer contains.
- State your assumptions explicitly before working the problem.
- Say what you would check first and why it is the highest-information step.
- Work from the requirement backwards to the design.
Follow-up
- What assumption would you test first?
- How would you know your answer was wrong?
How would you approach debugging a complex software issue?
How would you approach debugging a complex software issue?
Approach
- Establish what changed and when, before forming any theory.
- Pick a bisection that eliminates candidates whichever way it turns out.
- Check the instrumentation before believing the symptom.
- Separate the trigger from the cause; the deploy is rarely the bug.
Follow-up
- What would you look at first, and what would it rule out?
- How would you tell a cause from a coincidence here?
Built from the rounds and topics Graco candidates report.
Prepare, practise & reflect
One practical outcome each day. Spend longer where you need it.
0 / 7 done01Map the Graco loop
- Write out the reported sequence: Phone Screen, In-Person Interviews, Problem-Solving Showcase.
- For each round, write one sentence on what it is judging, from the description above, and mark the one you are least ready for.
Deliverable: A one-page map of the 3 reported rounds, with the weakest marked.
02Work Behavioral Interviewing
- Spend the session on Behavioral Interviewing, which Graco candidates report being tested on.
- Write one worked example in Behavioral Interviewing and time yourself on it.
Deliverable: One timed worked example in Behavioral Interviewing.
03Work Recruiter / HR Screen
- Spend the session on Recruiter / HR Screen, which Graco candidates report being tested on.
- Write one worked example in Recruiter / HR Screen and time yourself on it.
Deliverable: One timed worked example in Recruiter / HR Screen.
04Work Manufacturing Engineering Concepts
- Spend the session on Manufacturing Engineering Concepts, which Graco candidates report being tested on.
- Write one worked example in Manufacturing Engineering Concepts and time yourself on it.
Deliverable: One timed worked example in Manufacturing Engineering Concepts.
05Answer out loud: Technical / Domain Questions
- Answer aloud, timed: Describe your experience with programming languages relevant to this role.
- Answer aloud, timed: Can you explain a complex software project you have worked on?
Deliverable: Spoken answers to 2 reported Technical / Domain Questions question(s), under time.
06Answer out loud: Behavioral / Leadership
- Answer aloud, timed: Tell me about a time you worked on a team project. What was your role?
- Answer aloud, timed: How do you handle conflicts within a team?
Deliverable: Spoken answers to 2 reported Behavioral / Leadership question(s), under time.
07Answer out loud: Problem-Solving / Case Studies
- Answer aloud, timed: How would you approach debugging a complex software issue?
- Answer aloud, timed: Present a scenario where you had to quickly learn a new technology. How did you approach it?
Deliverable: Spoken answers to 2 reported Problem-Solving / Case Studies question(s), under time.
Expand any day for tasks and deliverables. Your progress is saved on this device.
Behavioural rounds judge the decision you made and what it cost.
Describe your experience with programming languages relevant to this role.
Describe your experience with programming languages relevant to this role.
Approach
- Pick a story where you made the decision, not one where you watched it.
- State the situation in two sentences and spend the rest on the reasoning.
- Give the blast radius: what could have broken, and what you measured.
- Name the disagreement and how you resolved it with evidence.
Follow-up
- What would you do differently if you ran that again?
- How did you know your change caused the improvement?
Tell me about a time you worked on a team project. What was your role?
Tell me about a time you worked on a team project. What was your role?
Approach
- Pick a story where you made the decision, not one where you watched it.
- State the situation in two sentences and spend the rest on the reasoning.
- Give the blast radius: what could have broken, and what you measured.
- Name the disagreement and how you resolved it with evidence.
Follow-up
- What would you do differently if you ran that again?
- How did you know your change caused the improvement?
How do you handle conflicts within a team?
How do you handle conflicts within a team?
Approach
- Pick a story where you made the decision, not one where you watched it.
- State the situation in two sentences and spend the rest on the reasoning.
- Give the blast radius: what could have broken, and what you measured.
- Name the disagreement and how you resolved it with evidence.
Follow-up
- What would you do differently if you ran that again?
- How did you know your change caused the improvement?
Describe a situation where you had to adapt to significant changes during a project.
Describe a situation where you had to adapt to significant changes during a project.
Approach
- Pick a story where you made the decision, not one where you watched it.
- State the situation in two sentences and spend the rest on the reasoning.
- Give the blast radius: what could have broken, and what you measured.
- Name the disagreement and how you resolved it with evidence.
Follow-up
- What would you do differently if you ran that again?
- How did you know your change caused the improvement?
What motivates you as a software engineer?
What motivates you as a software engineer?
Approach
- Pick a story where you made the decision, not one where you watched it.
- State the situation in two sentences and spend the rest on the reasoning.
- Give the blast radius: what could have broken, and what you measured.
- Name the disagreement and how you resolved it with evidence.
Follow-up
- What would you do differently if you ran that again?
- How did you know your change caused the improvement?
How do you prioritize tasks when facing tight deadlines?
How do you prioritize tasks when facing tight deadlines?
Approach
- Pick a story where you made the decision, not one where you watched it.
- State the situation in two sentences and spend the rest on the reasoning.
- Give the blast radius: what could have broken, and what you measured.
- Name the disagreement and how you resolved it with evidence.
Follow-up
- What would you do differently if you ran that again?
- How did you know your change caused the improvement?
- 01
Describe your experience with programming languages relevant to this role.
- 02
Tell me about a time you worked on a team project. What was your role?
- 03
How do you handle conflicts within a team?
- 04
Describe a situation where you had to adapt to significant changes during a project.
What is the typical interview difficulty for the Software Engineer position?
The interview process is generally regarded as average in difficulty, with a balanced emphasis on both technical skills and behavioral assessment. Candidates should prepare adequately and focus on demonstrating their problem-solving abilities and teamwork experiences.
Graco Software Engineer candidate reports ↗How long does the interview process usually take?
The timeline can vary, but candidates can expect the process to span several weeks, including initial screenings, in-person interviews, and potential follow-up rounds. Staying proactive in communication with HR can help clarify any uncertainties.
Graco Software Engineer candidate reports ↗What differentiates successful candidates at Graco?
Successful candidates typically demonstrate a strong blend of technical expertise, effective communication skills, and cultural fit with the company. They are also adaptable and willing to learn, ensuring they can thrive in a dynamic environment.
Graco Software Engineer candidate reports ↗What is the work culture like at Graco?
Graco fosters a collaborative and innovative environment where teamwork and open communication are valued. Employees are encouraged to share ideas and work together towards common goals.
Graco Software Engineer candidate reports ↗Is remote work an option for this role?
While some roles may offer remote work flexibility, it is essential to confirm with the specific team or department during the interview process, as policies may vary.
Graco Software Engineer candidate reports ↗What topics does Graco test in interviews?
Graco interviews most often cover Marketing Analytics, Enterprise CRM, Behavioral Interviewing, Phone Screening, and Enterprise ERP. The exact emphasis depends on the specific role you apply for.
Graco Software Engineer candidate reports ↗Sources & methodology 3 sources ↗
No official company page is cited. Rounds and questions come from candidate reports and PracHub editorial material; each source shows the date it was read.
- 01Graco Software Engineer candidate reports ↗
Company-reported rounds, questions and FAQ.
Candidate reports · Accessed 2026-09-22 - 02PracHub Software Engineer practice ↗
PracHub practice material, not company-reported.
PracHub page · Accessed 2026-09-22 - 03PracHub preparation framework ↗
PracHub preparation guidance.
PracHub page · Accessed 2026-09-22
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