Behavioral + Due Diligence + Risk Management (Data Scientist — Onsite)

Context

You are a Data Scientist candidate approaching an onsite. You are juggling:

• Multiple interview reschedules while preparing for technical rounds
• A simultaneous verbal offer from another company
• Later, a team match to WhatsApp's Calling organization, where you are unsure about stability, layoff risk, and work-life balance (WLB)

Answer the following in three parts, being concrete about stakeholders, timelines, risks, and outcomes.

Tasks

1. Proactive Communication and Boundary-Setting
   • Describe a time you had to juggle interview reschedules, prep for technical rounds, and manage another verbal offer.
   • How did you communicate proactively with recruiting (e.g., emailing for updates, clarifying prep expectations), set boundaries on decision timelines, and avoid burning bridges?
   • Provide examples of email language you used to: request reschedules, clarify expectations, and set/extend deadlines.
2. Due Diligence for WhatsApp's Calling Org
   • Before accepting a team match, what due diligence would you run to assess stability, layoff risk, scope, and WLB?
   • Specify concrete questions for: the hiring manager, skip-level leader, and peer teammates.
   • List observable signals (e.g., on-call/incident load, data/experiment maturity, roadmap clarity, churn/tenure metrics) and thresholds that would reassure you vs. trigger concerns.
   • Identify red flags that would cause you to walk away or accept with contingencies. State the contingencies you would seek.
3. Reorg or Headcount Freeze Between Verbal and Written Offer
   • If a reorg or headcount freeze happens after a verbal offer but before a written one, outline your escalation plan and decision framework.
   • Name the stakeholders you would engage, the sequence and timeline, the risks you’re managing, and possible outcomes.
   • Include what you would do differently in hindsight to reduce risk in future processes.