Our candidate is preparing for an upcoming Meta phone screen and takes on two tree-based problems under timed conditions. The first question involves finding the minimum depth of a binary tree, which the candidate solves confidently with both DFS and BFS approaches. The second, more challenging follow-up asks for the smallest subtree containing all the deepest nodes (a classic lowest common ancestor problem with a twist).

Throughout the interview, the candidate demonstrates clear communication, strong algorithmic thinking, and a willingness to iterate and explore edge cases. The conversation includes valuable coaching moments around recursion, time/space trade-offs, and the importance of clarity under pressure.

This is a valuable watch if you’re preparing for technical screens at top-tier companies, especially those that emphasize tree-based problems and recursive reasoning.

Sign up to book coaching or to watch more interviews in our showcase: https://www.interviewing.io

See the interviewer’s feedback and transcript here: https://start.interviewing.io/showcase/Ytbd1imDj61q

Or view other Meta interviews: https://interviewing.io/mocks?company=meta

Disclaimer: All interviews are shared with explicit permission from the interviewer and the interviewee, and all interviews are anonymous. interviewing.io has the sole right to distribute this content.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:01:34 Problem 1 begins

00:14:48 Problem 2 begins

00:57:04 Feedback and review