Grubhub Sr. Analyst, Diner Pricing Interview Guide

If you’re applying for the Sr. Analyst, Diner Pricing position at Grubhub, here’s a comprehensive guide to the interview process, based on real experiences from candidates who have gone through the interview stages. This information will help you prepare for the type of questions you may encounter and how to succeed in this role.

Interview Process Overview

The Grubhub Sr. Analyst, Diner Pricing role involves analyzing and optimizing pricing strategies to drive business performance, particularly focusing on diner revenue, marketing investments, and product alignment. Here’s an outline of the typical interview process for this role:

1. Recruiter Screening:

Initial Phone Interview:

The first step is a recruiter screening call. This is where the recruiter will discuss your background, the role, and your interest in pricing analytics. Expect questions about your experience with data-driven pricing, A/B testing, and how you’ve contributed to revenue growth in past roles.

• Example Question: “Can you tell me about a time when you used data analysis to optimize pricing or revenue outcomes for a business?“

2. Technical Interview:

Data Analysis and SQL:

After the recruiter call, you’ll likely face a technical interview where you’ll need to demonstrate your analytical skills and proficiency with SQL and data visualization tools (like Tableau). Expect questions where you need to analyze data, identify trends, and make decisions based on data-driven insights.

• Example SQL Task: “Write a query to calculate the average order value by diner segments over the last quarter.”
• Example Analytical Question: “How would you analyze the impact of a price increase on diner retention and order frequency?“

3. Business Case and Pricing Strategy:

Case Study:

In this round, you might be asked to solve a pricing strategy case. This could involve designing a pricing model or optimizing an existing pricing strategy based on different business goals such as increasing diner acquisition or maximizing revenue.

• Example Case: “Grubhub is considering introducing a dynamic pricing model for delivery fees based on demand and time of day. How would you approach testing and implementing this model?”

Follow-up Questions:

Be ready to discuss how you would balance short-term gains with long-term goals, and how you would prioritize different pricing initiatives with cross-functional teams.

4. Behavioral and Stakeholder Management Interview:

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

As a senior analyst, you’ll be expected to work closely with teams like Product, Marketing, and Finance. This interview assesses your ability to collaborate with stakeholders and influence decisions based on data.

• Example Question: “Describe a situation where you had to align multiple stakeholders on a pricing decision. How did you ensure everyone was on board?”

Behavioral Question:

• Example Question: “Tell me about a time when you had to balance competing priorities. How did you prioritize your tasks and make trade-offs?“

5. Final Round with Senior Leadership:

The final round is typically with senior managers or executives. They’ll evaluate your fit for the team and Grubhub’s culture, as well as assess your strategic thinking and ability to make high-level decisions.

• Example Question: “How do you measure the success of a pricing initiative? What metrics or KPIs would you use to track its effectiveness?”

Expect to discuss long-term pricing strategies and how your work aligns with broader company objectives.

Key Skills Grubhub Looks For

1. Data Analysis and Quantitative Skills:

You should have a strong foundation in SQL, experience with data visualization tools like Tableau or Power BI, and be able to translate data into actionable insights. Experience with pricing models and A/B testing is crucial, as these skills are directly relevant to the job.

• Example Question: “How do you approach analyzing large datasets to identify trends or opportunities?“

2. Pricing Strategy:

A deep understanding of pricing models, revenue management, and pricing optimization techniques is essential. You should have experience driving pricing decisions that lead to revenue growth while keeping an eye on customer experience and retention.

• Example: “Explain how you would evaluate the impact of different pricing strategies on diner behavior.”

3. Cross-Functional Collaboration:

Grubhub values candidates who can work seamlessly across different departments, including Product, Finance, Marketing, and Operations. Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, are necessary to influence stakeholders and align teams around key pricing decisions.

• Example Question: “Tell us about a time when you had to present pricing insights to senior leadership. How did you make sure your findings were clear and actionable?“

4. Business Acumen and Strategic Thinking:

You’ll need to demonstrate the ability to balance short-term tactical decisions with long-term strategic goals. Grubhub looks for analysts who can think beyond just numbers and contribute to the overall direction of pricing strategy.

• Example Question: “How would you approach aligning short-term pricing optimizations with long-term business objectives?“

5. Agility and Adaptability:

Since pricing strategies often change based on market conditions, you should be comfortable working in fast-paced, data-driven environments and adapting quickly to new challenges.

• Example Question: “How do you handle working in uncertain or ambiguous environments? Can you provide an example from your previous roles?”

Example Interview Questions

Technical Questions:

• “Write a SQL query to calculate the percentage change in diner spending month over month.”
• “How would you design a pricing experiment to determine if a discount on delivery fees increases order volume?”

Business and Case Study:

• “If Grubhub wants to test different pricing strategies for diners in New York vs. Chicago, how would you approach the experiment?”
• “How do you prioritize pricing changes when you have limited resources, but multiple high-priority items to address?”

Behavioral Questions:

• “Describe a situation where you used data to drive a decision that had a significant impact on revenue.”
• “Tell me about a time when you worked with a team to implement a new pricing model. How did you manage the project?”

Tips for Preparation

• Know Your SQL: Be sure to practice SQL queries, especially focusing on joins, aggregations, and filtering data. You might be given raw datasets to analyze during the interview.
• Understand Grubhub’s Business: Familiarize yourself with Grubhub’s business model, especially in relation to diner pricing and how their pricing impacts revenue and user experience. Think about how you can apply your skills to Grubhub’s unique environment.
• Prepare for Case Studies: Pricing-related case studies will likely be a big part of the interview. Practice structuring your answers, clearly outlining how you would approach pricing decisions, and use data to support your strategy.
• Behavioral and Leadership Examples: Be ready to discuss your leadership experience and examples of how you’ve worked cross-functionally to implement complex pricing strategies or drive business outcomes.