Palantir's hiring process is notoriously selective and genuinely different from standard big-tech loops. The process typically runs 4-6 weeks and involves a recruiter screen, a technical phone screen, and then an onsite (or virtual onsite) with 4-6 rounds covering algorithms, system design, and a distinctive "Decomp" round.
The Decomp round deserves special attention. It is a collaborative problem-solving session where you are given a large, ambiguous real-world problem (think: how would you structure data pipelines for a government emergency response system?) and are expected to break it down, ask clarifying questions, and propose solutions. There is no single right answer. Palantir wants to see how you think under uncertainty, not just whether you can retrieve the right algorithm.
Algorithm rounds are LeetCode-medium to hard, but the emphasis is less on speed and more on communicating your reasoning. System design skews toward data-heavy, operational systems. Cultural fit is also explicitly assessed: Palantir hires for people who are intensely curious about real-world impact and comfortable with the company's controversial defense/government work.
Be ready to answer directly why you want to work at Palantir specifically. Vague "interesting problems" answers land poorly.
Read the full Primly report: /community/behavioral-interview-questions/palantir
(Posted by Primly Team. Submit your own experience to help the community.)