--- title: Hiring process | Careers description: Learn about Canonical's hiring process – Understand how we hire and what you can expect from our process. url: https://canonical.com/careers/hiring-process?format=md --- # Canonical's hiring process Understand how we approach hiring talent at Canonical, creating a fair and equal playing field for our applicants across the globe. [Our hiring process at Canonical](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOFgDpjRiO8 "Play Video") --- ## A fair system for hiring from a global talent pool Deciding on your next career move is an important decision for you. We have worked hard to create a fair and equitable hiring process that allows us both to make informed decisions as you move forward in your career. We have been operating a fully distributed working environment for over 20 years. We are proud to have created a business that is not limited by flags or borders, and where we are afforded the opportunity to hire exceptional talent regardless of location. This creates a unique environment with multicultural teams spanning many time zones giving our people the chance to work with colleagues from all over the world. Our open source world relies on a rich and varied set of perspectives; to deliver our best products we seek diversity of ideas through effective and impactful collaboration. --- [Learn about remote working at Canonical ›](https://canonical.com/careers/company-culture/remote-work) [Read our blog on how to get a job at Canonical ›](https://canonical.com/blog/how-to-get-a-job-at-canonical) --- ## Our culture of talent We have built an exceptional culture of talent by creating a recruitment process that helps us identify those people likely to bring real impact to our mission. Being able to work with such a distinctive group of colleagues brings huge benefits, such as allowing for true diversity in thinking and ideas. --- [Learn about our company culture ›](https://canonical.com/careers/company-culture) --- ### Our fully distributed organization When assessing talent from across the globe it takes careful planning to build a hiring model that is fair for everyone. We have crafted a recruitment process that allows us to compare applications in a fair and consistent manner ensuring that no single person has an unfair advantage or better chance of success over another. We want everyone to have a chance to present their most relevant skills. We train our hiring teams to be experts in selecting talent across multiple geographies and cultures and to keep fairness and equity at the forefront of all decision making. --- [Read our diversity statement ›](https://canonical.com/careers/company-culture/identity) --- ### Hiring exceptional colleagues We have been deliberate in designing an effective hiring process that helps us select those who are most likely to thrive in our environment. We have identified a set of traits and behaviors that we have found to be present in our most exceptional talent at all levels; high academic performance with evidence of initiative, leadership and drive during this period of personal growth, and those with good cognitive ability. So regardless of your level or the longevity of your career, you can expect to be assessed on these two areas. In addition, we value people with elevated drive, relentless curiosity and those with true resilience and stamina to solve new problems and do ground-breaking work. We seek people who are motivated by working in an environment that feeds continuous learning and development. --- [Read about career progression at Canonical ›](https://canonical.com/careers/company-culture/progression) --- ### Our hiring model We believe our business leaders are best placed to select their own talent. Unlike most organizations we do not have a team of HR recruiters making early decisions. Instead we prioritize getting you in front of technical experts in our business. These individuals know our business well and have the knowledge to ensure you are considered for the most suitable team and role. At the start of the process you will be introduced to a Hiring Lead who will handle your application from start to finish. A leader from a business function, your Hiring Lead, will be deeply passionate about attracting exceptional talent and highly skilled in selection processes with the ability to match people to right roles across our business. --- ## Our hiring process Our process helps us gain a deep understanding of your experiences and achievements to date. We ask that throughout your assessments and interviews you use your own words to describe your thoughts and ideas, without use of online aids, so that we can gather the best evidence we require to evaluate your suitability. The hiring process is split into three main stages. * Stage 1 * Stage 2 * Stage 3 Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 --- ### Assessment --- #### Application review Your application must be made via the relevant job advert. You will be asked to complete some application questions relevant to the role. Your application will be routed to a domain expert in the business for review. If we feel that you might be suitable for a role at Canonical you will be moved forward to start our recruitment process. At this point you will receive a link to your personalized dashboard outlining your assessment and interview plan together with some useful additional resources. You may apply to any single job once in a 180 day period, or to 4 separate jobs in a 180 period. --- #### Written interview Resumes come in all shapes and sizes; our written interviews allow applicants from all over the world to be fairly assessed across a consistent set of questions to give a level playing field. Your written interview will be tailored to the position for which you are applying. It will allow you to present your accomplishments, experience and skill sets to date, and will cover your achievements across your academic and professional journeys. You may choose the format or length of your submissions. Your submission should be uploaded via the link in the instructions to ensure it can be reviewed anonymously, without access to your resume and personal details, to reduce bias early on in our process. Your written interview is typically graded by two domain experts. --- #### Psychometric assessment: General Intelligence Assessment (GIA) This 5-part assessment takes between 30-45 minutes, and will measure your aptitude, problem solving and speed of learning. This is not an IQ test but a cognitive ability assessment that helps us understand levels of trainability. All applicants applying to Canonical are required to complete this assessment. --- #### Technical assessment Depending on the role you may be asked to complete a technical assessment specific to your domain skill. This helps us understand your level of technical competence and your submission will be explored during later discussions. Your assessment is graded by a domain expert. ### Interviews --- #### Early stage interviews You will have 3 interviews focused on technical and domain-specific skills. These interviewers are likely to be future colleagues, peers and close stakeholders. The purpose of this stage is to evaluate your technical experience so that we can make a decision on which team and role you best align to. --- #### Talent interview You will meet with a member of our Talent Science team so that we can understand your career motivations and journey. To prepare, you will be asked to complete a 10-minute Personality Profile Analysis (PPA) that examines your most typical working style. During this interview we will also start discussions on compensation, helping you understand our philosophy and to align expectations before the final stage. --- #### Late stage interviews You will meet your potential manager, your Hiring Lead and any other senior stakeholders relevant to the role that you are being considered for. If you are applying for a management or leadership role you will also meet with our CEO. ### Offer and onboarding [Canonical New Joiner Experience](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrkLlt2tK3Y "Play Video") **Learn about our onboarding experience** --- If you are successful, your Hiring Lead will communicate your offer to you. On acceptance we will invite you to participate in our onboarding experience to help you learn and prepare ahead of your first day. On average, across all levels of roles from Graduate to VP, our process takes around 3 months to complete from application to offer. ##### Stay safe and avoid recruitment fraud. [Read our FAQ](https://canonical.com/careers/application/faq#legitimate-job-offer) for information on the legitimacy of our process and offers. --- ## [Find the right role for you ›](https://canonical.com/careers) --- ## What new hires say --- > *“Ubuntu had its own reputation – but the ideology behind the hiring process made it standout!”* Joined July 2024 --- > *“The most respectful and transparent recruitment process I've ever gone through.”* Joined October 2024 --- > *“Greenhouse has been such a great hub during pre-onboarding. It answered 95% of my questions. For the remaining 5% where I had regional specific questions I was assigned a peer buddy from my geographical area which was super helpful.”* Joined January 2025 --- > *“All the interviewers were professional and genuinely interested in what I had to say.”* Joined March 2025 --- > *“I met a diverse range of people during the process, including people from different demographics and groups/products.”* Joined January 2026 --- > *“This is one of the most sophisticated recruitment processes I have seen so far.”* Joined May 2026 --- > *“The process was challenging but rewarding, and I think it speaks to the quality of the organization.”* Joined June 2026 --- ## [Browse our Careers FAQ ›](https://canonical.com/careers/application/faq) --- ## Life at Canonical * [Celebrating 20 years in open source](https://ubuntu.com/20years) Our story is closely linked to the communities that shape us, including the community of open source enthusiasts who form part of our team. Hear from people who have shaped Ubuntu and Canonical. * [Team member interview: Victoria Antipova](https://ubuntu.com/blog/life-at-canonical-victoria-antipovas-perspective-as-a-new-joiner-in-product-marketing) What's it like to join Canonical and take open source products to market? Hear from one of our colleagues. * [A new joiner shares her experience: discover Amy Song's story](https://canonical.com/blog/life-at-canonical-amy-song-shares-her-onboarding-experience-as-a-new-joiner-in-customer-success) As Canonical continues to grow, we've developed a unique onboarding process that enables our new hires to quickly settle and establish themselves in our globally distributed environment. Learn more in this blog.