Questions to Ask Engineering Manager
Strategic questions to ask an engineering manager about their role, team management, technical decisions, and career development to understand their leadership approach and expertise.
1What is your approach to managing engineering teams, and how do you balance technical and people management?
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What is your approach to managing engineering teams, and how do you balance technical and people management?
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Why this works
Helps you understand their management philosophy and how they approach the dual responsibilities of technical leadership and people management.
2How do you handle technical debt and prioritize technical improvements versus new features?
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How do you handle technical debt and prioritize technical improvements versus new features?
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Why this works
Important for understanding their approach to technical decision-making and how they balance short-term and long-term technical health.
3What is your approach to code reviews and maintaining code quality standards?
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What is your approach to code reviews and maintaining code quality standards?
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Why this works
Helps you understand their quality standards and how they ensure code quality across the team.
4How do you approach technical architecture decisions and involve your team in the process?
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How do you approach technical architecture decisions and involve your team in the process?
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Why this works
Important for understanding their approach to technical leadership and how they make architectural decisions.
5What is your approach to performance management and career development for engineers?
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What is your approach to performance management and career development for engineers?
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Why this works
Crucial for understanding how they support engineer growth and development, which is important for your career progression.
6How do you handle conflicts within the engineering team, and what is your approach to team dynamics?
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How do you handle conflicts within the engineering team, and what is your approach to team dynamics?
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Why this works
Helps you understand their conflict resolution skills and how they manage team relationships.
7What is your approach to project planning and estimation, and how do you handle scope changes?
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What is your approach to project planning and estimation, and how do you handle scope changes?
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Why this works
Important for understanding their project management approach and how they handle changing requirements.
8How do you approach hiring and building diverse engineering teams?
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How do you approach hiring and building diverse engineering teams?
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Why this works
Helps you understand their hiring philosophy and commitment to diversity and inclusion.
9What is your approach to technical documentation and knowledge sharing?
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What is your approach to technical documentation and knowledge sharing?
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Why this works
Important for understanding how they maintain technical knowledge and ensure team knowledge sharing.
10How do you handle technical emergencies and incident response?
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How do you handle technical emergencies and incident response?
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Why this works
Crucial for understanding their approach to crisis management and how they handle technical emergencies.
11What is your approach to testing and quality assurance processes?
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What is your approach to testing and quality assurance processes?
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Why this works
Helps you understand their quality assurance approach and how they ensure software reliability.
12How do you approach technical innovation and staying current with new technologies?
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How do you approach technical innovation and staying current with new technologies?
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Why this works
Important for understanding their approach to technical innovation and how they keep the team current with technology trends.
13What is your approach to cross-functional collaboration with product, design, and other teams?
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What is your approach to cross-functional collaboration with product, design, and other teams?
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Why this works
Helps you understand how they work with other teams and their approach to cross-functional collaboration.
14How do you approach technical mentoring and knowledge transfer?
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How do you approach technical mentoring and knowledge transfer?
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Why this works
Important for understanding how they support engineer development and knowledge sharing within the team.
15What is your approach to technical risk management and security considerations?
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What is your approach to technical risk management and security considerations?
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Why this works
Crucial for understanding their approach to technical risk and how they handle security considerations.
16How do you approach technical scalability and performance optimization?
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How do you approach technical scalability and performance optimization?
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Why this works
Helps you understand their approach to technical scalability and how they handle performance optimization.
17What is your approach to technical communication and stakeholder management?
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What is your approach to technical communication and stakeholder management?
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Why this works
Important for understanding how they communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
18How do you approach technical tooling and development environment management?
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How do you approach technical tooling and development environment management?
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Why this works
Helps you understand their approach to development tools and how they manage the development environment.
19What is your approach to technical compliance and regulatory requirements?
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What is your approach to technical compliance and regulatory requirements?
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Why this works
Important for understanding how they handle technical compliance and regulatory requirements.
20How do you approach technical team building and creating a positive engineering culture?
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How do you approach technical team building and creating a positive engineering culture?
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Why this works
Crucial for understanding their approach to team culture and how they create a positive engineering environment.
Learning from Engineering Managers
Expert tips and techniques for getting the most out of these questions.
Approach with Respect
Show Respect
Approach the conversation with respect for their role and technical expertise.
Listen Actively
Pay attention to their responses and show genuine interest in their technical insights and management approach.
Ask Thoughtful Questions
Ask questions that show genuine interest in understanding their technical leadership and management philosophy.
Learn from Their Experience
Ask About Their Process
Ask questions about their technical and management processes and how they approach their work.
Learn from Their Mistakes
Ask about their mistakes and what they learned from them to avoid similar pitfalls.
Get Their Advice
Ask for their advice and guidance on your own technical and career development.
Apply Their Wisdom
Reflect on Their Advice
Take time to reflect on their advice and how it applies to your own technical and career development.
Take Action
Use their advice to improve your technical skills and career development.
Stay Connected
Maintain connections with engineering managers and continue to learn from their experience and wisdom.