Questions to Ask Interviewer Software Engineer
Strategic questions to ask software engineering interviewers to understand the role, team culture, and determine if the position aligns with your career goals.
1What is the typical day-to-day work like for a software engineer in this role?
Click to see why this works
What is the typical day-to-day work like for a software engineer in this role?
Click to see why this works
Why this works
Understanding daily work helps you evaluate if the role aligns with your interests and career goals.
2What technologies and programming languages does the team primarily use?
Click to see why this works
What technologies and programming languages does the team primarily use?
Click to see why this works
Why this works
Understanding their tech stack helps you evaluate if your skills align with their needs and if you can contribute effectively.
3What is the team's approach to code review and quality assurance?
Click to see why this works
What is the team's approach to code review and quality assurance?
Click to see why this works
Why this works
Understanding their code review process helps you evaluate if their quality standards align with your professional standards.
4What are the opportunities for learning and professional development?
Click to see why this works
What are the opportunities for learning and professional development?
Click to see why this works
Why this works
Understanding development opportunities helps you evaluate if the role can support your long-term career growth.
5What is the team's approach to agile development and project management?
Click to see why this works
What is the team's approach to agile development and project management?
Click to see why this works
Why this works
Understanding their development methodology helps you evaluate if their approach aligns with your working style.
6What are the biggest technical challenges facing the team right now?
Click to see why this works
What are the biggest technical challenges facing the team right now?
Click to see why this works
Why this works
Understanding technical challenges helps you identify opportunities to contribute and add value from the start.
7What is the team's approach to testing and quality assurance?
Click to see why this works
What is the team's approach to testing and quality assurance?
Click to see why this works
Why this works
Understanding their testing approach helps you evaluate if their quality standards align with your professional standards.
8What are the team's policies on code documentation and technical writing?
Click to see why this works
What are the team's policies on code documentation and technical writing?
Click to see why this works
Why this works
Understanding their documentation standards helps you evaluate if their approach aligns with your professional standards.
9What is the team's approach to handling technical debt and legacy code?
Click to see why this works
What is the team's approach to handling technical debt and legacy code?
Click to see why this works
Why this works
Understanding their approach to technical debt helps you evaluate if they prioritize code quality and maintainability.
10What are the team's expectations for collaboration and pair programming?
Click to see why this works
What are the team's expectations for collaboration and pair programming?
Click to see why this works
Why this works
Understanding their collaboration expectations helps you evaluate if the team's working style aligns with your preferences.
11What is the team's approach to handling production issues and on-call responsibilities?
Click to see why this works
What is the team's approach to handling production issues and on-call responsibilities?
Click to see why this works
Why this works
Understanding their on-call approach helps you evaluate if the role supports your work-life balance and stress management needs.
12What are the team's policies on remote work and flexible schedules?
Click to see why this works
What are the team's policies on remote work and flexible schedules?
Click to see why this works
Why this works
Understanding their remote work policies helps you evaluate if the role supports your preferred working arrangements.
13What is the team's approach to diversity and inclusion in engineering?
Click to see why this works
What is the team's approach to diversity and inclusion in engineering?
Click to see why this works
Why this works
Understanding their diversity approach helps you evaluate if the team creates an inclusive environment for all engineers.
14What are the team's expectations for innovation and creative problem-solving?
Click to see why this works
What are the team's expectations for innovation and creative problem-solving?
Click to see why this works
Why this works
Understanding their innovation expectations helps you evaluate if the role allows you to contribute creative solutions and drive positive change.
15What is the team's approach to handling technical disagreements and architectural decisions?
Click to see why this works
What is the team's approach to handling technical disagreements and architectural decisions?
Click to see why this works
Why this works
Understanding their decision-making process helps you evaluate if the team provides fair and effective resolution of technical conflicts.
16What are the team's policies on open source contributions and side projects?
Click to see why this works
What are the team's policies on open source contributions and side projects?
Click to see why this works
Why this works
Understanding their open source policies helps you evaluate if the role supports your interests in contributing to the broader tech community.
17What is the team's approach to mentoring junior developers and knowledge sharing?
Click to see why this works
What is the team's approach to mentoring junior developers and knowledge sharing?
Click to see why this works
Why this works
Understanding their mentoring approach helps you evaluate if the team supports learning and knowledge sharing among engineers.
18What are the team's expectations for performance and how do you measure success?
Click to see why this works
What are the team's expectations for performance and how do you measure success?
Click to see why this works
Why this works
Understanding their performance expectations helps you know what to focus on and how to measure your success in the role.
19What is the team's approach to handling technical interviews and hiring new engineers?
Click to see why this works
What is the team's approach to handling technical interviews and hiring new engineers?
Click to see why this works
Why this works
Understanding their hiring process helps you evaluate if the team values diverse perspectives and inclusive hiring practices.
20What are the most important things I should know about working as a software engineer here?
Click to see why this works
What are the most important things I should know about working as a software engineer here?
Click to see why this works
Why this works
Getting their perspective on what's most important helps you understand their priorities and what to expect from the role.
Evaluating Software Engineering Roles
Expert tips and techniques for getting the most out of these questions.
Before the Interview
Research the Company
Learn about the company's products, technology stack, and recent achievements to ask informed questions.
Prepare Your Questions
Create a list of questions that address your specific concerns and help you understand the role and team culture.
Know Your Priorities
Identify what's most important to you in a software engineering role to help you evaluate if this position is a good fit.
During the Interview
Be Professional and Enthusiastic
Maintain a professional demeanor while showing genuine interest in the role and the company's technology.
Ask Specific Questions
Ask specific questions about the role, team culture, and technical challenges to demonstrate your interest and understanding.
Listen Carefully
Pay attention to their responses and ask follow-up questions to clarify any concerns or confusion.
Warning Signs to Watch For
Avoid Teams That Don't Listen
If the team doesn't listen to your concerns or seems dismissive of your questions, it may indicate problems with their culture.
Watch for Unrealistic Expectations
Be wary of teams that set unrealistic expectations or don't provide adequate support for your success.
Consider Your Gut Feeling
Pay attention to your instincts about the team culture and whether you feel comfortable and supported there.