Engineering Manager Interview Stages
In general, the engineering manager interview has the following interview stages at most companies:
1. Recruiter screen
In this 30-45min interview, your recruiter will ask questions about your resume, light technical questions to gauge your domain knowledge, and behavioral questions to assess your personality and working style. In general, try to be authentic and genuine, while also showing that you’ve done research on the company and are genuinely excited to work there. We often recommend looking up your interviewer on LinkedIn to understand them a bit better.
2. Manager screen
In this interview, you’ll speak with the hiring manager about your technical skills and domain knowledge . Expect to talk through why you’re the best candidate for the job and how you’d add value to the company.
3. On-site
On-site interviews also vary, but they follow a predictable structure. Typically youll interview for 3-5 hours total with a lunch break midway through. Youll go through many rounds, each 30 – 60 minutes long. EMs may be given a technical screen or coding challenge and complete 1-2 rounds of people management interviews and system design questions. There may be a separate round for a project retrospective. We encourage you to gather as much information as possible about the exact structure from your recruiter, as well as checking our list of EM interview questions that have been recently asked by tech companies.
Data Model: Linkedin Data Model
Python:1. dedup – create new list and append items from input list while checking it is not in the output list. this will retain order. to handle nested lists, 2 approached.option 1 Flatten the input_list as Flat_Input_List and run thro’ the same logic.option 2 recursion by declaring output_list in outer scope. TIPS:They don’t expect you to use Set / Dict to de-dup since it doesn’t retain the order They don’t expect you to use all built in functions, since they are looking to test ur logical thinkingUse the right data structureUse recursion logic2. this is straight forward. Already in glassdoor and worked out answers in geekforgeeks.TIP: make sure to do input_validation/handling corner cases like empty string / None etcSQLJust need to be familiar with 1. Window functions using Partition by State / dense_rank to get rank = 1 2. logic to get % 3. logic with CASE statement with in COUNT or SUM 4. use ROUND 5. use Left join when needed – see results if it has all states with 0 for non-matching rows.select round) / sum)*100,2) promoted, round) / sum)*100,2) non_promoted from salesselect count, sum, state from stores group by state having sum& gt 25000# select p.product_id, sum from sales s inner join products p on s.product_id = s.product_id group by p.product_id order by sum descLess
Hi, could you please advise your experience and the type of onsite interviews you went through? I appreciate it. ThanksLess
Are You Often Willing To Contribute To Coding
Interviewers will gain a better understanding of candidates’ management styles by asking this question. Getting a sense of whether candidates are more of a mentor, a transformational leader, or a servant leader will help the interviewer determine how they would fit into the organization.
This question cannot be answered with a yes or no. When a company seeks a manager who codes, it is attempting to fill the role of a TLM rather than an EM . The answer to this question varies from candidate to candidate, depending upon the candidate’s priorities and goals. Good managers know how to prioritize their efforts so that they can have the maximum impact.
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How Do You Resolve Conflicts Within Teams
If possible, I serve as a mediator between team members who disagree. I focus on giving everyone a chance to speak their minds. And then help them reach the right decision while keeping the companys best interests in mind. If thats not possible, I talk to engineers one-on-one. To see what the root cause is and then walk the team through resolving it. This approach means that theyll have the necessary abilities to resolve the conflicts themselves and feel better about their roles in the long term.
What Are The Expectations From A Google Engineering Manager
Engineering managers at Google are expected to know and understand the coding and engineering aspects of products. But thatâs not all. They also need to manage teams of some of the smartest engineers on the planet and are called for help in unique, challenging situations. As a candidate, you need to show you can do all of the above to have a shot at clearing Googleâs Engineering Manager interview.
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What Exactly Is Google Looking For
At the end of each interview your interviewer will grade your performance using a standardised feedback form that summarizes the attributes Google looks for in a candidate. That form is constantly evolving, but below we have listed the main components we know of at the time of writing this article.
A) Questions asked
In the first section of the form the interviewer fills in the questions they asked you. These questions are then shared with your future interviewers so you don’t get asked the same questions twice.
B) Attribute scoring
Each interviewer will assess you on the four main attributes Google looks for when hiring:
In this middle section, Google’s interviewers typically repeat the questions they asked you, document your answers in detail, and give you a score for each attribute .
C) Final recommendation
How To Land An Engineering Manager Job At Google
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What Does It Take To Be An Engineering Manager At Google
Following are the qualifications Google looks for while recruiting engineering managers:
- Bachelorâs Degree in Computer Science, related technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
- 10-15 years of relevant industry experience, with 4-5 years of hands-on experience in managing software developers.
- Experience in designing and implementing distributed systems.
- Experience in programming in one of these programming languages: Java, C++, Python, or C.
Do You Have Any Experience Managing Remote Engineers
Remote work has become a mainstream practice for many companies, so their engineering managers are expected to manage staff remotely. A tough transition can be faced by engineering managers when they are responsible for not only their own tasks but also for managing and supporting their teams.
Tips:
- Even if you do not have experience with remote teams, emphasize the importance of communication, documentation, and project management tools.
- It is also a good idea to mention “Keep up the pace and energy of the meeting. Consider making a lighthearted joke about the situation during any pauses or silences”.
- Also, you can mention “If someone on your team is having trouble adjusting to working from home, remind them that this is temporary, and working together will enable them to succeed.”
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When Choosing New Technology For A Project How Do You Make The Right Choice
As part of managing a project in a company, the engineer manager is often required to decide which technology to use in collaboration with his team. With this question, the interviewer can find out if the candidate has ever had to choose the appropriate technology for a particular situation.
Tips:
- Discuss the importance of identifying and defining the problem. A team’s ability to contribute their views openly and safely is also critical to accurately identifying problems.
- Describe how to try different technologies before choosing one. A problem can be of any size or shape, and so too should the methods you employ to solve it. Mixing up approaches can be effective if a single approach is not yielding results.
- Stress the importance of hiring the right people and managing the number of people on hand.
What Is Your Risk Assessment Process When Starting A New Project
Engineering managers need to assess project risks in order to anticipate possible problems/errors. The risk assessment allows you and your team to prepare for any unexpected events that may adversely affect your project. The steps involved in performing a project risk assessment are as follows:
- Identify and analyze potential risks associated with the project.
- Estimating the odds/probability of a certain risk happening.
- Determine how each risk could impact the project if it actually occurred.
- Create a plan to mitigate the highest risks.
- Keep an eye on risks throughout your project by monitoring, tracking, and reviewing them periodically.
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Questions On Background And Experience
Come prepared to speak about all the previous experience listed on your resume or, better yet, expand on it. The hiring manager already has your resume, so give it context. For example, you could mention a conference you went to for leadership development when you worked at an organization on your resume.
You Will Be Working On:
- Hire and grow the team
- Execute the product plans and manage delivery commitments
- Mentor the engineers in the team and help them deliver to the best of their abilities
- Set clear career paths for your team members and help every individual pursue their growth path
- Architect a system that can support real time collaboration at scale and support a ton of features that help in conducting interviews
- Work very closely with the product team to develop and curate the product roadmap
- Define clear goals on a quarterly basis for the team and guide the team with the execution
- Own and drive the tech roadmap. Plan and deliver on a quarterly basis
- Manage the day to day activities of the team with in the scrum framework
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What Are Your Thoughts On Micromanagement
Micromanagement is the practice of controlling others through manipulation, intrusive observation, or extensive communication. Upon asking this question, the interviewer will be able to determine whether the candidate has a basic understanding of micromanagement and its disadvantages. Micromanaging can stifle motivation and creativity and often demonstrates a lack of trust in employees. Managing people this way can seriously damage their morale, productivity, retention, and ultimately, their health. That’s why the interviewer is looking for a manager who isn’t a micromanager, since micromanagement isn’t an effective management technique.
Tips:
- Mention that managers are responsible for guiding and supporting their team.
- Discuss micromanagement’s disadvantages and negative effects.
- Discuss how micromanagement can exacerbate employee turnover and make the workplace stressful.
- Discuss ways to avoid becoming micromanagers.
Featured Pragmatic Engineer Jobs
The above jobs score at least 10/12 on The Pragmatic Engineer Test. Browse more senior engineer and engineering leadership roles with great engineering cultures, or add your own on The Pragmatic Engineer Job board and apply to join The Pragmatic Engineer Talent Collective.
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How To Nail Your Next Tech Interview
Getting a job as a Google Engineering Manager is no small feat. That said, strong fundamentals and directed practice can really boost your chances.
Having trained over 5,000 software engineers, we know what it takes to crack the toughest tech interviews. Since 2014, Interview Kickstart alumni have been landing lucrative offers from FAANG and Tier-1 tech companies, with an average salary hike of 49%. The highest ever offer received by an IK alum is a whopping $933,000!
At IK, you get the unique opportunity to learn from expert instructors who are hiring managers and tech leads at Google, Facebook, Apple, and other top Silicon Valley tech companies.
In this article, weâll cover everything you need to know about the Engineering Manager interview process at Google:
- What Are the Expectations From a Google Engineering Manager?
- What Does Google Look for in an Engineering Manager?
- Google Engineering Manager Interview Process and Structure
- Google Engineering Manager Interview Questions
- Questions to Ask the Interviewer
- Google Engineering Manager Interview FAQ
What Are The Advantages Of Smaller Teams Over Larger Ones
The advantages of smaller teams over larger ones are as follows:
- Small teams are best suited to quick coordination and efficiency. Team sizes of 5 to 10 people are easier to connect and respond to changes more quickly. They jump into tasks quickly, knowing their colleagues’ activities and where the product is headed. A team of this type fosters open information and knowledge exchange, as well as mutual support.
- Small teams are more cohesive, empathic, and have better relationships. Whereas, a large group makes people lose track of each other. It takes a long time for new staff to adapt, relationships between members fade into the background, and there is less mutual support between members as the team grows.
- Managing a 5-to-10 person team gives the leader more opportunities to directly impact and motivate employees, which leads to more productive work. Leaders have a harder time evaluating the effectiveness of each individual in large groups, so staff participation drops. There is a lack of communication between large teams and their personnel does not share the values of the company.
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Crack Your Next Engineering Manager Interview
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How Do You Describe The Technical Aspects Of A Project To Individuals Who Dont Have Technical Backgrounds
Engineer managers work with diverse people across many teams and departments, including clients. Highlight your communication skills by describing how you break down complex topics and explain them to non-technical individuals.
Example: I try to give examples of the design and engineering elements in a software project in terms that are easy to relate to. For instance, if Im speaking with a client who requests an e-commerce application, I try to describe the development process in terms of a sales funnel or a transaction to help them understand the complex aspects that go into a feature of the application.
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What Is A Personal Habit That Contributes To Your Success
Flexibility. I adjust to different situations and different people I work with. I tend to be open to new ideas, take them, try them and iterate on them. I believe every person in the team is different and I take this opportunity to learn from everyone and adjust to what the team needs. Being flexible is the habit I rely on a lot.
Networking. Im pretty big on networking. I like to share experiences and learn from others. I still keep in touch with a lot of people I used to work with, my peers, sponsors, mentors, engineers I worked with and managers I had. I share my experience and learn from theirs. I think those conversations provide an environment of being able to get a different perspective on situations from people you are not directly working with. I find it very valuable.
Early morning running. It is important to have personal time in our busy lives so that you have a chance to reset or figure out what to focus on. I usually work out or run early in the mornings and prepare myself for my day and it gives me a good way to clear my head and start the day strong.
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How Do You Plan To Integrate Team
Successful teams often participate in frequent team building or collaboration activities, and the interviewer may want to know if you have experience developing and hosting similar events. Give examples of how you implemented employee improvement plans, scheduled team events or made team collaboration a regular part of your work schedule.
Example:”A strong connection within my team is highly important to me, and I frequently plan fun team-building events and engaging training programs to help my team advance. One team-building event I organized in my last role was a zip line obstacle course where we competed in pairs. Throughout the course, though, we would switch partners, giving everyone the opportunity to get to know each other and learn about each other’s strengths.”
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