Best Engineering Manager Interview Questions To Ask

In the diverse field of engineering, the role of an engineering manager is pivotal. These professionals are key in leading teams, managing projects, and driving innovation. However, hiring the right manager requires careful selection, with the interview process playing a crucial role.

In this article, you'll discover the top engineering manager interview questions to ask, designed to help you evaluate the capabilities, experience, and leadership style of your candidates.

1. Describe your understanding of an engineering manager’s job.

This question will help you understand if the candidate knows what the role entails and their readiness to take on responsibilities. It assesses their comprehension of the job and its place within the organization's structure.

2. Can you share a project where you demonstrated your technical expertise?

This allows candidates to showcase their technical prowess, a fundamental trait of any effective engineering manager. Having candidates express their competence in tangible examples gives better insight into their abilities.

3. What unique skills or experiences do you bring to this role?

This question reveals what sets this candidate apart and how those unique factors could benefit your organization. It shows managerial potential by shedding light on a potentially diverse skillset.

4. What's your leadership style and how has it evolved?

This question allows you to assess the candidate's approach towards leadership and understand their adaptability, essential in an ever-evolving field like engineering.

5. Can you give an example where your team encountered a significant roadblock, and how you tackled it?

This question will give a glimpse into the candidate's problem-solving skills, team management style, and how they perform under pressure.

6. How do you foster open communication and rapport within your team?

The ability to build relationships and manage communication is vital for ensuring project success. This question sheds light on whether the candidate fosters a culture of openness and mutual respect.

7. How do you manage your project timelines and resources?

This question addresses the candidate’s ability to manage resources and stick to deadlines, both crucial in engineering projects.

8. Describe a project that didn’t meet its objectives. What went wrong, and what would you do differently now?

This addresses the candidate’s ability to learn from mistakes, another crucial factor for effective managers.

9. How do you ensure the projects you manage to align with the organization's overall strategy?

Your ideal candidate should understand the bigger picture and ensure that their projects align with the organizational goals. This question will help assess their strategic thinking.

10. What process improvements have you implemented at your past workplaces, and what were the results?

This serves as evidence of the candidate's initiative and their commitment to optimizing performance.

11. Have you ever encountered a situation where you had to make an ethical decision at work? How did you handle it?

This question enables you to assess the candidate’s ethical judgment, offering insights about their suitability to hold a managerial position.

12. Can you describe a time when you introduced an innovative solution to overcome a project challenge?

This will showcase the candidate's innovation capabilities, a crucial trait for driving growth in any engineering company.

13. Describe a time when you faced a significant change in a project or organization. How did you handle it?

This helps evaluate the candidate's adaptability and resilience, key in dynamic engineering environments.

14. How significant is the role of people analytics and automated HR workflows in your management style?

This question will expose their understanding and valuing of analytic tools and automated workflows, which can be essential components in managing team performance and well-being.

15. What software and tools have you used to manage projects and teams and why do you prefer these?

This question can shed light on the candidate's familiarity with project management and team collaboration tools.

Is there another way to evaluate business analyst skills?

Interviews play a crucial role in the hiring process, offering valuable insights. However, it's important to acknowledge that they have their limitations.

To gain a more comprehensive understanding of a candidate's suitability for an engineering manager role, it's highly effective to combine interviews with a job knowledge test. This approach enables you to delve deeper into a candidate’s potential for success in the role.

Check out our engineer job knowledge test to learn more about how it can optimize your recruitment process.