50 Questions To Ask Interviewers In Engineering Interviews

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So you are going to an engineering interview. Engineering jobs are unlike any other jobs; they require the engineer to be very specific and technical. You also get to ask the interviewer questions about the team, job, company and engineering questions. Therefore, knowing the right questions to ask can help strengthen your application and even get you the job you always wanted.

So why you should ask the interviewer questions during the interview?

Asking the interviewer questions is your chance to learn more about the job and the company you are applying for. It is also a way of showing interest in the position, which indicates to the interviewer that you are keen to join the company. Finally, you should ask questions to help break the ice and make the interview a two-way conversation instead of a rigid Q&A interview.

If you are reading this, you probably have an engineering interview coming up very soon. You might also want to consider three of our best resources to help you get through this interview:

Now before we can jump to the most common questions to ask interviewers, you should know:

How many questions should you ask the interviewer during an engineering job interview?

Depending on the job interview length, you should aim to ask the interviewer at least four questions:

One is at the beginning of the interview to help you get to know the company and the culture.
The second is during the interview, which is an engineering job-specific question to help you know the position.
The Third question is at the end to help you know the interviewer.
The fourth question is related to what to expect after the interview.

The following are the most common questions you can ask interviewers in engineering interviewers broken down into their respective categories. Remember that you do not have to ask all those questions, just the ones that align with the position.

Use the TOC to find the most relevant questions to your engineering position:

Table of Contents

Questions to ask at the beginning of the interview

These opening questions do not have to be focused on anything. They are very casual questions with short answers that can help break the ice between the interviewer and the interviewee. However, you should avoid silly questions about the weather, what you had for lunch, or questions about the company that you can find the answer to on Google, such as when was the company founded.

How long has this position been open?
How many projects have you done in this region in the last 5 to 10 years?
When did you work on the [name] project?

Questions to ask about the company

These are some specific questions about the company that can give you some insights into where this company is headed and what can you expect when joining this company.

Where do you see the company headed in the next 5 years?
What is a typical day like at the company?
Is the company generally have a steady workload, or do you experience quiet time?
When is your busiest time in the year, and why?
What exciting projects have you worked on in the last few years?
What common brands you have worked with in the past? (Only ask if you can not find the answer online).

Questions to ask about the culture and team

This is your chance to learn about the company’s culture and team and how it aligns with your values as an individual. Does the team embrace multiculturalism? Is the work encourage collaboration or independence? You want to know the answers to those questions to understand the team and the company culture, but you can not ask directly, so you use open-ended questions and give the interviewer a chance to elaborate.

Can you describe the company culture and team?
Who will I work with closely, and who will I report to? (It may not be the same person)
How do you measure team success?
What are the biggest challenges facing the engineering team that I can help with?
What skills that you think are lacking in this team that I can fill?
Is the work environment here encourage collaboration or independence?

Questions to ask about the engineering position

You should aim to ask at least one question related to the position. This is what you will be doing in the company, and it is your chance to remove any ambiguity about the position that is not well highlighted in the job ad. It is okay to be very specific in this category and use some examples from your old position.

What does a typical day look like in this role?
What skills does it take to be successful at your company?
I am very ambitious; are there opportunities for advancement beyond this role? (Only ask if the company you are applying for is very big, small organisations have limited roles to offer).
How does this position contribute to the company’s vision and goals?
How do you define success for this position? And how it is measured?
Can you tell me about some exciting projects I will be working on?

Questions to ask to get to know the engineering manager

Often the engineering interviewer is a manager or the founder of the company. Many engineering jobs have two interviews. The first is with an engineering manager or Human resources (HR) manager, and the second is with a very high senior manager in this company or the company’s founder. This is your chance to ask specific questions about the company and get to know the interviewer.

What do you like the most about working in this company? (Engineering manager or HR manager question).
How do you motivate the team when they struggle with a heavy workload? (Engineering manager or HR manager question).
Why did you join this company? (Engineering manager question).
Has your role changed since you joined this company? (Engineering manager question).
What did you do before joining this company? (Engineering manager question).
How would you describe your management style? (Engineering manager or founder question).
How do you define success as an engineer? (Engineering manager or founder question).
What challenges do you often face in this company? (Founder question only).
I have read a lot about the company, but I want to hear your story. Was it difficult founding an engineering company? (founder question only).

Questions to ask for remote engineering jobs

As you know, many engineering jobs are going remote and advertised as remote jobs. If you know the work opportunity is remote, you should ask at least one or two questions about the remote work environment and what to expect. You can also check our resources of why we think remote work is not the best work environment for engineers.

Will the position be remote permanently?
Will the company supply me with work gear, computer, laptop, desk and other accessories?
Will there be weekly/daily team meetings on zoom?
What management software do you use to ensure sustainable remote work?

Questions to ask when the interview is not going well

Unfortunately, not every interview goes well. Sometimes you might answer a question, not in the way the interviewer was hoping for, or throughout the interview, the interviewer might determine that you are underqualified for the job. When an interview is not going very well, the interviewer usually decides to finish the interview quickly and lose interest in you.

In general, you should avoid asking these specific questions. However, if you feel the interview is not going in your favour, you can ask the following questions to help the interviewer re-evaluate your application and elongate the interview time:

I have done a lot of similar tasks in my previous role; can you tell me what specific traits you are looking for in your candidate?
I understand this position is competitive; how do I compare to the other candidates?
Is this a new role, or I will be taking on an employee who is leaving? And what I can do to succeed?
Do you expect the main responsibility for this position to change in the next 6 to 12 months?
What created the need for this position, and what type of skills you are looking for in this position?
How critical is this position to the company’s overall competitive advantage?

Questions to ask at the end of the engineering interview

This is your last chance to ask questions and might be your last chance to prove yourself as the perfect pick for this position. So only aim to ask questions that can help your application and increase your chances to succeed. Usually, the interviewer gives you the chance to ask questions at the end of the interview, so these are the questions you should be asking in the end:

What is the next step after the interview? Is there anything you require of me, such as documents or certificates to provide?
When are you looking to get someone started in this position?
What should I expect in the first few weeks of joining this company?
What can I do to get up to speed quickly in this job?
Is there any prior training I need to do before starting work?
What accomplishment would you like to see in the first 3 to 6 months after joining the company?