Questions to ask as a Software Engineering Interviewee
Interviews are not just for interviewers to evaluate the applicant — they are also for the applicant to learn about the company and team with whom they might be working. Answers to “soft skills” questions are important when considering whether to accept an offer at a company: A company may offer a great compensation package, but if the work environment is toxic you will probably soon want to move on.
I have compiled the list below with some of my favorite questions to ask as an interviewee that I have collected over my years acting as both an interviewer and an interviewee. For many of these questions, there is no right or wrong answer — your preferences are what matter.
“How many developers does the company employ?”
“Is work assigned to a group of developers by project or by focus?”
I consider this question very important because team structuring may dictate what you get to work on.
A company with few developers may have a single team where everyone moves between projects as needed. Some larger companies will devote developers to a specific software project (web storefront, mobile app, internal tools, etc.), while other companies will group developers into frontend and backend teams who each collaborate on a project.
“What is it like on the team? Does each group of developers have a Lead Developer and/or a manager?”
In my experience, groups of developers function best with one person acting as a technical lead. The lead developer is typically responsible for maintaining the scope of the project, meeting with clients and users to get requirements, and overseeing the project. These responsibilities may be shared with or given to a project manager in some companies.
Often groups of developers will also share a development manager or project manager who coordinates between the groups to ensure that different software components will work harmoniously in the finished project.
It also may be important to you if your potential team has junior developers, where typically more training and oversight is provided by mid and senior developers.
“Who dictates development and release timelines?”
Some companies elect to have defined schedules for software projects. As a developer, I am very cautious when these timelines and estimates come from external, non-developer sources. Recent news about Cyberpunk 2077 has publicized the unfortunate product quality and internal morale outcomes that can occur when a project is pushed to release too hastily.
“What are the expectations for meetings?”
It is fairly typical for development teams to have small daily “Scrum” style meetings where participants quickly list completed work, work in progress, and any issues they are having. Other meetings are commonplace, but an excessive number can indicate micromanagement or inefficient communication practices.
Developers are sometimes expected to meet with project stakeholders outside of the development team. These meetings may involve the whole team, or just the lead developer. Some companies encourage a culture where meetings are optional, and invitees are expected to leave if they determine that they are not adding or receiving value from the meeting.
“What is the development workflow? Is there testing or code review?”
Companies handle software Quality Assurance (QA) testing differently. Some may have you working directly on production code, while others may have detailed release pipelines that involve QA testers, or automated testing and release deployment. Code review is a related process where more senior developers review submitted code for various criteria (bugs, performance, security) before accepting it to the codebase.
“What are the expectations for remote work?”
The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated changes in all industries, and software development is no different. Many developers have moved from having the option to work remotely some days, to being fully remote. You may prefer to work from the comfort of your home, or you might instead prefer to work in person with your colleagues.
Knowing the expectations for remote workers is important as some companies require remote workers to still adhere to a dress code, and work from home rather than from any remote location (although this is extremely unusual).
“What is the work schedule, and is it flexible?”
With remote workers, and especially with workers distributed in different time zones, schedules have become more flexible. Don’t assume that you or others will be strictly assigned to a 9–5 schedule.
“Is a company laptop or computer provided?”
It’s fairly standard for companies to provide a laptop to developers who work remotely. Companies may have a range of laptops that you can select from.
“Are administrator rights provided on developer work machines?”
Depending on your type of work, you may need access to install software, or run administrative actions during the normal course of your work day. Some companies require that IT support agents remote in and perform these actions, which can quickly become tiresome.
“Do company machines come with remote support or remote monitoring software?”
Some companies require that employees run monitoring software in order to gauge productivity. Many employees consider such software (which can log keystrokes, capture screenshots, etc.) an invasion of privacy.
“Does the company require developers sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), or a Non-Compete Agreement?”
An NDA is used to prohibit employees from disclosing proprietary company information, and they are fairly common. Non-compete agreements are much less common, and are used to prohibit employees from gaining employment in the same industry for a period of time.
As with any legal document, it is strongly advisable to read and understand the terms thoroughly before signing anything.
