Cracking the Engineering Manager interview — Part 1

Engineering manager interviews are designed to capture signals about a candidate's ability to drive sustainable, long-term success. Companies use proxies such as people leadership, business leadership, results delivery, motivation and values, problem solving, and technical domain expertise. The article breaks down each proxy and explains why it matters for the role.

The piece details the typical interview formats you will encounter. Situational interviews ask for concrete examples of managing high performers, handling conflict, or driving results. Conversational rounds let you share philosophy on hiring, culture, and career development. Role-play scenarios simulate 1:1 coaching or team meetings to test practical people skills. Business leadership is probed by partners who assess your prioritization, alignment, and vision through similar situational or conversational styles. Results-driven rounds focus on how you set goals, allocate resources, and turn around projects. Technical competence is measured via coding tests, code reviews, take-home projects, architecture design, or deep dives into past engineering initiatives.

Knowing these categories lets candidates target their preparation efficiently. Instead of vague study, you can rehearse specific stories that map to each proxy, practice role-play negotiations, and brush up on system design fundamentals. Hiring managers also benefit by using the framework to structure their own EM interview loops and surface the right signals.