Introduction to People Management Interviews

People management interviews are largely scenario-based, interactive discussions about various aspects of managing people. It is vital to remain focused and stay on course while answering these questions. Irrelevant and long answers will make the answers boring and will also waste time. Remember that there is a time limit for your interview.

It is important to make the interview conversational and avoid long, wordy answers. This will ensure that the interviewer is engaged and focused throughout the interview. Providing concise answers also keeps the conversation flowing and allows the interviewer to ask follow-up questions. Since the interviewer has to collect signals around many areas to make an accurate assessment, short and precise answers benefit both the interviewer and the candidate.

The goal of the interview

The goal of people management interviews is to evaluate the following:

• Whether the candidate is technically sound enough to support an engineering team.

• Whether they are qualified to function within the company’s management framework.

• Whether they will be meeting the expectations in the people management axis of the company.

Note: In addition to a hire/no-hire decision, the interviewer also tries to determine the appropriate level for the candidate (EM1 or EM2) during this interview.

What makes a good manager?

The definition of a “good” manager varies across organizations and is shaped by each company’s management framework. Broadly, a good people manager is someone who fosters team well-being, supports individual growth, and consistently drives business outcomes.

Generally, a good people manager possesses a number of core attributes mentioned below.

• Ensures that the team delivers results on time most of the time: The manager can keep their team focused on achieving its goals in terms of business deliverables.

• Ensures that team members are happy and fulfilled by the work they do: Sometimes, engineers have to work on critical business deliverables that are not that motivating. Team members might be looking for different kinds of tasks that align more with their interests or challenge them more. The manager should try their best to strike a balance in such cases. Understanding that engineering management isn’t all about delivering business results is important.

• Invests in team members’ growth: Effective managers should evaluate their team members’ strengths and identify areas for growth. With a clear and accurate assessment, managers can craft tailored development plans that support each individual’s career progression.

• Has good retention numbers for their team: A good retention number is a reflection of team health. It’s not healthy for the team if too many people are leaving during a short duration.

Note: The retention rate is only a relative measure. There may be cases where retention is low due to reasons beyond the manager’s control, such as a company’s poor financial performance. At other times, good retention numbers are not true indicators of team health; for example, during a recession, no one wants to leave their job.

• Provides transparent and actionable feedback: This is one of the most important aspects of being an effective manager. The trust between the manager and their team members should be such that the manager can provide transparent feedback to the team members and vice versa. Feedback should not be withheld till the formal performance review cycle. Timely feedback allows team members to cover deficient areas instead of getting a lower performance rating during the formal reviews.

• Has empathy and builds trust in relationships with their team members: This serves as the backbone for everything else a manager does. Trust in relationships fosters a safe environment of growth, fulfillment, and productivity.