Hiring top software engineering talent is one of the most important (and challenging) tasks for any tech-driven organization. The right engineer can drive product innovation, strengthen your team, and help your company scale, while a poor hiring decision can slow development, reduce morale, and be costly to fix.
That’s why preparing a thoughtful interview strategy is essential. While a successful software engineer interview confirms a candidate’s technical ability, it also evaluates their problem-solving skills, collaboration, adaptability, and alignment with your team’s culture and goals.
In this guide, we break down how to create effective software engineer interview questions across all experience levels. You’ll learn how to tailor questions to the role, assess technical and soft skills, and confidently make the hiring decisions that could lead to long-term success.
BEFORE THE INTERVIEW: TAILORING QUESTIONS TO THE JOB
The quality of your software engineer interview questions can directly impact the quality of your hire. Asking the standard questions may check a few boxes, but it rarely reveals how a candidate will actually perform in your environment. That’s why the most effective interviews start before you ever sit down with candidates. The first step is to think about your interview questions ahead of time, intentionally tailoring them to the role, the team, and the level of experience you’re hiring for.
But how can you be sure you come up with the right ones to ask? A couple of different ways:
First, assemble an interview team. Choosing the right people to be a part of the interview process ensures you evaluate candidates from multiple, relevant perspectives. A solid interview team typically includes:
- The hiring manager
- The person the role will report to (if different from the hiring manager)
- One or more engineers currently in similar roles
- Be sure to include someone who can share the vision of the company and “sell’ the opportunity
These individuals bring valuable, first-hand insight into the day-to-day responsibilities, technical expectations, and challenges of the position, making them invaluable when determining what actually matters in an interview.
Second, make sure the questions you ask reflect:
- The interview round (is it an initial screening? A technical interview? A behavioral interview?)
- The role itself (e.g., front-end, back-end, full-stack, DevOps)
- The candidate’s experience level
For example, entry-level candidates interviewing for their first software engineering role are best evaluated on foundational knowledge, problem-solving approach, and learning potential. Senior engineers should be assessed on system design, decision-making, leadership, and how they’ve overcome challenges in their previous roles. Mid-level candidates often fall somewhere in between, expected to demonstrate technical competence and growing ownership.
By aligning your questions with these factors, you create a more focused, fair, and effective hiring process — one that surfaces the candidates most likely to succeed on your team.
SCREENING QUESTIONS
Screening questions are used in the earliest stage of the interview process, often during an initial phone screen or recruiter conversation. Their purpose is to confirm baseline qualifications, alignment, and interest before moving candidates further along.
Because of this, screening questions are usually consistent across all candidates, no matter what role they applied for or where they are in their careers. Whether you’re interviewing an entry-level engineer or a senior developer, these questions help ensure a candidate meets core requirements, understands the role, and is a good potential fit for your team and company.
Below are questions commonly asked in the screening stage:
- Tell me about yourself.
- Walk me through your resume.
- What interests you about this role?
- What are you looking for in your next role?
- Why do you want to work for us?
- What types of projects or problems do you enjoy working on most?
- What programming languages and technologies are you familiar with?
- Are you comfortable with the core responsibilities listed in the job description?
- What are your salary expectations?
- When would you be available to start?
BEHAVIORAL AND SITUATIONAL QUESTIONS
Behavioral and situational questions are designed to reveal how a candidate thinks, communicates, and handles themself in scenarios they’re likely to encounter on the job. While technical interviews (more on these later) assess what a software engineer can do, these questions help you gauge how they actually work with others, handle challenges, and make decisions under pressure.
These questions typically focus on past experiences (“Tell me about a time when…”), operating on the principle that past behavior is one of the best predictors of future performance. Situational questions, on the other hand, ask candidates how they would respond to hypothetical scenarios they’re likely to encounter in the role.
These questions are especially valuable for evaluating collaboration, adaptability, accountability, and problem-solving across different experience levels.
Entry-Level Software Engineer Behavioral Questions
- Tell me about a time you struggled with a technical problem. How did you handle it?
- Describe a time you received constructive feedback. How did you respond?
- How do you prioritize tasks when working on multiple assignments or deadlines?
Mid-Level Software Engineer Behavioral Questions
- Tell me about a time you worked closely with non-engineering stakeholders.
- Describe a situation where you had to refactor or improve existing code.
- How do you handle disagreements during code reviews?
Senior Software Engineer Behavioral Questions
- Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult technical trade-off.
- Describe how you support other engineers during challenging times.
- How do you approach situations where technical debt is impacting delivery?
QUESTIONS THAT ASSESS TECHNICAL SKILLS
Technical interview questions evaluate a candidate’s ability to reason about, write, and understand code, as well as their grasp of core computer science concepts and the tools they’ll use in their daily work. These questions help determine whether a software engineer can solve problems in a way that aligns with your team’s quality and performance standards.
This category of questions tends to vary the most across experience levels. While entry-level engineers are typically assessed on fundamentals and problem-solving approaches, more experienced professionals are expected to demonstrate deeper technical judgment, architectural thinking, and the ability to design and scale systems.
Keep in mind that technical skill questions are most effective when paired with realistic scenarios and follow-up discussion. Rather than focusing solely on “right” answers, strong interviewers listen for how candidates reason, communicate, and adapt — qualities that often matter just as much as technical precision.
Here’s what to ask:
Technical Questions for Entry-Level Candidates
These questions focus on core programming concepts, logical thinking, and the ability to learn.
- What is the difference between an array and a linked list?
- Can you explain what a function or method is and why it’s useful?
- How would you debug a program that isn’t producing the expected output?
- What is version control, and why is it important?
- Write a simple function to check whether a string is a palindrome.
What to look for: Clear reasoning, familiarity with fundamentals, and a willingness to talk through their process, even if they don’t arrive at a perfect solution.
Technical Questions for Mid-Level Candidates
Mid-level engineers should demonstrate stronger problem-solving skills, code quality, and experience working in production environments.
- How do you structure and organize code in a large application?
- Can you walk through how you would design a RESTful API for a simple feature?
- What steps do you take to optimize slow-running code or queries?
- How do you ensure your code is testable and maintainable?
- Describe a challenging bug you encountered in production and how you resolved it.
What to look for: Practical experience, thoughtful trade-offs, and an understanding of how their code impacts the broader system.
Technical Questions for Senior Candidates
Senior-level technical questions on system design, scalability, and technical leadership.
- How would you design a scalable system to support millions of users?
- What factors do you consider when choosing between different technologies or frameworks?
- How do you approach system reliability, monitoring, and failure recovery?
- Can you describe a time you significantly improved an existing architecture?
- How do you balance shipping features quickly with long-term technical health?
What to look for: Strategic thinking, sound architectural decisions, and the ability to explain complex concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
QUESTIONS ABOUT CULTURAL FIT AND SOFT SKILLS
Questions about cultural fit help interviewers judge how well a candidate might integrate into the team and the larger company. These questions focus on communication, collaboration, adaptability, and alignment with team and organizational values — factors that often predict long-term success and retention.
Rather than looking for someone who simply “fits in,” these questions should assess whether a candidate can thrive in your specific environment. That includes how they give and receive feedback, work with others, handle ambiguity, manage conflict, and contribute to a healthy dynamic.
Like technical and behavioral questions, soft-skill expectations evolve with experience level. Entry-level engineers may be evaluated on coachability and communication, while senior engineers are often expected to model strong collaboration, leadership, and accountability.
Questions to ask include:
For Entry-Level Engineers
- How do you prefer to receive feedback on your work?
- Can you describe a time you worked on a team project? What role did you play?
- How do you handle situations where you don’t understand a task or assignment?
- What does good communication look like to you on an engineering team?
What to look for: Openness to feedback, willingness to ask questions, and basic collaboration skills.
For Mid-Level Engineers
- How do you communicate progress or blockers to your team?
- Describe a time when you worked through a disagreement with a teammate. What was the outcome?
- How do you balance independent work with collaboration?
- What type of team environment helps you do your best work?
What to look for: Accountability, clarity in communication, and the ability to navigate team dynamics productively.
For Senior Engineers
- How do you foster an environment of collaboration and psychological safety on your team?
- How do you handle situations where business priorities conflict with technical best practices?
- Describe your approach to mentoring or supporting junior engineers.
- How do you influence technical decisions without direct authority?
What to look for: A leadership mindset, emotional intelligence, and the ability to align teams around shared goals.
AFTER THE INTERVIEW: FINAL EVALUATION AND DECISION-MAKING
Once interviews are complete, the real work begins: turning feedback into a confident, well-rounded hiring decision. Gut instinct can only take you so far. To make the best decision for your team, you should also weigh candidate responses, discuss the decision with the full hiring team, and use clear criteria to determine which applicant is most likely to succeed in the role.
How to Assess Candidates
Effective post-interview evaluation starts with individual feedback. Interviewers should jot down their observations as soon as possible after each interview, focusing on evidence rather than impressions. This includes specific examples of how a candidate demonstrated technical skills, problem-solving ability, communication, and alignment with role expectations.
One way to keep feedback consistent is to use scorecards or evaluation rubrics. These assess candidates across core categories, which could include:
- Technical competence
- Problem-solving and reasoning
- Communication and collaboration
- Cultural alignment and growth potential
Once individual evaluations are complete, the hiring team comes together to compare notes. This group discussion presents opportunities to balance perspectives, surface concerns, and reduce individual biases. Ultimately, the goal is to get the team on the same page regarding whether the candidate meets the role requirements and if they can grow within it.
Tips for Narrowing the Candidate Pool
When deciding between strong candidates, consider the following best practices:
- Anchor decisions to the role requirements: Revisit the original job description and success criteria. The best candidate is usually the one who meets your needs, not necessarily the one with the most impressive resume.
- Prioritize substance over polish: Strong answers grounded in real experience are more valuable than rehearsed or overly confident responses. Look for clear reasoning, adaptability, and honesty.
- Weigh strengths against gaps: Few candidates will be perfect. Identify which skills are need-to-haves on day one versus those that can be developed with onboarding and mentorship.
- Watch for consistency across interviewers: Patterns in feedback — both positive and negative — often reveal more about a candidate’s suitability for the role than one standout comment.
- Avoid decision fatigue: If you’re comparing top candidates, creating a shortlist of two or three finalists can help keep evaluations focused and save time.
Making the Final Hiring Decision
The final decision should balance skills, potential, and team impact. While technical ability is important, long-term success often depends on how well a candidate collaborates, learns, and adapts as the role evolves.
Once you reach a decision, act quickly. Top engineering candidates typically interview with multiple companies, so a timely offer can make the difference between securing your first choice and restarting the hiring process.
MAKE CONFIDENT HIRING DECISIONS WITH ATG
Hiring top software engineering talent requires a thoughtful interview process anchored by the right questions. When interview processes are aligned with the role, the team, and the level of expertise required, employers are far more likely to make effective hiring decisions.
Alexander Technology Group helps organizations take the guesswork out of hiring software engineers. Our team of technology and IT staffing experts is here to help you find the right candidates for your open roles. Ready to get started? Get in touch today.
FAQS
Should software engineering interview questions differ by experience level?
Yes. While screening questions may remain largely the same, technical, behavioral, and situational questions should scale with experience. Entry-level candidates are best evaluated on fundamentals and learning potential, while senior engineers should be assessed on system design, decision-making, and leadership.
In a software engineer interview, are technical questions more important than other question types?
Technical questions are essential, but they shouldn’t stand alone. While technical interviews confirm whether a candidate can perform the core responsibilities of the role, behavioral, situational, and soft-skill questions provide critical context around how that work will get done.
Are live coding interviews better than take-home assignments?
Each approach has advantages. Live coding interviews assess problem-solving and communication in real time, while take-home assignments allow candidates to demonstrate deeper thinking without time pressure. Many employers use a combination of both, depending on the role and interview stage.
How do you fairly evaluate interview answers across candidates?
Using structured scorecards, clear success criteria, and consistent questions helps reduce bias and ensures candidates are evaluated on the same standards. Interviewers should focus on evidence from answers rather than gut instinct or résumé strength alone.
When should we get external hiring help?
Partnering with a recruiter can be especially valuable when:
- Hiring for hard-to-fill or highly specialized engineering roles
- Scaling teams quickly
- Lacking internal technical interview expertise
- Needing help refining interview strategy or candidate evaluation
