Hiring Managers and employers know that navigating the intricate world of technical recruitment can sometimes feel like trying to decipher an alien code. But fear not, for this comprehensive guide will serve as your trusty map. In “How To Interview Engineering Candidates,” we’ll unlock the mysteries of identifying not just any engineering talent, but the RIGHT talent for your engineering team too.

We’ll delve into understanding their technical prowess, unravel the enigma of their problem-solving abilities, and, importantly, interpret the subtle cues you can gain from asking engineering interview questions that hint at their potential to grow within your organisation. Whether you’re interviewing a fresh graduate or a seasoned professional, we will help ensure your engineering interviews are a triumph, not a tribulation. So buckle up, it’s time to engineer your path to effective hiring for any engineering department.

Quick Links

• How to Prepare for an Engineering Job Interview
• Engineering Job Interview Tips
• Engineering Interview Techniques
• Engineering Interview Questions to Ask
• Engineering STAR Interview Questions
• How to Address Salary in Engineering Interviews
• Questions Engineering Candidates Might Ask Employers
• Engineering Weakness Interview Questions
• How to Follow Up With Engineering Candidates After Interviews
• Engineering Interview FAQs

How to Prepare for an Engineering Job Interview

Before you can prepare to interview engineering candidates, you need to attract candidates to your position. You can use a free job description template and job advert template to craft job descriptions ready for job board advertising. The job description is an invaluable document, and can later be used as a basis for your job interview.

As an interviewer preparing to conduct an engineering job interview, meticulous groundwork is essential. It’s important to understand not just the technical aspects of the role you’re hiring for, but also the kind of individual who will best fit into your organisation’s culture and ethos. It’s crucial to research the engineering discipline in question, ensure you’re familiar with the latest industry trends, and understand the specific engineering concepts and skills that will be required in the job role.

Prepare a clear and structured interview process that will facilitate a comprehensive assessment of the candidate’s engineering skills, workplace safety knowledge, and capabilities. Consider developing technical and behavioural questions that can probe the candidate’s depth of knowledge, problem-solving abilities, interpersonal communications, teamworking, and leadership skills. Mock interviews with colleagues can also be an invaluable tool to fine-tune your engineering questions and approach.

Remember, too, that an interview is not just about evaluating the candidate – it’s also about selling your organisation as a desirable place to work. Be ready to articulate your company’s vision, its approach to engineering challenges, and the engineering career opportunities it can offer the candidate. This will ensure that the top engineering talent is not just willing, but eager to join your team.

To assist you in interviewing the best candidates, you should take the time to understand what does an engineering professional do? The best route to completing this task is to review engineering job descriptions. Example engineering job descriptions, sample engineering job descriptions, or an engineering job advert provide a wealth of information on the job role of an engineering professional. This begins with an engineering job summary, followed by engineering key job responsibilities, engineering duties, and engineering tasks. The job description is finished with an engineering job spec, comprising engineering skills and engineering job qualifications.

Engineering Job Interview Tips

Conducting an engineering job interview can be a challenging task, yet with a few essential tips, you can conduct a successful engineering team interview:

Understand the specifics of the job role. Prepare pertinent questions that delve into the candidates’ understanding of these role-specific technicalities, their experience with similar projects, and their approach to solving an engineering problem. It is also useful to ascertain their knowledge of any necessary software or equipment related to the role.

When you interview engineers, it’s also important to evaluate the soft skills essential for the role. Look for evidence of their ability to work in a team, communicate effectively, handle a difficult client, and manage a successful engineering project:

• Prepare specific questions
• Understand the necessary software and equipment
• Evaluate their experience with similar projects
• Assess their problem-solving skills and enhanced engineering performance capabilities
• Check their communication abilities – verbal and creating a challenging written technical report
• Assess their team-working skills and for demonstrated leadership skills

Engineering Interview Techniques

Applying the right techniques in an engineering interview is key to ensuring you gain the insights you need about your candidates. Begin by setting the scene. Provide a brief overview of the company and the role, establishing an atmosphere that encourages open and honest dialogue.

Use a blend of technical and behavioural questions to gain a holistic view of the candidate. Technical questions assess the candidate’s understanding of engineering concepts and their ability to apply these in real-world scenarios. On the other hand, behavioural questions evaluate their approach to problem-solving, teamwork, and communication.

Finally, don’t forget to end the interview on a positive note. Invite candidates to ask their questions, provide them with a rough timeline of when they can expect to hear back, and thank them for their time. This leaves candidates with a positive impression, irrespective of the outcome.

Engineering Interview Questions to Ask

Assessing an engineer’s suitability for a role requires asking a series of well-crafted questions. Here are 20 common engineering interview questions that you might consider asking and integrating into your hiring process:

1. How would you explain complex engineering concepts to someone without an engineering background?
2. Describe a time you had to solve a difficult problem. What was your approach?
3. Can you describe a project that did not go as planned? How did you handle it?
4. How do you keep updated with the latest engineering trends?
5. What engineering software are you most proficient in?
6. How have you handled disagreements in a team setting?
7. Can you explain a time when you had to make a critical decision under pressure?
8. How do you manage your work to meet tight deadlines?
9. What process do you follow for quality assurance in your projects?
10. Describe a time when you implemented a cost-saving measure in an engineering project.
11. How do you assess the feasibility of a project before starting work on it?
12. What’s the most challenging engineering project you’ve worked on, and why?
13. Can you provide an example of an innovative solution you devised to a difficult problem?
14. How have you handled a situation where a project was at risk of falling behind schedule?
15. Tell me about a time you had to learn a new technology or software for a project.
16. How do you handle feedback and criticism of your work?
17. Can you give an example of a time when you applied your technical skills to achieve a specific outcome or create your most successful engineering project?
18. Describe a situation where you had to use your communication skills to explain a technical issue to a non-technical person.
19. Can you share an example of a situation where you had to balance safety with project deliverables?
20. How do you ensure that your designs meet all relevant codes and standards?

Engineering STAR Interview Questions

STAR interview questions are great tools for understanding how a candidate has behaved in past situations, and therefore, how they might behave in future scenarios. Here are some examples of STAR interview questions for engineering candidates:

• Can you recall a specific project where you had to deal with a major problem or challenge? How did you handle it (Situation)? What actions did you take (Task and Action)? What was the outcome (Result)?
• Describe a situation where you had to work with a difficult team member. What was your approach (Situation and Task)? What actions did you take to resolve the situation (Action)? What was the result (Result)?
• Can you tell me about a time when you had to quickly learn a new software or technology for a project?What was the requirement (Situation and Task)? How did you acquire the new skill (Action)? And how did it impact your project (Result)?

How to Address Salary in Engineering Interviews

Addressing salary during engineering interviews can be a tricky proposition, but as the interviewer, it’s essential to navigate this topic with sensitivity and transparency. Establish a clear salary range for the role in advance based on industry standards, the company budget, and the job responsibilities. This will ensure you’re prepared to discuss compensation when the topic arises.

When asked about salary, be open and candid about the range without committing to a specific figure. Let the candidate know that the exact amount will depend on their experience, core skill, and performance in the selection process. Emphasise that the company values fair pay and rewards merit.

If the candidate’s salary expectations significantly exceed the budgeted range, manage their expectations without immediately disqualifying them. Discuss the potential for growth, advancement, and salary revisions within the company. This way, you maintain their interest while setting realistic expectations about compensation.

Questions Engineering Candidates Might Ask Employers

When conducting an interview, it’s important to be prepared for the questions that engineering candidates might ask. Here are 20 such questions:

1. What’s a typical day like in this role?
2. Can you describe the company culture?
3. What are the opportunities for professional development?
4. How would you describe the management style of the company?
5. What’s the company’s approach to innovation?
6. Can you describe a project the team is currently working on?
7. How does the company support employees’ work-life balance?
8. How does the company handle project timelines and deadlines?
9. What is the company’s policy on continuous learning and certifications?
10. How is performance measured and reviewed?
11. What are the opportunities for growth in this role?
12. What are some challenges that this role would face?
13. How does the company promote teamwork and collaboration?
14. How does the company handle feedback and implement changes?
15. Can you tell me more about the team I would be working with?
16. What’s the next step in the interview process?
17. How soon can I start contributing to projects?
18. What are the company’s expectations for this role in the first six months?
19. What software and equipment does the company use for this role?
20. How does the company stay updated with the latest engineering trends?

Engineering Weakness Interview Questions

Identifying potential weaknesses in the new engineering skills of candidates is key to ensuring the right fit for your role. Here are some interview questions that can help in spotting those areas:

• Can you describe a project where the outcome was not as you expected? What would you do differently next time?
• How do you handle criticism or feedback about your work?
• Can you tell me about a time when you missed a deadline? What were the reasons, and how did you handle it?
• In what area do you think you need the most improvement as an engineer?
• Can you provide an example of when you had to work with a technology or software that you were unfamiliar with? How did you handle it?
• Tell me about a situation where you had to work with a difficult team member. How did you approach the issue?

How to Follow Up With Engineering Candidates After Interviews

Following up with engineering candidates after interviews requires a balanced approach of professionalism and empathy. As a Hiring Manager or Recruiter, it’s your responsibility to keep the candidate informed about the recruitment process and ensure they are not left in the dark.

The follow-up process should begin by thanking candidates for their time and effort. Express your appreciation for their participation and interest in the role. This not only fosters goodwill but also reinforces your company’s reputation as a considerate employer.

Ensure that you communicate the next steps to the candidates, including an approximate timeline for when they can expect to hear back from you. If there are delays in the decision-making process, be sure to update the candidate. If a candidate wasn’t successful, provide constructive feedback that will help them in their future endeavours. Remember, the aim is to leave every candidate with a positive impression of your company, regardless of the outcome.

Engineering Interview FAQs

Now we answer the frequently asked questions of Hiring Managers, employers interviewing candidates, and candidates, on engineering interview questions and interviewing engineers:

HOW DO YOU INTERVIEW A JUNIOR ENGINEER?

Interviewing a junior engineer involves assessing both their technical knowledge and their potential to learn and grow within your company. Start by asking about their educational background and any relevant experience or projects they’ve worked on. Then delve into technical questions related to the engineering discipline they’ll be working in. Be sure to also gauge their problem-solving skills, teamwork, and communication abilities.

WHAT ARE 3 QUESTIONS ENGINEERS ASK?

Three common questions engineers might ask during a project or problem-solving process could include:

• What are the technical requirements and constraints for this project?
• How can we optimise this process to make it more efficient or cost-effective?
• How can we anticipate, mitigate, or solve potential problems in our design or execution?

WHAT QUESTIONS WILL I BE ASKED IN AN ENGINEERING INTERVIEW?

In an engineering interview, you may be asked a variety of questions depending on the specific role and company. Some common interview questions for engineers or a software engineer could include:

• Can you describe a technical project you worked on and the approach you took to solve problems?
• How do you handle working within tight deadlines while maintaining high-quality work?
• Can you explain a complex engineering concept to a non-engineer?

WHAT IS THE STAR METHOD IN INTERVIEW?

The STAR method is a structured manner of responding to a behavioural-based interview question by discussing the specific Situation, Task, Action, and Result of the situation you’re describing. It’s a way for candidates to showcase their problem-solving skills and how they handle situations in the workplace.

• Situation: Describe the context or background. Where and when did the situation occur?
• Task: What were your responsibilities or what challenges did you face?
• Action: Explain what actions you took to address the situation.
• Result: Share the outcome or results of your actions, and what you learned from the experience.