Team Values
Smart questions for engineers who want real answers
Get past the polished company-approved answers, avoid sounding like a "bad" candidate, and uncover details that aren't in a job description.
What kinds of backgrounds do people on this team come from?
Diversity, equity, and inclusion
Notes
A strong, diverse team will have a mix of backgrounds, not just in terms of demographics but also in career paths, education, and lived experiences It's casua, open-ended and doesn't come across as an attack on the company’s diversity efforts. If a team is diverse, they’ll have an easy time sharing a range of experiences. If not, the response might feel limited, which tells you something valuable.
Who to ask
Team Manager
Team Member
What to listen for
- Do people come from a mix of backgrounds? (people from different industries, self-taught engineers, bootcamp grads, traditional CS degrees, former designers)
- Do they mention different cultures, geographies, or ways of thinking?
Red flags 🚩
- The team has a very narrow or homogenous background
- Only mentions technical backgrounds and not broader perspectives
- Awkwardness or hesitation