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.
Who on the team is someone everyone looks up to and why?
How the team works day to day
What's tough about working here?
Notes
This is such a fun and insightful question to ask different people throughout interviews. It gives you a sense of what matters to each person—do they admire someone for being proactive? Kind and communicative? Technically brilliant? Do they name a peer? A leader? Someone from another department? The answers can reveal a lot about the team’s values and how to succeed.
Who to ask
Team Manager
Team Member
What to listen for
- Insight into team values (technical expertise, communication, emotional intelligence, etc.)
- Whether the “role model” is someone you’d want to work with
Red flags 🚩
- Vague answers or deflecting (e.g., “everyone’s great”)
- No specific qualities mentioned
- Apparent knowledge silos (everyone goes to Jenny for X)