As an IT Recruitment consultant, I’ve witnessed countless interviews where software engineers have missed golden opportunities to truly understand the company, the role, and the team they’re interviewing for.

Asking the right questions can make all the difference in ensuring you’re making an informed decision about your next career move.

One of the key types of questions to ask are the ‘How’ questions, as they really give you an insight into the company and the way they do things.

So, in our opinion, the top 10 ‘how’ questions every software engineer should ask in an interview are as follows:

How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance? Because let’s be real, we all need to recharge our batteries occasionally, even if it means unplugging from the Matrix for a bit.
How do you foster a culture of continuous learning and professional development? We’re not just code monkeys; we’re curious creatures always seeking to level up our skills.
How do you approach code reviews and collaboration? Because we all know that code written in isolation is like a party with just one guest – it’s just not as fun.
How do you handle technical debt and refactoring? Let’s be honest, we’ve all inherited code that looks like it was written by a drunk monkey with a keyboard.
How do you ensure code quality and maintainability? Because nobody wants to be the one responsible for creating the next Y2K bug.
How do you approach testing and quality assurance? We all know that shipping buggy code is like serving a cake without baking it first – it’s just not a good idea.
How do you handle project planning and estimation? Because we all know that estimating software development is like trying to predict the weather – it’s a wild guess at best.
How do you handle communication and collaboration with non-technical stakeholders? Because let’s face it, sometimes we need to speak in a language that doesn’t involve binary code.
How do you approach new technologies and staying up-to-date? Because we all know that in the tech world, if you’re not constantly learning, you’re falling behind.
How do you handle failure and learn from mistakes? Because even the best of us have shipped code that made us want to hide under a rock.

Remember, an interview is a two-way street.

By asking these ‘how’ questions, you’ll not only demonstrate your curiosity and passion for the craft but also gain valuable insights into the company’s culture, processes, and values.

If you’d like some help getting ready for interview, then get in touch at https://itmob.co.uk/contact/