Which technical interview questions to ask employer?

Asking technical questions during an interview not only shows your interest in the role but also helps you assess if the company aligns with your career goals. Here are the best technical interview questions you can ask an employer:

1. Questions About the Role

• What tech stack does the team primarily use?
  • This helps you understand the tools and technologies you’ll be working with.
• What is the biggest technical challenge the team is currently facing?
  • Insight into current challenges gives you a sense of how dynamic and engaging the role might be.
• How does this role contribute to the company's overall technical goals?
  • Helps you gauge the role's impact and significance.

2. Questions About Team and Collaboration

• How does the team handle code reviews and collaboration?
  • Reveals the culture around feedback, learning, and teamwork.
• What does the development workflow look like?
  • Understanding tools like Git, CI/CD pipelines, or Agile methodologies can tell you a lot about their processes.
• How are technical decisions made within the team?
  • Shows whether decision-making is collaborative or top-down.

3. Questions About Learning and Growth

• Does the company encourage upskilling, like certifications or courses?
  • Reveals opportunities for professional development.
• What does the onboarding process look like for new developers?
  • Indicates how much support you’ll receive when joining.
• Are there opportunities to work on new technologies or switch roles within the company?
  • Insight into career growth and variety.

4. Questions About Projects and Products

• What are the most significant projects the team has worked on recently?
  • Helps you understand the scope and scale of the work.
• Are there opportunities to suggest or lead new projects?
  • Reveals the level of autonomy and innovation encouraged.

5. Questions About Company Culture

• How does the company approach technical debt?
  • Provides insight into how the team balances quality and speed.
• How often are engineers involved in product discussions?
  • Shows how much input you’ll have beyond coding tasks.

6. Questions About Technical Challenges

• What’s the most challenging technical problem the team has solved recently?
  • A peek into the complexity and creativity required for the role.
• How do you handle scaling challenges with the current architecture?
  • Gives insight into how the company prepares for growth.

7. Questions About Tools and Processes

• What is the process for deploying code to production?
  • Indicates the maturity of the company's engineering practices.
• How does the team handle testing and ensuring code quality?
  • Helps you understand their approach to software reliability.

8. Questions to Clarify Expectations

• What does success look like for this role in the first 6 months?
  • Clarifies what you’ll need to achieve and how you’ll be evaluated.
• What level of autonomy and responsibility will I have in this role?
  • Gives you an idea of how independent you’re expected to be.

9. Questions About Career Development

• What opportunities are there for advancement within the team or organization?
  • Helps you plan your long-term growth.
• How do you evaluate and reward technical skills and achievements?
  • Provides insight into how contributions are recognized.

10. Questions About Company Challenges

• What technical challenges do you foresee in the next year?
  • Gives you a forward-looking view of what to expect.
• Are there any planned changes in the tech stack or architecture?
  • Lets you know if you’ll be working on cutting-edge or legacy technologies.

Tips for Asking Questions

• Tailor questions based on the company and role to show genuine interest.
• Avoid overly broad questions like, "Tell me about the company," as they can appear unprepared.
• Prioritize questions that matter most to you and save time for those during the interview.

Conclusion

Asking thoughtful technical questions during an interview shows you’re proactive and genuinely interested in understanding the role and company. It also helps you make a more informed decision about the opportunity.