The Ultimate Guide to Interview Questions for Engineers

Given the declining STEM enrollment rates, hiring exceptional engineers – who inspire change and maximize engineering resources – has become one of the most challenging yet essential tasks for organizations and tech recruiters. 

While the recruitment process does start with the resume outlining who the engineering candidates are and what they’ve accomplished, job interviews essentially fill in the details. 

A thoughtful and well-executed interview digs deep into an engineer's qualifications, skills, character, and personality to assess whether he or she is the best person for the role and organization. The interview should include targeted, open-ended questions to evaluate key attributes, such as the engineer’s problem-solving skills, leadership qualities, cultural fit, career goals, and ability to handle specific work-related situations.

Asking the right interview questions unlocks hidden doors to their potential, leading you to the talent your organization needs. Each one opens a new perspective and reveals their true skills, values, and fit for the role beyond what’s on paper. The goal is to get a clearer picture of how a candidate might perform in the role by revealing their thought processes, decision-making abilities, and interpersonal skills, encouraging engineering candidates to share detailed examples from their past job experiences, and allowing tech recruiters to gauge how well they align with the organization’s values, expectations, and long-term goals. 

Does the engineer have the skills, temperament, and competency to perform the daily tasks? Is the engineer motivated for the right reasons? Does the engineer’s vision align with the organization’s mission? Does the engineer fit into the organization?

The guide covers essential engineering interview questions that help tech recruiters identify candidates who not only possess the necessary qualifications but also demonstrate the potential to thrive in an organization’s unique environment.

 After all, the right questions lead to the right hire.

Types of Interview Questions Every Tech Recruiter Should Ask Engineers

Your interview questions should include a variety of the types listed below. Each type of interview question has its purpose and will reveal something specific about the engineering candidate.

Behavioral. These interview questions assess how engineers acted in a past situation so you can determine how they might act in the future. Examples are: Can you tell me how you’ve dealt with a difficult client, supervisor, or stakeholder on an engineering project? What would you do if (a) another engineer on your team insisted on using a design you knew would be inefficient, or (b) a team member created a code that doesn’t meet project standards?

Competency. These questions reveal the engineering candidate’s competency, communication skills, leadership attributes, confidence, and flexibility, to name a few. Tech recruiters can gain insight into any of these by asking questions like: What programming languages do you know, and how do you keep your skills sharp and up-to-date? How would you explain engineering concepts to a non-technical audience during a presentation or an important meeting? 

Case. These questions showcase the engineer’s problem-solving, analytical, and critical-thinking skills when placed in a specific work situation. Examples include: Tell me about a time you were asked to work within a tight budget and how you handled cost reductions. How do you manage time during a fast-paced engineering project, and how have you improved time management in your career?

Credential Verification. Credential verification questions are about GPA, previous jobs, and other credentials engineering candidates have provided on their resume to verify the authenticity. 

Experience Verification. These are similar to the credential verification questions, except you’re asking the practical side of things. For instance, questions like “What was the most challenging engineering project you’ve worked on, and how did you drive the project toward success?” and “What processes and safeguards are used to detect and prevent mistakes in your work?” will truly highlight an engineering candidate’s experience and knowledge. 

Opinion. Opinion questions give engineering candidates the opportunity to show tech recruiters who they are, why they’re applying to their organization, and convince them why they’re perfect for the job. This includes questions like: Why did you decide to become an engineer, and what type of engineering work do you have the greatest passion for? What do you think is the most important engineering issue our industry faces today?

Brainteaser. Brainteasers are usually mathematical or technical questions to assess whether engineering candidates can think quickly. Complex brain teasers show tech recruiters which engineering candidate has excellent technical capabilities and who falls short.

Nonsense. You may or may not like asking silly questions, but they can reveal whether the candidate is a free thinker, capable of thinking outside of what they rehearsed before the interview. Questions range from “What is your favorite type of animal?” to “If you had a superpower, what would it be?” and anything in between. This will shed light on their personality, communication skills, and how well they would fit within your organization. 

Understand What You’re Looking For in an Engineer

In order to develop the perfect set of engineering interview questions, focus on what you need to learn about the candidates to ensure they will excel in the role, and then choose questions that will reveal that information. 

What kind of person do you need? Do you need a creative problem-solver who can adapt to changing circumstances? Do you require a specialized expert with specific technical skills and software proficiencies, and who is well-versed in project management methodologies critical to daily operations? Maybe you’re looking for a natural leader who inspires and takes charge of the team. Tech recruiters need to ask questions that elicit the right responses. 

What traits would the ideal candidate have? Imagine the perfect employee for the role and your organization. Are they consistently able to complete projects on time and within budget? Do they communicate effectively with team members, supervisors, and key stakeholders? Are they innovative thinkers who actively seek new and smarter ways to tackle challenges? Tech recruiters must ask questions that will not only assess technical expertise but also reveal the soft skills and mindset that will drive success in the role. 

What questions would reveal useful answers? Avoid asking questions that don’t serve a clear purpose or elicit a helpful response. For instance, if the candidate’s resume shows that they have been out of college for a few years, asking about their GPA might not be useful. 

Top Interview Questions Tech Recruiters Should Ask Engineers

There are six major engineering branches, including electrical, mechanical, civil, management, geotechnical, and chemical, along with many different subcategories under each main branch of engineering, such as structural or biomedical engineering. This vast diversity makes the idea of interviewing engineers seem complex and daunting.

When you prepare for an interview with an engineer, you need to delve into the candidate's specific area of technological and engineering expertise. In addition to technical, industry-specific questions, you'll also want to inquire about their interpersonal communication skills, teamwork capabilities, customer service, cultural fit, and related skills that contribute to the overall performance in the role.

Interview questions for engineers are divided into three categories: technical, behavioral, and general. This guide equips tech recruiters with the tools to assess engineers accurately, ensuring they select the best engineer who thrives and contributes to organizational success and growth. 

Category 1: Technical Interview Questions For Engineers

During the hiring process for engineering roles, candidates need to be tested on their technical prowess to demonstrate that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in the role. This includes coding interview questions completed in an integrated development environment (IDE), problem-solving questions, conversing on technology or computer science topics, and walking through previous work experience.

Many engineering recruiters usually ask technical questions based on skills stated on the resume or fairly straightforward scenario questions designed to assess problem-solving approaches, test core engineering principles, and see how well candidates can communicate complex engineering concepts to a wider audience. 

Here are a few examples of technical engineering questions. 

Fundamental Concepts. These questions test basic engineering principles, like how materials behave under force or stress, and how energy moves through systems. 

1. Explain strain, stress, simple loading cases (such as cantilever beams), thermal expansion, material properties, buckling, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics. 
2. Describe lift in your own words.
3. Explain turbulence and airfoil.
4. Describe the stress-strain curve for a metal.
5. You mentioned on your resume that you’re familiar with – this could be any engineering skill or concept, like the basics of power systems. Can you explain this to us?
6. Explain the difference between the center of lift and the center of gravity.

Design and Problem-Solving. These questions focus on how to apply engineering concepts to real-world problems and redesign or improve existing solutions. 

1. How would you redesign or improve the design of this office chair?
2. Describe how you would design a light pole with a traffic light on a cantilever beam. What type, size, and shape of material would you use for the pole? 
3. You’re driving on the road and all of a sudden, you notice a sudden loss of power. What do you check?

Technical Projects. These questions address an engineering candidate’s ability to apply their knowledge and skills in real-life projects. 

1. Describe a technical project you worked on, where you used your engineering skills. What challenges did you face and how did you solve them? 

Diagrams and Schematics. These questions test an engineer's ability to read and understand technical diagrams, which are visual representations of systems or processes.

1. Here is an engineering design (p&id, electrical schematic, etc). Tell me what’s going on? 
2. Given a schematic of a power tool, can you explain its function and how it works? For instance, can you describe how the motor transmits power or how one gear turns another? 
3. Draw the shear and moment diagrams of various beams in bending.

Tools. Tech recruiters can ask about an engineering candidate’s familiarity with specific engineering software or concepts. 

1. Do you know how to use Autocad?
2. Share a few simple stress formulas. 

Category 2: Behavioral Interview Questions For Engineers

In a nutshell, the way engineering candidates have handled past situations can help tech recruiters make informed predictions about how they will perform in the workplace. Behavioral questions require candidates to provide clear examples of their engineering skills and experience. This allows tech recruiters to assess a range of soft skills related to engineering, such as problem-solving, communication, approach to teamwork, innovation, and adaptability.  

For instance, an engineering candidate's answers might show they have good problem-solving skills but occasionally fail to manage their time well. If great time management is essential to the role you're hiring for, you may want to consider another candidate. However, if they're otherwise a great fit, you'll know exactly what kind of additional support or training they may need.

Ultimately, the information you gather from behavioral questions will help you identify the strengths and weaknesses in an engineering candidate’s approach to a variety of tricky situations.

Here are a few examples of behavioral questions. 

1. How do you keep your engineering skills sharp and knowledge up-to-date? Have you developed any new engineering skills recently?
2. Describe a time when your design, schematic, or prototype failed. How did you respond to it, and what lessons did you learn from that experience? 
3. How do you balance safety and quality assurance when you have tight deadlines?
4. Were you ever given a tight budget to work within? How did you manage that?
5. How do you approach communicating complex engineering concepts to non-technical stakeholders?
6. Describe a time when you had to work collaboratively with other teams or departments to implement security measures. How did you ensure effective communication and coordination?
7. Have you ever had to handle a difficult situation or disagreement with a team member or client? 
8. Tell me about a recent engineering problem you solved.
9. Did you ever make a big engineering mistake at work? What happened, and how did it get resolved?
10. Tell me about an engineering problem you successfully solved that required outside-the-box thinking.

Category 3: General Interview Questions For Engineers

General interview questions are a great way for tech recruiters to know engineering candidates. It keeps the interview interesting, builds rapport, and makes nervous engineering candidates comfortable and open to sharing more information that tech recruiters can find useful in their evaluation. 

A few great general interview questions are:

1. What was your very first engineering design?
2. What do you enjoy most about being an engineer? Tell me about your favorite past engineering project.
3. Was there anyone or anything that has particularly influenced your career?
4. What are the most important qualities and skills for an engineer to have, and why?
5. What was the biggest takeaway from your current/past job that you’ll carry throughout your career?
6. Can you describe your approach to solving complex problems?
7. How would you defend your opinion to team members and stakeholders?
8. Tell me about a time you went beyond what was expected. What did you do? What was the outcome?
9. What advice would you give someone younger than you who is trying to come up in the field?
10. Do you find that you often get overwhelmed at work? How do you tackle that?
11. How would your friends, family, coworkers, or professors describe you?
12. How do you spend your free time?
13. What makes you the perfect candidate for this job? 

Conclusion

When interviewing engineering candidates, it’s important to think about the type of person you’re looking to hire. Tailor the questions to the job position. Ask engineering interview questions that will reveal what the candidate knows about the work and the industry, what skills they have, and whether or not they are socially astute. 

The specifics of engineering job interview questions might differ but the key aspects to focus on are always the same: Do they have the skills needed for the job? Do they communicate well, solve problems, and show a dedication to learning and innovating? 

If you’re struggling to find the right engineers, book a demo with us today, and get connected to verified engineering recruiters who will not only understand your unique hiring needs, but also give you exclusive access to niche talent pools – spanning machine learning, AI technology, software, hardware, and bioinformatics – that you won't find anywhere else.