7 Top Interview Questions to ask Software Developers

What questions should all developers ask in an interview? The interview is the obligatory passage before each new job. It’s always the same thing: we take a look at what the company does, often we skim over what it offers to keep our composure during our meeting with it. If they invited us, it’s good that they are also trying to convince us to stay, right? There is then a special moment between recruiter and candidate where it is a question of finding the balance and checking whether our professional project is in line with the aspirations of the company. This is also the time to act subtly by exposing our own demands.

For this, there are not many methods, the most useful and the most relevant is to ask questions. It is essential to leave a job interview having asked at least three questions! It is also more pleasant not to leave a huge blank during the famous question “Do you have any questions? “. Also, asking questions shows that you genuinely care about the company. They can relate to technologies, collaborators, the company, the project, … they show in all cases your interest in this company.

Here are 7 examples of technical questions that developers should ask during their interview and which will almost certainly allow them to start the discussion around the project that will have to be carried out within the company.

Which Source Manager Are You Using?

This interview question is a good start. Indeed, it shows that you are interested in the chain of tools used and that you attach importance to it. It is also an easy question for the recruiter who, in most cases, will answer you “git”.

Nevertheless, you can be surprised with mercurial or other recent tools. It is then possible to push the conversation by asking why they preferred these tools. Casually, you already know more about the culture of the company than a few minutes ago!

If the answer is SVN or CVS, it may be worth digging to understand why they stick around with these kinds of outdated tools. And… if by misfortune they answer you “We use Dropbox to share our code files”, you can think about taking your legs around your neck!

Algorithmic accountability Of The Project Code

Another easy question to test the waters of the project a little. This helps you identify the work that has been done and that you will provide once hired. Depending on how many people have already worked on it, you will have a better idea of the amount of code. If several developers have already gone through this, it is easy to imagine the inconsistency of the code and a more or less hazardous documentation. This does not necessarily have to be prohibitive, but pushes you to perhaps reassess the situation.

Mention The Cause Of Bugs

This question to ask during the interview can quickly embarrass or cause problems because it says a lot about the type of company and explains how bugs are managed and tracked. It also allows you to understand how bugs are reported, how they are handled and what tool is used to manage them. Thus, you will also learn through this question if a team is dedicated to fixing bugs. Several company profiles emerge from this question.

– Bug and debugging professionals:

Everything is perfectly under control, the bugs are tracked down, numbered, they know their exact number but are reluctant to reveal this number. Probably because it’s a bit high.

– What are bugs?

The other extreme situation, they are not followed and nobody really takes care of it…

– The indifferent:

Yes, there are bugs, no we can’t manage them all. So we don’t follow them so much but we correct from time to time just to…

This way you are better able to gauge whether bugs are a problem, or not, in the team. If they do not take them into account, then you can seriously question the quality of the final projects. Paradoxically, a company that spends a huge amount of time fixing bugs is more likely a team that generates far too many bugs. And the problem certainly comes from there, otherwise, she would not invest so much time in it.

Which Unit And Functional Testing Library Is Used?

For this question, the wording is important because you really want to imply that it’s okay to write automated tests. This can then lead to some discomfort if this is not the case in this company. In most situations, the reaction will be similar

to “There are a few tests lying around with xUnit” where x is your favorite language. This answer demonstrates that testing is not part of the company culture. But is it really a problem?

It cannot be if you feel that they want to evolve on the question and improve on this point.

But it can become so if you know you’re going to be working on legacy code, a huge pond where you might end up drowning. It is also proportional to the age of the project: the older it is, the more difficult it will be to set up tests.

These questions allow during a developer interview to clear the thorny question of tests with their place in the culture of the company, their development and what they bring. Typically, companies are interested in testing but are unable to implement it. It’s up to you to see if they seem to want to change by asking themselves questions or if the situation is perfectly static and unchangeable because it is seen as a waste of time.

Current Code Response

If this request gets an unencrypted response, it means that the company does not measure this data. On the contrary, if it is encrypted, it means that the company is aware of the importance of testing. With less than 10%, it means that the tests are not put in place. Between 10 and 90% is that coverage is taken into account. And above 90%, the company works in TDD, which is an excellent thing.

Here is the perfect opportunity to talk about continuous integration, is there one? Who’s in charge? Why isn’t there? And if there is none, it is a question of digging, of understanding if it is for lack of interest, time or means.

Managing Architectural Decision

In interviews, these questions are very useful for you, developers, in order to situate your future position within the company. If the company has to add a brick to a project or make an API change, who takes care of it, how is it managed? This allows you to understand the leadership of the company, to see who makes the decisions, if the developers are involved or if they simply have to follow the directions of an architect. This is very useful to assess your future autonomy but also to identify if lead devs are present and in what proportion.

How Much Time Is Allocated To Technology Watch And Training?

It is obvious that this will allow you to situate the company’s vision on self-training and if it is possible to devote time to it a week, for example. But also the situation of the business vis-à-vis self-training. This is also a good time to ask if certain trainings are funded and how this is going when implementing new technology. It is better to have concrete answers to visualize if the diagram is already thought out or if the company is moving forward on a case-by-case basis.

Developers, Why Are These Questions Important During An Interview?

With these 7 developer questions to ask in interviews, you already have many keys in hand to understand the company, its vision of development and its progress on the technical side. You have also just demonstrated a real interest in the company and the technologies it uses, that’s a point to score!

On the other hand, the answers that you will have accumulated in meaning will allow you to check the conformity of the company with your aspirations and your professional project. Getting off to a good start and being part of a long-term structure remain the key to successful professional development.

7 Top Interview Questions to ask Software Developers

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