# Software Engineering Manager
**Role:** Software Engineering Manager · **Level:** L7
**Company:** [Asana](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/asana)
**Difficulty:** Hard
**Salary:** US$180000 - US$250000
**Experience:** 8 - 15
**Timeline:** ~14 days
Asana is looking for experienced Software Engineering Managers (L7) to lead and mentor high-performing engineering teams. This role involves a blend of technical leadership, people management, and strategic thinking to drive product development and innovation.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/asana/l7-software-engineering-manager
---
## Overall evaluation

- Leadership & People Management
- Technical Acumen & Execution
- Strategic Thinking & Business Acumen
- Communication & Collaboration
- Cultural Fit
- Problem Solving & Decision Making
- Problem Solving & Decision Making

## Questions asked

- Tell me about a time you had to manage a significant technical challenge or failure. What was your role, and what did you learn?
- How do you foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within your team?
- Describe your approach to setting team goals and ensuring alignment with company objectives.
- How do you handle underperformance on your team? Walk me through a specific example.
- What is your philosophy on career development for engineers? How do you support their growth?
- Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision that impacted your team. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?
- How do you balance the need for speed and feature delivery with maintaining code quality and managing technical debt?
- Describe a situation where you had to influence stakeholders or other teams to adopt your team's technical direction.
- What are the key qualities you look for when hiring engineers for your team?
- How do you ensure effective communication and collaboration within your team and with other departments?
- Tell me about a time you had to manage a conflict within your team. What was your approach?
- What are your strategies for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within your engineering team?
- How do you stay current with technology trends and ensure your team is leveraging appropriate tools and practices?
- Describe a time you had to lead your team through a period of significant change or uncertainty.

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Deeply understand Asana's mission, values, and product.
- Review your past experiences and prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
- Familiarize yourself with common software engineering management challenges and best practices.
- Practice articulating your leadership philosophy and management style.
- Prepare questions to ask the interviewers about the team, role, and Asana's culture.
- Understand Asana's approach to engineering, including their tech stack and development processes.
- Research the specific challenges and opportunities for an L7 Engineering Manager at Asana.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Company & Self-Assessment","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Focus on Asana's company mission, values, product suite, and recent news. Understand their business model and target audience. Review your career history, identifying key leadership achievements and challenges. Begin outlining STAR stories for common management scenarios (e.g., conflict resolution, performance management, project delivery).","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Asana research, career history review, STAR story outlining."}
- {"title":"Management Fundamentals","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Dive into software engineering management best practices. Study topics like agile methodologies, performance management frameworks, career development strategies for engineers, technical debt management, and architectural decision-making. Read industry articles and books on effective leadership.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Management best practices, agile, performance, career dev, tech debt."}
- {"title":"Behavioral & Situational Preparation","longDescription":"Weeks 5-6: Prepare for behavioral and situational questions. Practice articulating your approach to common management challenges. Focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, problem-solving skills, and your ability to foster a positive team culture. Conduct mock interviews with peers or mentors.","shortDescription":"Weeks 5-6: Behavioral/situational prep, strategic thinking, culture, mock interviews."}
- {"title":"Technical Leadership & System Design","longDescription":"Week 7: Focus on technical leadership and system design from a management perspective. Understand how to guide technical discussions, evaluate architectural proposals, and manage technical risks. Prepare to discuss your experience with scaling systems and ensuring engineering excellence.","shortDescription":"Week 7: Technical leadership, system design from a management view, scaling."}
- {"title":"Final Preparation & Readiness","longDescription":"Week 8: Final review of all materials. Prepare insightful questions for your interviewers. Ensure you are well-rested and mentally prepared for the interview process.","shortDescription":"Week 8: Final review, question preparation, mental readiness."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"Remote/Hybrid","differences":{"tips":["Highlight experience with distributed team management and asynchronous communication tools.","Be prepared to discuss your approach to building inclusive and collaborative environments across different time zones.","Research Asana's presence and engineering culture in the specific region."],"interviewFocus":["Adaptability to remote/hybrid work environments.","Cross-cultural communication and collaboration.","Understanding of local tech market trends and talent pools."],"commonQuestions":["How do you handle performance issues with a direct report in a remote setting?","Describe a time you had to manage a project with significant ambiguity. How did you bring clarity to your team?","What are your strategies for fostering psychological safety within a distributed team?","How do you balance technical debt reduction with new feature development in a fast-paced environment?","Tell me about a time you had to influence stakeholders outside of your direct reporting line to adopt a new technical approach."]}}
- {"location":"San Francisco Bay Area","differences":{"tips":["Emphasize your experience in building and scaling teams in competitive environments.","Be ready to discuss your network and understanding of the local tech ecosystem.","Showcase your ability to attract and retain talent by providing concrete examples."],"interviewFocus":["Navigating competitive talent markets.","Building strong relationships with local engineering communities.","Understanding of local regulatory and business environments."],"commonQuestions":["How do you manage the career growth of engineers in a competitive talent market?","Describe a time you had to make a difficult trade-off between product velocity and engineering quality.","What are your strategies for attracting and retaining top engineering talent in a major tech hub?","How do you ensure your team stays aligned with the company's broader strategic goals?","Tell me about a time you had to resolve a conflict between two senior engineers on your team."]}}

## Round 1: Recruiter Screen
**Type:** Recruiter Screen · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Initial screening to assess basic qualifications, motivation, and cultural fit.
This initial screening call with a recruiter is designed to assess your overall fit for the role and Asana. They will discuss your background, motivations for applying, and high-level experience in engineering management. It's also an opportunity for you to learn more about Asana and the specific team. Be prepared to share your career aspirations and why you're interested in this particular opportunity.
**Interviewers look for:** Enthusiasm for Asana.; Clear and concise communication.; Alignment with Asana's core values.; Basic understanding of the role's responsibilities.
**Evaluation criteria:** Cultural fit.; Communication skills.; Understanding of Asana's mission and values.; Initial assessment of leadership potential.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of clear communication.; Inability to provide specific examples for management scenarios.; Poor understanding of Asana's values or mission.; Difficulty articulating leadership philosophy.; Appearing uncoachable or resistant to feedback.
## Questions

- Tell me about yourself and your experience in software engineering management.
- Why are you interested in Asana and this specific role?
- What are your strengths as an engineering manager?
- What are your career goals for the next 3-5 years?
- What are your salary expectations?

## Preparation tips

- Research Asana's mission, values, and products.
- Prepare your 'elevator pitch' about your experience and career goals.
- Be ready to discuss why you are interested in Asana and this specific role.
- Practice articulating your strengths and how they align with the job description.
- Prepare questions to ask the recruiter about the role, team, and company culture.

## Round 2: People Management Interview
**Type:** People Management Interview · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
Focuses on people management, leadership philosophy, and team development.
This interview focuses on your people management and leadership capabilities. You'll be asked behavioral questions designed to elicit specific examples of how you've managed teams, developed engineers, handled performance issues, and fostered a positive team culture. Expect questions about your leadership philosophy, conflict resolution, and how you approach career development for your team members.
**Interviewers look for:** Demonstrated ability to grow and develop engineers.; Effective strategies for managing performance and providing feedback.; Experience in fostering a positive and productive team environment.; Ability to handle difficult conversations and resolve conflicts.
**Evaluation criteria:** People management skills.; Leadership philosophy.; Experience in mentoring and career development.; Conflict resolution abilities.; Team building strategies.
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to provide concrete examples using STAR method.; Lack of depth in discussing people management strategies.; Difficulty articulating technical vision or architectural decisions.; Poor problem-solving approach.; Failure to demonstrate strategic thinking.
## Questions

- Describe your approach to mentoring and developing engineers on your team.
- Tell me about a time you had to manage an underperforming engineer. What steps did you take?
- How do you foster a culture of psychological safety and inclusivity within your team?
- Describe a situation where you had to resolve a conflict between team members. What was your role?
- What is your philosophy on setting team goals and ensuring accountability?
- How do you balance the needs of individual engineers with the goals of the team and the company?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare detailed STAR stories for common people management scenarios.
- Clearly articulate your leadership philosophy and management style.
- Think about how you've mentored engineers and supported their career growth.
- Be ready to discuss how you handle underperformance and provide constructive feedback.
- Practice explaining how you build and maintain a healthy team culture.

## Round 3: Technical & Strategic Interview
**Type:** Technical & Strategic Interview · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
Evaluates technical leadership, system design, strategic thinking, and project execution.
This interview assesses your technical leadership, strategic thinking, and ability to manage complex projects. You'll discuss your experience with system design, architectural trade-offs, managing technical debt, and driving engineering excellence. Expect questions about how you align technical strategy with business goals and how you lead your team through technical challenges.
**Interviewers look for:** Ability to guide technical strategy and roadmap.; Sound judgment in architectural decisions.; Experience in managing complex technical projects.; Understanding of scaling challenges and best practices.; Effective collaboration with product and other engineering teams.
**Evaluation criteria:** Technical leadership and decision-making.; System design and architectural thinking.; Strategic planning and execution.; Ability to manage technical debt and quality.; Cross-functional collaboration.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of strategic thinking or business acumen.; Inability to articulate a clear technical vision.; Poor understanding of system design principles at scale.; Difficulty in prioritizing technical initiatives.; Weakness in cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management.
## Questions

- Describe a complex system you helped design or manage. What were the key challenges and trade-offs?
- How do you balance delivering new features with addressing technical debt and ensuring system maintainability?
- Tell me about a time you had to make a significant technical decision that had long-term implications. How did you approach it?
- How do you ensure your team's technical roadmap aligns with the company's product strategy?
- Describe your experience with scaling systems to handle increased load or complexity.
- How do you foster a culture of engineering excellence and continuous learning within your team?

## Preparation tips

- Review your experience with system design and architectural patterns.
- Prepare examples of how you've managed technical debt and driven quality initiatives.
- Think about how you align technical roadmaps with product strategy.
- Be ready to discuss your approach to technical decision-making and risk management.
- Consider how you collaborate with product managers and other stakeholders.

## Round 4: Hiring Manager Interview
**Type:** Hiring Manager Interview · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 45 min
Assesses overall leadership vision, strategic thinking, and alignment with management expectations.
This interview with the hiring manager is crucial for assessing your overall leadership potential and strategic alignment. They will delve into your vision for managing an engineering team, your approach to strategic planning, and how you drive impact. Expect questions that challenge your thinking on leadership, team building, and achieving business objectives.
**Interviewers look for:** A clear vision for leading an engineering team.; Strategic thinking and ability to connect team efforts to business outcomes.; Strong communication and influencing skills.; Resilience and ability to navigate complex challenges.; Alignment with Asana's leadership values.
**Evaluation criteria:** Vision and strategic thinking.; Leadership presence.; Ability to influence and drive change.; Decision-making under ambiguity.; Alignment with Asana's leadership principles.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of clear vision for the team or product area.; Inability to articulate strategic priorities.; Poor alignment with Asana's leadership principles.; Difficulty in handling ambiguity or making high-level decisions.; Weakness in influencing and motivating others.
## Questions

- What is your vision for leading an engineering team at Asana?
- How do you prioritize initiatives when faced with competing demands?
- Tell me about a time you had to influence a decision at a higher level. What was your approach?
- How do you measure the success of your team and your own effectiveness as a manager?
- What are the biggest challenges facing engineering managers today, and how do you address them?
- Describe a time you had to lead your team through a significant change or pivot.

## Preparation tips

- Develop a clear vision for how you would lead an engineering team at Asana.
- Think about how you set strategic priorities and measure success.
- Prepare examples of how you've influenced stakeholders and driven change.
- Be ready to discuss your leadership style and how you motivate teams.
- Reflect on how you handle ambiguity and make decisions in complex situations.

## Round 5: Cross-functional Collaboration Interview
**Type:** Cross-functional Collaboration Interview · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Assesses collaboration skills and cultural fit with peers from other functions.
This interview is conducted by a peer from a different function (e.g., Product Management, another Engineering team) to assess your collaboration style and cultural fit. They will focus on how you work with others, your approach to problem-solving in a cross-functional context, and your alignment with Asana's values. This is also a great opportunity for you to understand the collaborative dynamics at Asana.
**Interviewers look for:** Demonstration of Asana's core values in their responses.; Ability to collaborate effectively.; Genuine interest in Asana's mission and product.; Positive attitude and professional demeanor.
**Evaluation criteria:** Cultural alignment.; Collaboration skills.; Problem-solving approach.; Overall impression and fit with Asana's ethos.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of alignment with Asana's core values.; Poor cultural fit.; Inability to demonstrate collaborative behaviors.; Lack of enthusiasm or engagement.; Failure to ask thoughtful questions.
## Questions

- Describe your experience working with Product Managers. How do you ensure alignment?
- Tell me about a time you had a disagreement with a peer from another team. How did you resolve it?
- How do you contribute to a positive and inclusive team environment?
- What do you find most exciting about Asana's product and mission?
- How do you approach giving and receiving feedback from peers?

## Preparation tips

- Review Asana's core values and think about how you embody them.
- Prepare examples of successful cross-functional collaboration.
- Think about how you partner with Product Management and other stakeholders.
- Be ready to discuss your approach to problem-solving from a broader perspective.
- Prepare thoughtful questions about collaboration and team dynamics at Asana.