# Engineering Manager
**Role:** Software Engineering Manager · **Level:** L6
**Company:** [Block](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/block)
**Difficulty:** Hard
**Salary:** US$180000 - US$250000
**Experience:** 7 - 15
**Timeline:** ~21 days
This interview process is designed to assess candidates for the Software Engineering Manager (L6) role at Block. It evaluates technical leadership, people management, strategic thinking, and execution capabilities.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/block/l6-software-engineering-manager
---
## Overall evaluation

- Technical and Leadership Capabilities
- Problem Solving and Decision Making
- Cultural Alignment

## Questions asked

- Tell me about a time you had to manage a conflict within your team. How did you resolve it?
- How do you prioritize work for your team when faced with competing demands?
- Describe your approach to performance management and career development for your engineers.
- How do you foster a culture of psychological safety and inclusivity on your team?
- Walk me through a challenging project you led. What were the key challenges and how did you overcome them?
- How do you stay current with technology trends and ensure your team is adopting best practices?
- What is your philosophy on hiring and building high-performing engineering teams?
- How do you handle situations where a team member is not meeting expectations?
- Describe a time you had to influence stakeholders or other teams to adopt your team's technical direction.
- What are your strengths and weaknesses as an engineering manager?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Deeply understand Block's mission, values, and products.
- Review your past experiences and prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
- Familiarize yourself with common engineering management challenges and best practices.
- Practice articulating your leadership philosophy and management style.
- Research current trends in software engineering and management.
- Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers about the role, team, and company.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Company and Self-Assessment","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Deep dive into Block's company culture, values, and product suite. Understand the company's strategic goals and how engineering contributes. Review your career history and identify key achievements and leadership moments relevant to an EM role. Start outlining STAR stories for common management scenarios.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Block's culture, values, products. Career review & STAR stories."}
- {"title":"People Management Fundamentals","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Focus on people management principles. Study topics like performance management, coaching, conflict resolution, hiring, and team building. Read relevant books and articles on engineering leadership. Prepare examples of how you've applied these principles.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: People management principles (performance, coaching, conflict, hiring)."}
- {"title":"Technical Strategy and Leadership","longDescription":"Weeks 5-6: Concentrate on technical leadership and strategy. Review system design principles, architectural trade-offs, and technical roadmap planning. Think about how you guide technical decisions and manage technical debt. Prepare to discuss your technical vision.","shortDescription":"Weeks 5-6: Technical leadership, system design, strategy, technical debt."}
- {"title":"Interview Practice and Refinement","longDescription":"Week 7: Practice mock interviews focusing on behavioral and situational questions. Refine your STAR stories and practice articulating your thoughts clearly and concisely. Prepare insightful questions for the interviewers.","shortDescription":"Week 7: Mock interviews, refine STAR stories, prepare questions."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"San Francisco, USA","differences":{"tips":["Highlight experience working with global teams if applicable.","Be prepared to discuss specific examples of scaling initiatives.","Research Block's presence and engineering culture in this specific region."],"interviewFocus":["Emphasis on cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management.","Deeper dive into experience with scaling engineering teams and processes.","Assessment of understanding of local market talent and compensation trends."],"commonQuestions":["How do you handle a team member who is consistently underperforming?","Describe a time you had to make a difficult decision that impacted your team. What was the outcome?","How do you foster a culture of innovation within your team?","What are your strategies for managing remote or distributed teams?","How do you balance technical debt with delivering new features?"]}}
- {"location":"London, UK","differences":{"tips":["Showcase experience in building teams from the ground up.","Provide examples of mentoring and career development for engineers.","Be ready to discuss your perspective on the European tech market."],"interviewFocus":["Focus on adaptability and experience in high-growth environments.","Assessment of ability to build and mentor junior engineers.","Understanding of European tech ecosystem and regulatory landscape."],"commonQuestions":["How do you motivate engineers in a fast-paced startup environment?","Describe your experience with agile methodologies and adapting them to team needs.","How do you ensure code quality and maintainability across a growing codebase?","What are your thoughts on the current tech landscape in Europe?","How do you manage conflict within a team?"]}}

## Round 1: HR Screening
**Type:** Recruiter Screen · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Initial screening call with HR to assess basic qualifications and cultural fit.
This initial screening call with a recruiter aims to assess your overall fit for the role and Block. They will discuss your background, career aspirations, and motivation for applying. It's also an opportunity for you to learn more about the company and the interview process. Be prepared to share high-level examples of your management experience.
**Interviewers look for:** Enthusiasm for Block and the role.; Clear and concise communication.; Alignment with company values.; Basic understanding of the role's responsibilities.
**Evaluation criteria:** Communication skills; Cultural fit; Understanding of Block's values; Motivation for the role
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of clear communication.; Inability to provide specific examples of leadership.; Poor understanding of people management principles.; Failure to demonstrate strategic thinking.; Negative attitude or lack of enthusiasm.
## Questions

- Tell me about your background and experience as an engineering manager.
- Why are you interested in this role at Block?
- What are your salary expectations?
- What do you know about Block's products and mission?

## Preparation tips

- Research Block's mission, values, and recent news.
- Prepare a concise summary of your career and why you're interested in this role.
- Be ready to answer questions about your strengths and weaknesses.
- Have questions prepared for the recruiter about the role and company culture.

## Round 2: Technical Strategy Discussion
**Type:** Technical and Strategic Interview · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
Assesses technical leadership, strategic thinking, and ability to guide technical decisions.
This round focuses on your technical leadership and strategic thinking. You'll discuss your approach to building and managing engineering teams, making technical decisions, and driving innovation. Expect questions about system design, architectural patterns, and managing technical debt. You may also be asked to discuss your experience in scaling teams and processes.
**Interviewers look for:** A clear technical vision for a team.; Ability to discuss architectural trade-offs.; Experience in managing technical debt.; Sound judgment in technical decision-making.; Understanding of how to scale systems and teams.
**Evaluation criteria:** Technical leadership and vision.; Strategic thinking and planning.; Ability to guide technical decisions.; Understanding of software development lifecycle.; Problem-solving approach to technical challenges.
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to articulate technical vision.; Lack of strategic thinking regarding team growth and technology.; Poor examples of managing technical challenges.; Difficulty in explaining complex technical concepts.; Not demonstrating leadership in technical decision-making.
## Questions

- Describe a time you had to make a significant technical decision for your team. What was the process and outcome?
- How do you balance the need for new feature development with addressing technical debt?
- Walk me through your process for defining a technical roadmap for a team.
- How do you ensure the quality and scalability of the software your team produces?
- What are your thoughts on microservices vs. monolith architectures?

## Preparation tips

- Review system design principles and common architectural patterns.
- Think about how you've influenced technical direction in past roles.
- Prepare examples of how you've managed technical debt and prioritized technical initiatives.
- Be ready to discuss your approach to fostering technical excellence within a team.

## Round 3: People Management Skills
**Type:** People Management Interview · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
Focuses on your ability to manage, mentor, and develop engineering teams.
This round delves into your people management capabilities. You will be asked about your experience in hiring, onboarding, performance management, coaching, and career development for engineers. Expect behavioral questions that require you to share specific examples of how you've handled various people-related situations.
**Interviewers look for:** Empathy and understanding of team dynamics.; Proven ability to develop engineers.; Effective strategies for managing performance.; Experience in fostering a positive team culture.; Skills in conflict resolution and mediation.
**Evaluation criteria:** People management skills.; Coaching and mentorship abilities.; Conflict resolution.; Performance management.; Building and developing teams.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of empathy or understanding of team dynamics.; Poor examples of conflict resolution or performance management.; Inability to demonstrate effective coaching or mentorship.; Difficulty in articulating a people management philosophy.; Not showing a genuine interest in employee growth.
## Questions

- Describe a time you had to manage an underperforming engineer. What steps did you take?
- How do you approach coaching and mentoring engineers to help them grow their careers?
- Tell me about a time you had to resolve a conflict between team members.
- How do you foster a culture of psychological safety and inclusivity on your team?
- What is your process for hiring new engineers?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare specific examples using the STAR method for situations involving team management, conflict, performance issues, and career development.
- Reflect on your management philosophy and leadership style.
- Think about how you foster a positive and inclusive team environment.
- Be ready to discuss how you motivate and retain talent.

## Round 4: Senior Leadership Discussion
**Type:** Managerial/Leadership Interview · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
Final discussion with senior leadership on strategic thinking and business impact.
In this final round, you'll meet with a senior leader (Director or VP) to discuss your strategic thinking, business acumen, and ability to align your team's work with broader company objectives. You'll discuss how you would contribute to the organization's success and demonstrate your leadership potential at a higher level.
**Interviewers look for:** A strategic mindset and understanding of business objectives.; Ability to influence and collaborate across departments.; Clear vision for how the team contributes to the company's success.; Strong leadership presence and communication skills.; Alignment with Block's overall strategy.
**Evaluation criteria:** Strategic thinking and business acumen.; Ability to influence and collaborate with senior stakeholders.; Vision for the team's impact on the business.; Leadership presence.; Alignment with company-wide goals.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of alignment with senior leadership.; Inability to think at a strategic level for the organization.; Poor communication with senior stakeholders.; Not demonstrating a clear vision for the team's contribution to the business.; Failure to articulate how they would drive impact.
## Questions

- How would you align your team's goals with Block's overall business objectives?
- Describe a time you had to influence senior leadership or stakeholders outside of your direct reporting line.
- What is your vision for the engineering team you would manage, and how would it contribute to Block's success?
- How do you measure the success of your team and its impact on the business?
- What are the biggest challenges facing engineering leaders today, and how do you address them?

## Preparation tips

- Understand Block's business model and strategic priorities.
- Think about how your team's work directly impacts business outcomes.
- Prepare examples of how you've influenced cross-functional initiatives or senior leadership.
- Articulate your vision for the team and its role within the larger organization.