# Software Engineering Manager
**Role:** Software Engineering Manager · **Level:** PE L5
**Company:** [Gusto](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/gusto)
**Difficulty:** Hard
**Salary:** US$180000 - US$250000
**Experience:** 5 - 10
**Timeline:** ~14 days
Gusto's Software Engineering Manager (PE L5) interview process is designed to assess leadership potential, technical acumen, and cultural fit. It typically involves multiple rounds focusing on people management, technical strategy, and execution.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/gusto/pe-l5-software-engineering-manager
---
## Overall evaluation

- Leadership & People Management
- Technical Acumen & Strategy
- Execution & Cultural Fit

## Questions asked

- Describe a time you had to manage a difficult stakeholder relationship. How did you handle it?
- How do you balance the need for speed with the need for quality in software development?
- Tell me about a time you had to make a significant technical decision with incomplete information.
- How do you foster a culture of psychological safety within your team?
- What is your approach to managing underperforming engineers?
- Describe a situation where you had to influence without direct authority.
- How do you prioritize technical initiatives and manage competing demands?
- What are your strategies for mentoring and developing engineers at different career stages?
- How do you ensure your team is aligned with the company's overall goals?
- Tell me about a time you failed. What did you learn from it?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Understand Gusto's mission, values, and product suite.
- Review common software engineering management interview questions, focusing on leadership, strategy, and execution.
- Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
- Brush up on system design principles and scalability concepts.
- Think about your leadership philosophy and how you develop and mentor engineers.
- Research common challenges faced by engineering managers and how you've overcome them.
- Be prepared to discuss your experience with agile methodologies and project management.
- Consider how you would handle common people management scenarios (e.g., performance issues, conflict resolution, career development).

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Company & Self-Assessment","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Deep dive into Gusto's company culture, mission, values, and product. Understand the challenges and opportunities in the FinTech space. Review your own career history and identify key leadership experiences and accomplishments. Prepare STAR method examples for common behavioral questions related to leadership, conflict resolution, and team building.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Gusto culture, values, product. Personal career review. STAR method prep."}
- {"title":"People Management Skills","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Focus on people management best practices. Study topics like performance management, coaching, feedback delivery, conflict resolution, hiring, and team motivation. Prepare to discuss your approach to building high-performing teams and fostering a positive work environment.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: People management, performance, coaching, conflict resolution, team building."}
- {"title":"Technical Strategy & Design","longDescription":"Weeks 5-6: Refresh your knowledge of software architecture, system design, scalability, and common technical challenges. Be prepared to discuss technical strategy, roadmap planning, and how you make technical decisions. Practice explaining complex technical concepts clearly.","shortDescription":"Weeks 5-6: System design, architecture, scalability, technical strategy, roadmap planning."}
- {"title":"Interview Practice & Refinement","longDescription":"Week 7: Practice mock interviews, focusing on articulating your thoughts clearly and concisely. Refine your STAR method stories and ensure they highlight your leadership impact. Prepare questions to ask the interviewers.","shortDescription":"Week 7: Mock interviews, refining STAR stories, preparing questions."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"Remote","differences":{"tips":["Highlight experience with remote collaboration tools and techniques.","Emphasize your ability to build strong relationships without physical proximity.","Be prepared to discuss strategies for maintaining team morale and productivity remotely."],"interviewFocus":["Remote team management strategies","Cross-cultural communication","Building trust and cohesion in a distributed workforce"],"commonQuestions":["How do you handle underperforming engineers in a remote setting?","Describe a time you had to adapt your management style for a distributed team.","What tools and strategies do you use to foster collaboration and communication in a remote environment?"]}}
- {"location":"San Francisco Bay Area","differences":{"tips":["Showcase your experience in high-growth environments.","Be ready to discuss your approach to technical debt and system scalability.","Emphasize your ability to drive results and manage multiple priorities."],"interviewFocus":["Agile methodologies and execution","Scaling engineering organizations","Balancing innovation with operational excellence"],"commonQuestions":["How do you balance the needs of a fast-paced startup environment with the need for robust engineering practices?","Describe your experience with scaling engineering teams and processes in a high-growth company.","How do you foster innovation while ensuring operational stability?"]}}

## Round 1: Recruiter Screen
**Type:** Recruiter Screen · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Initial screening to assess basic qualifications and cultural fit.
This initial screening call with a recruiter or HR representative aims to assess your overall fit for the role and Gusto. They will review your resume, discuss your career aspirations, and provide an overview of the company and the interview process. It's an opportunity to ask initial questions about the role and culture.
**Interviewers look for:** Cultural alignment; Basic understanding of the role; Communication skills
**Evaluation criteria:** Understanding of Gusto's mission and values; Communication clarity; Enthusiasm for the role and company
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of clear leadership vision; Inability to articulate technical strategy; Poor communication or interpersonal skills; Failure to demonstrate empathy or understanding of team dynamics
## Questions

- Tell me about yourself and your background.
- Why are you interested in this role at Gusto?
- What are your salary expectations?

## Preparation tips

- Be ready to briefly summarize your experience and career goals.
- Research Gusto's mission, values, and recent news.
- Prepare a few questions about the role, team, and company culture.

## Round 2: Technical Deep Dive
**Type:** Technical Deep Dive / System Design · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
Assesses technical depth, system design, and strategic thinking.
This round focuses on your technical expertise and ability to think strategically about software architecture, scalability, and technical decision-making. You'll likely be asked to discuss system design problems, trade-offs, and how you approach technical challenges.
**Interviewers look for:** Strong technical foundation; Ability to design scalable and robust systems; Strategic technical decision-making; Understanding of engineering best practices
**Evaluation criteria:** Technical depth and breadth; System design and architecture skills; Problem-solving approach; Ability to think strategically about technology
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of strategic thinking; Inability to articulate technical vision; Poor problem-solving skills; Difficulty in managing technical debt or scaling systems
## Questions

- Design a system for [specific problem, e.g., a real-time notification service].
- How would you approach migrating a monolithic application to microservices?
- Discuss a challenging technical problem you solved and your approach.

## Preparation tips

- Review system design principles (e.g., scalability, reliability, availability).
- Practice designing common systems (e.g., social media feed, URL shortener).
- Be prepared to discuss your experience with different technologies and architectural patterns.
- Think about how you balance technical innovation with operational stability.

## Round 3: People Management Interview
**Type:** People Management Interview · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
Focuses on leadership, people management, and team development.
This round delves into your people management experience and leadership style. You'll be asked behavioral questions about how you lead teams, manage performance, develop talent, and handle challenging situations. The interviewer will assess your ability to build and inspire a high-performing engineering team.
**Interviewers look for:** Proven leadership capabilities; Effective people management strategies; Ability to foster a positive team culture; Strong communication and interpersonal skills
**Evaluation criteria:** People management philosophy and practices; Leadership effectiveness; Conflict resolution skills; Ability to mentor and develop engineers; Team building and motivation strategies
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to provide concrete examples of leadership; Poor people management skills; Difficulty in handling conflict or difficult conversations; Lack of empathy or understanding of team dynamics
## Questions

- Describe a time you had to manage a conflict within your team. What was the outcome?
- How do you motivate engineers who are facing challenging projects?
- Tell me about a time you had to give difficult feedback to an engineer. How did you approach it?
- How do you foster career growth for your team members?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare specific examples using the STAR method for common management scenarios.
- Reflect on your leadership philosophy and how you empower your team.
- Be ready to discuss how you handle underperformance, conflict, and career development.
- Think about how you foster collaboration and psychological safety.

## Round 4: Hiring Manager Interview
**Type:** Hiring Manager Interview · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
Assesses strategic alignment, business acumen, and cross-functional collaboration.
This interview with the hiring manager is a holistic assessment of your ability to lead an engineering team within the broader context of Gusto's business. You'll discuss your strategic vision, how you align engineering efforts with product and business goals, and your experience with cross-functional collaboration. This is also an opportunity to ask in-depth questions about the team's challenges and opportunities.
**Interviewers look for:** Ability to set and execute on strategic goals; Understanding of business priorities; Collaboration with product and other departments; Data-driven decision making
**Evaluation criteria:** Strategic thinking and planning; Business acumen; Ability to align engineering with business objectives; Cross-functional collaboration skills; Understanding of product development lifecycle
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of alignment with company strategy; Inability to connect team's work to business goals; Poor strategic prioritization; Failure to demonstrate understanding of the business context
## Questions

- How would you define success for an engineering team at Gusto?
- Describe a time you had to influence product decisions. What was your approach?
- How do you balance technical debt with new feature development?
- What are the key metrics you track to measure team performance and health?

## Preparation tips

- Understand Gusto's business model and strategic priorities.
- Think about how engineering can drive business outcomes.
- Prepare examples of how you've collaborated with product management and other departments.
- Be ready to discuss your approach to roadmap planning and resource allocation.

## Round 5: Executive Round
**Type:** Executive/Final Round · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Final assessment of cultural fit, vision, and alignment with company values.
This final round is typically with a senior leader at Gusto. The focus is on assessing your overall cultural fit, your long-term vision, and your alignment with the company's values. It's also a chance for you to ask final questions and ensure Gusto is the right place for you.
**Interviewers look for:** Cultural alignment; Passion for Gusto's mission; Positive attitude; Ability to articulate a compelling vision
**Evaluation criteria:** Alignment with Gusto's core values; Cultural contribution; Overall impression and enthusiasm
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of alignment with company values; Poor cultural fit; Inability to articulate a compelling vision; Lack of enthusiasm or passion
## Questions

- What is your vision for an engineering team at Gusto in the next 3-5 years?
- How do you embody Gusto's core values in your leadership?
- What are you most excited about regarding this opportunity?

## Preparation tips

- Reiterate your understanding of Gusto's mission and values.
- Be prepared to discuss your long-term career aspirations and how they align with Gusto.
- Show genuine enthusiasm for the company and the role.
- Have thoughtful questions prepared for the senior leader.