# Manager
**Role:** Software Engineering Manager · **Level:** M3
**Company:** [Splunk](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/splunk)
**Difficulty:** High
**Salary:** US$180000 - US$250000
**Experience:** 8 - 15
**Timeline:** ~14 days
This interview process is designed to assess candidates for a Software Engineering Manager (M3 level) position at Splunk. It evaluates leadership potential, technical acumen, people management skills, strategic thinking, and cultural fit within Splunk's environment.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/splunk/m3-software-engineering-manager
---
## Overall evaluation

- Leadership and Management
- Technical Acumen
- People Development
- Strategic Thinking

## Questions asked

- Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision that impacted your team. What was the outcome?
- How do you balance the needs of your team with the demands of the business?
- Describe your approach to performance management and how you handle underperforming team members.
- How do you foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within your team?
- Walk me through a complex technical challenge your team faced and how you led them to a solution.
- How do you prioritize competing demands and manage your team's workload effectively?
- Describe a time you had to manage a conflict within your team. How did you resolve it?
- What is your philosophy on mentoring and developing engineers?
- How do you stay current with industry trends and ensure your team is adopting relevant technologies?
- How do you measure the success of your team?
- Tell me about a time you had to influence stakeholders or other teams to adopt your team's vision or approach.
- What are your strengths and weaknesses as a manager?
- Why are you interested in this role at Splunk?
- How do you handle ambiguity and change within a project or organization?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Thoroughly review your resume and be prepared to discuss every project and accomplishment in detail.
- Understand Splunk's products, mission, and values. Research recent company news and initiatives.
- Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
- Brush up on software development best practices, agile methodologies, and system design principles.
- Think about your leadership philosophy and how you motivate and develop teams.
- Practice articulating your thought process for problem-solving and decision-making.
- Be ready to discuss your experience managing budgets, resources, and cross-functional relationships.
- Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers about the role, team, and company culture.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Foundation and Self-Reflection","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Deep dive into Splunk's business, products, and culture. Review your own career history, identifying key leadership experiences and accomplishments. Prepare STAR stories for common leadership and behavioral scenarios. Familiarize yourself with Splunk's engineering principles and values.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Splunk research, resume review, STAR stories, leadership philosophy."}
- {"title":"Technical Leadership and Strategy","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Focus on technical leadership and management. Review system design concepts, scalability, and architectural patterns relevant to Splunk's domain. Prepare to discuss your experience with agile methodologies, SDLC, and driving technical excellence. Practice articulating your approach to technical problem-solving and decision-making.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Technical leadership, system design, agile, SDLC, technical problem-solving."}
- {"title":"People Management and Team Building","longDescription":"Weeks 5-6: Concentrate on people management and team development. Prepare examples of mentoring, coaching, performance management, conflict resolution, and building high-performing teams. Think about your approach to fostering innovation, collaboration, and a positive team culture. Practice answering questions about managing remote or distributed teams if applicable.","shortDescription":"Weeks 5-6: People management, team development, mentoring, conflict resolution, remote management."}
- {"title":"Final Preparation and Mock Interviews","longDescription":"Week 7: Final preparation and mock interviews. Conduct mock interviews focusing on all aspects of the role (leadership, technical, behavioral, strategic). Refine your answers and ensure your communication is clear and concise. Prepare a list of insightful questions to ask the interviewers.","shortDescription":"Week 7: Mock interviews, refining answers, preparing questions."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"Remote/Hybrid","differences":{"tips":["Highlight experience with managing remote or hybrid teams.","Provide specific examples of how you've successfully led distributed teams.","Showcase your understanding of the challenges and best practices for remote management.","Be prepared to discuss your approach to performance management and employee engagement in a remote context."],"interviewFocus":["Remote team management strategies","Cross-cultural communication","Building trust and accountability in a distributed workforce","Leveraging collaboration tools effectively"],"commonQuestions":["How do you handle underperforming engineers in a remote setting?","Describe a time you had to manage a distributed team across different time zones.","What are your strategies for fostering team cohesion and collaboration remotely?","How do you ensure effective communication and knowledge sharing in a hybrid or remote environment?","What tools and techniques do you use to manage project timelines and deliverables with remote teams?"]}}
- {"location":"On-site","differences":{"tips":["Emphasize your experience in building and leading high-performing co-located teams.","Provide examples of how you've mentored engineers and fostered their growth.","Discuss your strategies for creating a collaborative and innovative team culture.","Be ready to talk about your approach to performance reviews and feedback in an in-person setting."],"interviewFocus":["On-site team dynamics","Mentorship and career development","Driving technical excellence","Cross-functional collaboration"],"commonQuestions":["How do you foster innovation and collaboration within a co-located engineering team?","Describe your approach to mentoring and developing engineers in an office environment.","How do you manage team conflicts and promote a positive work environment?","What are your strategies for driving technical excellence and best practices within a team?","How do you balance project delivery with long-term technical debt reduction?"]}}

## Round 1: HR/Recruiter Screen
**Type:** HR/Recruiter Screen · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Initial screening by HR to assess basic qualifications and cultural fit.
This initial round is conducted by a recruiter or HR representative to assess your overall fit for the role and Splunk. They will discuss your background, career aspirations, and motivation for applying. This is also an opportunity for you to learn more about the company culture and the specifics of the position. Expect questions about your resume, why you're looking to move, and your general understanding of management.
**Interviewers look for:** Enthusiasm for Splunk; Clear communication; Alignment with company values; Basic understanding of the role
**Evaluation criteria:** Communication skills; Cultural alignment; Motivation for the role; Understanding of Splunk's mission and values
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of clear communication; Inability to provide specific examples; Poor cultural fit; Lack of strategic thinking; Inability to articulate leadership philosophy
## Questions

- Tell me about yourself and your career progression.
- Why are you interested in this Software Engineering Manager role at Splunk?
- What do you know about Splunk and our products?
- What are your salary expectations?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses as a manager?

## Preparation tips

- Research Splunk's mission, values, and recent news.
- Be prepared to talk about your career journey and why you're interested in this specific role.
- Practice articulating your strengths and how they align with the job description.
- Have questions ready about the company culture, team, and the role itself.

## Round 2: Technical Leadership and System Design
**Type:** Technical Deep Dive · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 60 min
Assesses technical leadership, system design, and problem-solving skills.
This round focuses on your technical leadership and architectural understanding. You'll be expected to discuss system design, scalability, performance considerations, and your approach to technical decision-making. Expect to be asked about your experience with various technologies and how you guide your team in adopting new ones. You might also be asked to whiteboard a system design or discuss trade-offs in different architectural choices.
**Interviewers look for:** Strong technical foundation; Ability to think critically about complex systems; Experience in making sound technical decisions; Understanding of modern software development practices; Ability to guide a team through technical challenges
**Evaluation criteria:** Technical depth and breadth; System design and architecture skills; Problem-solving abilities; Ability to lead technical discussions; Understanding of scalability and performance
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to articulate technical vision; Lack of understanding of system design principles; Poor problem-solving approach; Difficulty in explaining technical trade-offs; Not demonstrating leadership in technical decision-making
## Questions

- Design a scalable real-time analytics platform for user behavior tracking.
- How would you approach migrating a monolithic application to a microservices architecture?
- Discuss a time you had to make a significant technical trade-off. What was the situation and your decision process?
- How do you ensure code quality and maintainability within your team?
- What are your thoughts on CI/CD and DevOps practices?

## Preparation tips

- Review system design principles, distributed systems, and scalability concepts.
- Be prepared to discuss your experience with cloud technologies (AWS, Azure, GCP).
- Think about how you've led teams through complex technical challenges.
- Practice explaining technical concepts clearly and concisely.
- Familiarize yourself with Splunk's technology stack if possible.

## Round 3: People Management and Strategic Alignment
**Type:** Managerial Interview · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 60 min
Focuses on people management, leadership style, and strategic alignment with the hiring manager.
This interview is with your potential future manager, often a Director or VP. They will delve deeper into your leadership style, people management philosophies, and how you handle various team scenarios. Expect behavioral questions focused on your experience managing engineers, resolving conflicts, driving performance, and aligning team goals with broader organizational objectives. They will also assess your strategic thinking and ability to contribute to the company's vision.
**Interviewers look for:** Proven ability to lead and inspire teams; Experience in mentoring and career development; Effective communication and interpersonal skills; Strategic mindset; Ability to foster a positive and productive work environment
**Evaluation criteria:** People management skills; Team building and development; Conflict resolution; Performance management; Strategic thinking and execution
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to provide concrete examples of leadership; Poor conflict resolution skills; Lack of empathy or understanding of team dynamics; Difficulty in motivating or developing engineers; Failure to demonstrate strategic alignment
## Questions

- Describe your leadership philosophy and how you motivate your team.
- Tell me about a time you had to manage a difficult employee. What steps did you take?
- How do you foster a culture of psychological safety and inclusivity on your team?
- How do you prioritize projects and allocate resources for your team?
- Describe a time you had to deliver difficult feedback to a team member. How did you approach it?
- How do you align your team's goals with the company's strategic objectives?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare detailed examples of your leadership experiences using the STAR method.
- Think about your approach to performance reviews, feedback, and career development for your team members.
- Be ready to discuss how you foster collaboration and handle team conflicts.
- Articulate your vision for a high-performing engineering team.
- Understand how your team's work contributes to the company's overall strategy.

## Round 4: Collaboration and Cultural Fit
**Type:** Peer/Team Interview · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Assesses collaboration, teamwork, and cultural fit with potential peers.
This round involves meeting with potential peers or cross-functional collaborators. The focus is on assessing your ability to work effectively within a team, your collaboration style, and your overall cultural fit. Questions will likely be behavioral, exploring how you handle teamwork, disagreements, and contribute to a positive work environment. They want to understand how you'd integrate into the broader Splunk engineering community.
**Interviewers look for:** Alignment with Splunk's values (e.g., Innovation, Integrity, Customer Obsession, Fun); Ability to work effectively with others; Positive attitude and enthusiasm; Resilience and adaptability; Potential to contribute to a collaborative environment
**Evaluation criteria:** Cultural fit; Collaboration skills; Problem-solving approach; Adaptability; Teamwork
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of alignment with Splunk's core values; Poor collaboration or teamwork examples; Inability to demonstrate passion or drive; Negative attitude or lack of enthusiasm; Failure to articulate how they contribute to a positive team environment
## Questions

- Describe a time you had a disagreement with a colleague. How did you resolve it?
- How do you contribute to a positive team environment?
- Tell me about a project where you had to work closely with people outside of your immediate team. What was your role?
- How do you handle constructive criticism from your peers?
- What does 'customer obsession' mean to you in the context of software engineering?

## Preparation tips

- Reflect on your experiences working in teams and collaborating with others.
- Be prepared to discuss how you handle disagreements constructively.
- Showcase your ability to be a team player and contribute to a positive work environment.
- Understand Splunk's core values and be ready to demonstrate how you embody them.