HIRE ENGINEERING MANAGERS
Find Engineering Managers Who Grow Teams and Ship Products
Evaluate technical leadership, people management, and delivery capability with structured assessments designed for engineering management hiring.
The Hiring Challenge
Engineering managers make or break engineering teams. A great EM grows their people, ships consistently, and maintains technical credibility. A poor one creates dysfunction that causes your best engineers to leave.
The problem: engineering management interviews often test for the wrong things. Asking system design questions tests whether they can still code, not whether they can lead. Behavioral questions without structure produce inconsistent signals.
Common Hiring Mistakes
Testing coding, not leading
EMs should be technically credible, not the best coder on the team.
Ignoring people management depth
Anyone can say the right things about 1:1s. Ask about difficult conversations.
Overweighting process knowledge
Knowing Agile ceremonies is not the same as knowing how to run a productive team.
Skipping delivery assessment
EMs are accountable for output. Technical leadership without delivery is incomplete.
Evaluation Framework
What LayersRank Evaluates
Technical Leadership
30%Technical Credibility
- Ability to evaluate technical proposals
- Understanding of architecture trade-offs
- Staying current without micromanaging
Technical Strategy
- Technical debt management
- Build vs. buy decisions
- Platform and tooling investments
People Management
40%Team Development
- Coaching and mentoring approach
- Giving constructive feedback
- Performance management
Team Health
- Creating psychological safety
- Managing conflict
- Fostering inclusivity
Hiring & Retention
- Attracting talent
- Onboarding effectiveness
- Retention strategies
Delivery
30%Execution
- Planning and estimation
- Risk management
- Removing blockers
Process
- Right-sized process for team maturity
- Continuous improvement
- Cross-team coordination
Sample Questions
Sample Assessment Questions
How do you stay technically current as a manager? Give me a specific example of how your technical knowledge helped your team recently.
What this reveals: Technical credibility approach, ability to add value without micromanaging.
Your team made a technical decision you disagree with. How do you handle it?
What this reveals: Delegation style, trust vs. control balance, coaching approach.
Tell me about a difficult performance conversation you had. What was the situation and how did you handle it?
What this reveals: Willingness to have hard conversations, feedback delivery skills, empathy.
How do you approach career development for your team members? Give me a specific example.
What this reveals: Investment in people growth, individualized approach, long-term thinking.
Your team is behind on a deadline that leadership is counting on. What do you do?
What this reveals: Communication under pressure, scope management, stakeholder management.
Evaluation Criteria
What separates strong candidates from weak ones across each competency.
Technical Leadership
People Development
Difficult Conversations
Delivery
Hiring
How It Works
Configure your EM assessment
Use our template or customize for your management philosophy
Invite candidates
They complete the assessment async (40-50 min)
Review reports
See scores with confidence intervals across all dimensions
Make better decisions
Know exactly where to probe in final rounds
Time to first assessment: under 10 minutes
Pricing
| Plan | Per Assessment | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | ₹2,500 | Hiring 1-5 engineering managers |
| Growth | ₹2,000 | Hiring 5-20 engineering managers |
| Enterprise | Custom | Hiring 20+ engineering managers |
Start Free Trial — 5 assessments included
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the EM assessment take?
40-50 minutes. Covers technical leadership, people management scenarios, and delivery questions.
Does it assess both people management and technical skills?
Yes. Both are critical for engineering management. You can adjust the weighting based on the seniority level.
Can it distinguish frontline managers from directors?
Yes. Senior candidates demonstrate strategic thinking, org design awareness, and cross-team leadership in their responses.
Can we see the questions before inviting candidates?
Yes. Full preview available after signup.
Ready to Hire Better?
5 assessments free. No credit card. See the difference structured evaluation makes.