"Tell me about a time you had to deliver a difficult performance review or sustained feedback to an engineer on your team. How did you prepare, how did you communicate it, and what happened afterward? If helpful, you can reference your review process in tools like Workday or how you calibrated with peers around impact on a Criteo Ads or Retail Media team."
This question tests whether you can handle one of the core responsibilities of an Engineering Manager: giving clear, fair, actionable feedback that helps people grow while maintaining trust. Interviewers want to see judgment, consistency, and ownership — especially when the situation is ambiguous, emotionally charged, or has consequences for compensation, promotion, or team morale.
It also reveals whether you rely on vague impressions or whether you use evidence, multiple inputs, and a repeatable process. Strong managers can balance empathy with candor, align with calibration standards, and follow through after the review rather than treating feedback as a one-time event.
A strong answer uses a specific example with real stakes, explains how expectations were set before the review, shows how feedback was grounded in observable behaviors and business impact, and ends with a measurable outcome. The best responses also include what you learned and how you improved your review process afterward.