"Tell me about a time you intentionally redesigned your one-on-ones and feedback approach so your team kept growing. What was not working before, how did you structure the new cadence, and what outcomes did you see? Please use a specific example."
At Databricks, engineering managers are expected to grow people, not just ship roadmap. This question tests whether you can create a repeatable management system that improves performance, engagement, and career development across a team working on complex surfaces like Databricks Workflows, Unity Catalog, or the Lakehouse Platform. Interviewers want to hear how you balance coaching, accountability, and prioritization rather than treating one-on-ones as status updates.
They are also looking for evidence that you tailor your approach by person and situation: for example, a senior engineer driving a cross-functional initiative may need different feedback than a new manager or an engineer struggling with execution.
A strong answer gives a concrete before-and-after structure: meeting format, feedback cadence, documentation habits, and how you adapted over time. The best responses show measurable impact on growth, retention, performance, or team health, and include one lesson learned about what you changed in your own management style.
