80 Questions To Ask CTOs In Tech Interviews As An Engineer

When interviewing for a tech role, especially as an engineer, asking the right questions is essential to understanding the company’s culture, the challenges you’ll face, and how the tech team operates. Talking to the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) gives you a unique opportunity to gain insights into the company’s technical vision and future direction. Below are categorized 80 questions to ask CTOs in tech interviews as an engineer. These will help you make the most out of your interview with a CTO.

Questions About Company Tech Vision And Strategy

Understanding the company’s tech vision and strategy is crucial. These questions will help you gauge your alignment with the company’s long-term goals and how the CTO plans to achieve them.

1. What is the company’s long-term tech vision?
2. How do you see the tech landscape changing in the next 5 years?
3. What are the leading tech challenges the company faces today?
4. How can you prioritize tech investments?
5. What role does innovation play in your tech strategy?
6. How can you balance short-term needs with long-term goals?
7. What are the critical tech milestones for the next year?
8. How can you measure the success of your tech initiatives?
9. What role does the engineering team play in the company’s overall strategy?
10. How can you stay ahead of competitors in tech innovation?

Context: Understanding the company’s tech vision and strategy helps you see where the company is heading and how your role as an engineer fits into their long-term plans. These questions will give you a sense of the company’s goals and challenges and how the CTO plans to overcome them.

Questions About Engineering Culture And Team Dynamics

These questions will help you understand the work environment and how teams collaborate. It is vital to know whether the engineering culture aligns with your values and working style.

11. How would you describe the engineering culture here?
12. What are the core values that guide the engineering team?
13. How does the team handle conflicts and disagreements?
14. What’s the team structure like?
15. How are engineering successes celebrated?
16. What role does diversity play in your engineering team?
17. How can you ensure a healthy work-life balance?
18. How often does the engineering team meet to discuss progress?
19. How does the team collaborate with other departments?
20. What opportunities are there for engineers to contribute to decision-making?

Context: Knowing the engineering culture and team dynamics is vital to ensure you’ll enjoy working with the team. These questions help you understand the values, collaboration methods, and the overall work environment to see if it matches your working style.

Questions About Tech Stack And Development Processes

Understanding the tech stack and development processes helps determine if you have the necessary skills and whether the company’s tools and practices align with your experience.

21. What programming languages and frameworks does the company use?
22. How can you decide when to adopt new technologies?
23. What is your approach to tech debt?
24. How can you ensure code quality?
25. What does the CI/CD pipeline look like?
26. How can you handle software updates and maintenance?
27. What tools do you use for version control?
28. How does the team handle testing and QA?
29. What are the most common challenges with the current tech stack?
30. How can you prioritize tech upgrades?

Context: Understanding the tech stack and development processes lets you know if the tools and methods match your skills. These questions give you insight into the company’s technologies, how it handles coding and updates, and whether it prioritizes quality and innovation.

Questions About Project Management And Delivery

These questions focus on how projects are managed and delivered. They give you insight into the company’s project management practices and how deadlines and expectations are handled.

31. What project management methodologies do you use?
32. How can you ensure projects stay on track?
33. What is the typical project lifecycle here?
34. How can you handle changes in project scope?
35. How are project deadlines set?
36. What tools do you use for project management?
37. How can you communicate project progress to stakeholders?
38. How often do you review project outcomes?
39. How can you handle project failures or delays?
40. What is the process for onboarding new projects?

Context: Project management and delivery are vital to knowing how projects are handled from start to finish. These questions will help you understand how the company manages deadlines, tracks progress, and deals with changes, giving you a clear picture of how work gets done.

Questions About Innovation And Research

Innovation is a vital part of tech companies. These questions help you understand how the company approaches new ideas and research.

41. How does the company foster innovation?
42. What role does research play in your tech strategy?
43. How can you evaluate and implement new ideas?
44. How much freedom do engineers have to experiment with new technologies?
45. What recent innovations are you most proud of?
46. How can you protect intellectual property?
47. How are research findings integrated into product development?
48. What’s the process for turning research into actionable projects?
49. How can you stay updated with the latest industry trends?
50. What partnerships or collaborations do you have with research institutions?

Context: Innovation and research are essential for staying ahead in technology. These questions help you learn how the company encourages new ideas, invests in research, and turns them into real projects, showing its forward-thinking and creative nature.

Questions About Career Growth And Development

These questions focus on how the company supports the growth and development of its engineers. It’s important to know if there are opportunities for learning and advancement.

51. What opportunities are there for career advancement?
52. How can you support continuous learning?
53. What’s the process for promotions within the engineering team?
54. How can you handle performance reviews?
55. What training programs do you offer?
56. How can you help engineers gain new skills?
57. What opportunities are there for attending conferences or workshops?
58. How can you ensure engineers are challenged in their roles?
59. What’s the path for moving into leadership positions?
60. How can you handle mentorship within the team?

Context: Career growth and development opportunities are crucial for your future. These questions help you discover how the company supports learning, promotions, and skill development, ensuring you have a clear path for advancing your engineering career.

Questions About Company Values And Mission

Understanding the company’s values and mission is essential to ensure they align with your personal beliefs and career goals.

61. How do the company’s values influence tech decisions?
62. How can you ensure the company stays true to its mission?
63. What role does technology play in fulfilling the company’s mission?
64. How does the company contribute to the community?
65. How can you ensure ethical practices in technology?
66. What are the company’s main goals for the next few years?
67. How does the company measure its impact?
68. How can you involve the engineering team in mission-driven projects?
69. What role does sustainability play in your tech strategy?
70. How can you balance profit with social responsibility?

Context: Knowing the company’s values and mission is essential to ensure they align with your beliefs. These questions will help you understand how the company’s goals and ethical practices influence its tech decisions and how you can contribute to its mission. 

Questions About Remote Work And Flexibility

With remote work becoming more common, it’s essential to understand the company’s approach to flexibility and work-life balance.

71. How does the company handle remote work?
72. What tools do you use for remote collaboration?
73. How can you ensure communication is effective in a remote setup?
74. How can you support work-life balance in remote work?
75. How does the team stay connected when working remotely?
76. What are the expectations for remote work?
77. How can you handle time zone differences in global teams?
78. How often are remote workers required to come to the office?
79. What challenges have you faced with remote work?
80. How can you ensure remote workers are included in team activities?

Context: Remote work and flexibility are increasingly important in today’s work environment. These questions help you understand the company’s approach to remote work, how it supports work-life balance, and what expectations it has for remote workers, ensuring you can work in a way that suits you.

Conclusion

Asking questions to a CTO as an engineer is a valuable opportunity to gain insights into the company’s technology, culture, and future direction. Asking thoughtful, well-structured questions can help determine if the company fits you and how you can contribute to its success. Use this guide to prepare for your following tech interview and ensure you’re fully informed about what the company offers.