Could you give an example of how you've implemented best coding and testing practices in a previous role?

Director of Engineering Interview Questions

Sample answer to the question

In my previous position as a lead developer, I introduced some coding best practices to help my team. We used Git as our version control system, and I made sure everyone followed a branching strategy. For testing, I pushed for unit tests for each new feature. This wasn't a formal policy or anything but it helped us catch bugs earlier. We had a couple of instances where it really saved us when we were pushing updates. Having a solid set of unit tests made us confident that we weren't breaking anything.

A more solid answer

As a senior team lead at my last job, I established a code review process that significantly improved our code quality. We worked in two-week sprints, and I mandated that no code could be merged into the main branch without peer review. That way, we all learned from each other and prevented a lot of potential issues from affecting the product. For testing, I adopted a test-driven development approach. I pushed for detailed unit test coverage before writing the actual code, ensuring that we thought about all possible outcomes. We also used continuous integration to automate our testing and deployment which improved our velocity.

Why this is a more solid answer:

The solid answer steps up by detailing the implementation of a code review process and test-driven development, which reflects leadership and a structured approach to software development. It also hints at using agile methodologies with the two-week sprint cycle. However, the answer could further highlight problem-solving techniques and how strategic planning was involved in setting up these processes. The response could also expand on how these practices aligned with broader company goals.

An exceptional answer

In my role as a Senior Software Engineer, I spearheaded a complete overhaul of our coding and testing practices. Recognizing the lack of standardization, I initiated a strategic planning phase to implement industry-best practices aligned with our Agile philosophy. We kick-started with an in-depth root cause analysis on past project delays and defects to create a robust set of guidelines for clean code principles, paired with a comprehensive code review checklist. We adopted TDD across the board, ensuring our test coverage met the criteria for high-risk modules before proceeding to implementation. My leadership in cross-departmental workshops helped diffuse these practices company-wide. We then harnessed CI/CD pipelines to reinforce our testing regime, which resulted in a measurable reduction of our time-to-market by 30% and a decrease in bugs by 45%. This transformation was not just about immediate improvements but also about setting a sustainable and scalable foundation for our engineering culture that supports constant innovation and quality.

Why this is an exceptional answer:

The exceptional answer provides a narrative of strategic leadership, aligns practices with the company's Agile approach, and presents quantitative outcomes like reduced time-to-market and bugs. It illustrates problem-solving through root cause analysis and shows a comprehensive application of best coding and testing practices, including continuous integration and deployment pipelines. The candidate effectively demonstrates how they've contributed to both the technical and cultural progress of the organization, offering a clear connection to the job responsibilities and expectations.

How to prepare for this question

Reflect on past experiences where you've successfully implemented coding and testing best practices, focusing on the impact your actions had on the team and project outcomes.
Think about how you introduced or championed these practices within the framework of Agile methodologies, and connect them to your strategic planning and leadership efforts.
Prepare to discuss specific problems you encountered and how you addressed them through the introduction of best practices.
Be ready to explain not just the practices you've implemented but also how you measured their success and how they benefited the organization in the long term.
Consider how you can articulate the importance of these practices in terms of improving overall engineering and business objectives, and tie them back to the responsibilities listed in the job description.

What interviewers are evaluating

Leadership
Software Development
Agile Methodologies
Problem Solving
Strategic Planning