Top 20 Behavioral Questions for Software Engineers

Behavioral interviews are a crucial part of the software engineering hiring process, designed to provide insight into a candidate’s past experiences and how they might approach future challenges. Below are the top 20 behavioral interview questions we see most often, and you can answer each with the STAR method.

Here’s a guide to some of the most common behavioral interview questions with sample answers you can utilize during your software engineering behavioral interviews. Please keep in mind, this article is intentionally short and to the point, for more detailed guide on each question, check out our other behavioral question guides.

1. Describe an instance where you didn’t achieve the desired outcome.

In times of failure, I focus on learning from the experience. I analyze what went wrong, take responsibility, and devise a plan to improve future outcomes.

2. Share an occasion when you had to act on challenging feedback.

Constructive feedback is invaluable for growth. I received feedback on my attention to detail, which led me to develop a more thorough review process for my work.

3. Tell us about a time you had differing opinions with your supervisor.

Differences in opinion are natural. I once disagreed... premium content.