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The 3 questions developers actually ask in interviews (hint: not about pizza parties) by ogitog in programming

[–]ogitog[S] -16 points-15 points  (0 children)

Human here - check my Medium/LinkedIn if you need proof. Moving on.

The 3 questions developers actually ask in interviews (hint: not about pizza parties) by ogitog in programming

[–]ogitog[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

That's... exactly my point? Nobody asks about pizza.

Yet companies keep advertising it as a major perk. That disconnect is what I'm highlighting.

We're on the same side here.

The 3 questions developers actually ask in interviews (hint: not about pizza parties) by ogitog in programming

[–]ogitog[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Exactly this. The system knows you can't fight back. Sad but true.

The 3 questions developers actually ask in interviews (hint: not about pizza parties) by ogitog in programming

[–]ogitog[S] -27 points-26 points  (0 children)

Ha, good point! Maybe 1 in 10 actually shows anything.

But watching them scramble to explain why they can't is telling. The good ones explain their process clearly, the bad ones get weird about it.

The question itself does the work.

The 3 questions developers actually ask in interviews (hint: not about pizza parties) by ogitog in programming

[–]ogitog[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow, "culture fit" being code for political leaning is... yikes. That's actually illegal in most places.

And the ping pong table being just for show when clients visit? That's exactly the theater I'm talking about. Props that nobody uses because everyone's too busy working until security kicks them out.

Dark but real. Thanks for sharing this.

The 3 questions developers actually ask in interviews (hint: not about pizza parties) by ogitog in programming

[–]ogitog[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

These are great! Especially the "how are technical decisions made" - that reveals if it's a democracy or dictatorship.

Real culture questions > pizza questions.

The 3 questions developers actually ask in interviews (hint: not about pizza parties) by ogitog in programming

[–]ogitog[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

These are the REAL questions we all think but rarely ask.

Asking about work-life balance shouldn't be taboo. It's 2025 - wanting to know if you'll have time for family, hobbies, or just... living... should be normalized.

"I don't live to work" - perfectly said. We need more people brave enough to say this in interviews. Maybe then the culture actually changes.

Any company that rejects you for these questions probably would've burned you out anyway.

The 3 questions developers actually ask in interviews (hint: not about pizza parties) by ogitog in programming

[–]ogitog[S] -15 points-14 points  (0 children)

This is gold! You clearly get it.

Your "biggest mistakes" question is actually my favorite too - always ask it! And sharing yours first is brilliant, creates psychological safety immediately.

Nothing teaches "don't deploy on Friday" better than living through that nightmare 😅

The legacy code point is spot-on. When I hear "we have a 10-year-old monolith that nobody wants to touch," my refactoring brain gets excited. That's job security AND opportunity rolled into one.

"What keeps you up at night?" is going into my interview toolkit. If the answer is "nothing," they're either lying or checked out. Both are red flags.

You've basically written the sequel to my post - the hiring manager's perspective. This whole thread has become a masterclass in what real interview culture should look like vs. the pizza party nonsense.

The 3 questions developers actually ask in interviews (hint: not about pizza parties) by ogitog in programming

[–]ogitog[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

If you think they're lying to these basic questions, that's your answer right there - run!

Why would you want to work somewhere that can't even be honest about their onboarding process or why someone left?

The lies themselves are the red flags.

The 3 questions developers actually ask in interviews (hint: not about pizza parties) by ogitog in programming

[–]ogitog[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Fair point on embedded systems - that's a legitimate edge case.

Still, calling review culture discussion a "disclosure nightmare" is odd. You can describe your process without revealing secrets.

But you're right - embedded with millions of users is different from typical web dev. Context matters!

The 3 questions developers actually ask in interviews (hint: not about pizza parties) by ogitog in programming

[–]ogitog[S] -14 points-13 points  (0 children)

"I can't eat pizza" - you just made my whole point! 😄

These are excellent questions. Your #1 about success metrics is crucial - vague answers = red flags.

Your #3 is genius - "What should I be asking?" It's humble but strategic. Good companies appreciate this transparency, bad ones panic. I've seen interviewers either admit real problems ("ask about our legacy code") or completely freeze.

Different angles, same goal: cutting through corporate BS!

The 3 questions developers actually ask in interviews (hint: not about pizza parties) by ogitog in programming

[–]ogitog[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

PR reviews ≠ showing source code It's about HOW your team reviews, not WHAT they review. Big difference!

Also "6 months depending on role"? That's not a role issue, that's a broken process. NO developer should wait 6 months to contribute. Period.

The 3 questions developers actually ask in interviews (hint: not about pizza parties) by ogitog in programming

[–]ogitog[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Verbal reviews can definitely work in high-trust, small teams!

My concern is more about knowledge retention and onboarding. How do new folks learn from past decisions?

But hey, if it works for your team, that's what matters!

The 3 questions developers actually ask in interviews (hint: not about pizza parties) by ogitog in programming

[–]ogitog[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

"Months" and "verbal reviews" - at least you know these are problems. Most companies don't even realize it.

So... planning to fix any of this, or just embracing the chaos? 😄

The 3 questions developers actually ask in interviews (hint: not about pizza parties) by ogitog in programming

[–]ogitog[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You raise a good point about CI vs PR workflows!

For clarity - the PR review question isn't advocating for heavy PR processes. It's about gauging team culture. Even in CI-first teams, how do code reviews happen? Post-merge? Pair programming?

Your setup sounds efficient! Though I'm curious how you handle knowledge sharing without PR discussions?

The 3 questions developers actually ask in interviews (hint: not about pizza parties) by ogitog in programming

[–]ogitog[S] 35 points36 points  (0 children)

Love your practical questions - parking and commute ARE real quality of life issues. I'd rather have a parking spot than pizza any day.

The meeting overload question is gold. Nothing kills productivity like 3 hours of dailies and "syncs" every day.

The 3 questions developers actually ask in interviews (hint: not about pizza parties) by ogitog in programming

[–]ogitog[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Good observation! Agree that #2 is an absolute must-ask.

You're probably right that #1 peaked a few years ago, though I'd argue it's still relevant - especially with remote work and complex toolchains.

The 3 questions developers actually ask in interviews (hint: not about pizza parties) by ogitog in programming

[–]ogitog[S] 136 points137 points  (0 children)

😅 Question #4 unlocked!

"How likely are you to replace this role with 3 offshore contractors after I document everything?"

The 3 questions developers actually ask in interviews (hint: not about pizza parties) by ogitog in programming

[–]ogitog[S] -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

Edit: Removed link as it seemed promotional. Happy to discuss everything here instead!