I went straight to a story about a low performer and kind of forgot to mention the high end of the spectrum at all.
Use a specific example to show how you assessed individual performance, tailored your management approach, and improved team outcomes. Emphasize empathy, clear communication, and data-driven decisions while aligning with Waymo's safety and innovation culture.
Pro tip: Highlight how you balanced high performers' growth with struggling members' support, and quantify the impact (e.g., 'reduced bug rate by 20%'). Show you can manage without micromanaging, which is crucial for autonomous driving teams.
Briefly describe the team, project, and performance variation (e.g., some engineers exceeding goals, others missing deadlines).
Explain how you identified reasons for performance gaps through 1:1s, code reviews, or metrics, without blaming individuals.
Describe specific actions for different performance levels: stretch assignments for high performers, coaching or pair programming for those struggling.
Show how you tracked progress with regular check-ins and adjusted support as needed, ensuring psychological safety.
Conclude with measurable outcomes (e.g., improved velocity, retention) and what you learned about leadership.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.