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Waymo·Software Engineer·Onsite - Behavioral / Leadership·Senior

Senior
Apr 2026

Summary

Interviewed at Waymo for what seemed like an engineering manager or people lead role. Just one question shared here but it was the kind that makes you realize how differently you actually treat people on your team versus how you think you treat them.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

How do you adjust your approach when working with junior versus senior individual contributors on your team?

Stakeholder ManagementAdaptability & Ambiguity
Author's notes

I started talking about feedback cadence and quickly realized I was basically describing the same approach for both groups with slightly different vocabulary.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Emphasize that you tailor your communication, feedback, and level of autonomy based on the individual's experience and needs, not just their title. Use a concrete example to show how you've successfully adapted your style to bring out the best in both junior and senior engineers.

Pro tip: Frame your adjustments as a way to maximize each person's impact and growth, rather than as a reaction to their level. This shows you're a force multiplier who thinks about team scalability.

1. Assess the individual

Consider their experience, strengths, and areas for growth, not just their title. Understand their preferred working style and career goals.

2. Adjust communication and feedback

For juniors, provide more context, guidance, and frequent check-ins. For seniors, focus on high-level alignment and offer feedback that challenges them to think bigger.

3. Calibrate autonomy and ownership

Give juniors well-scoped tasks with clear milestones, while seniors get ambiguous problems and end-to-end ownership. Gradually increase autonomy as juniors grow.

4. Tailor growth and recognition

Pair juniors with mentors and provide learning opportunities. For seniors, offer stretch assignments and visibility. Recognize their contributions in ways that matter to them.

5. Reflect and iterate

Continuously seek feedback and adjust your approach based on what works. Share lessons learned with the team to improve collaboration.

Key Points to Mention

  • Tailoring communication style (e.g., more context for juniors, big-picture for seniors)
  • Adjusting level of autonomy and task scoping
  • Providing different types of feedback and support
  • Aligning work with individual career goals and growth areas
  • Using concrete examples of successful adjustments
  • Emphasizing team scalability and impact

AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.