How to Answer: What is your typical communication style when working with engineers?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Snapchat job interview.
3. What is your typical communication style when working with engineers?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Snapchat product managers partner closely with engineers to transform the vision for a solution into a working asset. This process requires a shared understanding of customer needs and technology concepts. Interviewers ask this question to determine if a candidate's communication style matches the teams they will be assigned to.
Written by Karrie Day on October 5th, 2022
Remember To
Remember to discuss your approach to selecting your communication tools and style. Some engineering teams have a culture of communicating mostly through technology, and candidates who can approach communication with understanding and flexibility are valued.
Written by Karrie Day on October 5th, 2022
Answer Example
"I am direct, use active listening skills, and approach all conversations with empathy and humility. I find it helps to foster authenticity. I also lean on metaphors a lot when conversing with engineers. I use them to communicate complex business and customer scenarios, and I use them to demonstrate I am tracking well when we discuss difficult-to-understand technical concepts.
Finally, I like to leverage several tools and am open to shifting depending on the individual. Some engineers are averse to email or the phone and prefer to converse over Slack or other collaboration tools. Others prefer a quick meeting to drive out a plan. I am flexible and roll with whatever works as long as it is a match for the situation at hand and moves us toward our collective goals."
Written by Karrie Day on October 5th, 2022