This question will only be asked during an interview for a senior technical support engineer or an engineering manager's position. As a senior support engineer, you may not be the hiring manager, but you will be asked for your input about a candidate. You may even be expected to interview the candidate. Knowing the characteristics and qualities that a good technical support employee must have is critical to this role. It also provides the interviewer with a clear understanding of what qualities you feel are important and possess. A good way to prepare for this question is to research the job posting for this role and junior roles on the same team.