Why this matters:

Robotics engineers build applications that replicate human actions. Sound engineering practices are critical for developing applications that can function consistently and autonomously. Asking for recent examples can help you find candidates who continually employ and sharpen their skills while also demonstrating an excitement to learn new things.

What to listen for:

• Can acknowledge areas the candidate struggled with, and explain about how these issues were overcome
• Able to develop plans for self-improvement to ensure high-quality future output
• Proven experience in employing scientific methodologies to solve challenging problems

Why this matters:

This demonstrates that the candidate has a vested interest in their work and cares about the critical robotics implementation details necessary to make a great product. Since automated robotics machinery is used throughout numerous industry settings, strong attention to detail helps ensure the development of safe, intuitive robotics products for your company.

What to listen for:

• Description of the project, what it aimed to solve, and the solution implementation
• What about the project the candidate was proud of, to understand their personal definition of success
• Aspects of the software and hardware that the candidate personally contributed to

Why this matters:

Robotics engineers often must troubleshoot functionality errors in robotics projects. Candidates with a consistent, detail-oriented troubleshooting process will be able to efficiently uncover issues with the design and implementation of projects — proactively addressing problems and pushing past potential setbacks.

What to listen for:

• Detailed explanations for each step of the candidate’s troubleshooting process
• Confidence in combating problems stemming from years of experience using and refining a troubleshooting process
• Eagerness to constantly refine and overhaul established processes

Why this matters:

Robotics engineers develop projects with leads who have project design and implementation ideas they may not always agree on. A strong robotic engineer candidate must be able to understand why their lead made a project decision while also being able to identify and constructively communicate areas for improvement in the suggested approach.

What to listen for:

• An ability to understand teammates’ perspectives and how they can be useful
• Willingness to learn and implement new ideas that can solve a problem at hand
• A thoughtful, constructive approach to criticizing others’ work, and a willingness to improve the feedback process

Why this matters:

The development of a robotics project can be long and arduous, and engineers often run into roadblocks, which can set back project timelines. To keep processes running as smoothly as possible, engineers should be comfortable with identifying emergent issues and adapting their approach as needed.

What to listen for:

• Capable of observing why and when a project is beginning to head off course
• Development process changes in response to emerging problems, and explanations for each change
• The result of the outcome, and what was learned to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future

What to listen for:

• An ability to identify valuable, actionable feedback from potentially nontechnical audiences
• Willingness to test assumptions developed throughout the project’s lifecycle
• Ability to challenge feedback that isn’t useful, and which could result in an inferior product

Why this matters:

A successful robotics engineer candidate should be effective at managing their time, understand how other project members are using their time, and be able to stay organized with an eye on the bigger picture. They should also be able to acknowledge deficiencies in their project management process so as to improve them in the future.

What to listen for:

• How the candidate handles bottlenecks due to slow collaborations throughout the project lifecycle
• A sense of how long certain tasks generally take to complete, and an ability to plan around these logistics
• Experience shepherding team projects to their successful completion

Why this matters:

There are numerous moving parts involved in the successful development of a robotics project. Being able to successfully stay organized in the midst of these circumstances is pivotal to ensuring forward momentum in the project lifecycle.

What to listen for:

• An explanation of how the candidate applies organization best practices to everyday workplace responsibilities
• Able to communicate personal organizational approaches and why they’re useful
• Honesty when identifying strengths and weaknesses in organizational skills

Why this matters:

This question offers insight into the candidate’s personality and career goals. It provides you an opportunity to see if their goals align with your organization’s goals, and what excites the candidate about the role. Make sure the candidate can see themselves at your company, so their addition is beneficial for both of you.

What to listen for:

• Defined career goals, with a solid definition of what long-term success looks like in this role
• Explanation of what motivates the candidate to want to work at your organization
• A deep interest in robotics engineering, and a desire to quickly learn new things as necessary