Engineering Manager Interview Experience - Portland, Oregon
Process
The recruiter provided an immense amount of detail in our first call about the role. He understood the hiring manager's needs, the challenges of the team, and even delved into technical details. I got a lot of information early that all proved accurate in later meetings with the team. It's apparent that the recruiter took the time to really understand the hiring needs behind this role. I had experiences at other companies where the recruiter provided only minimal additional detail beyond the job listing, and that made the whole process feel much more like a game of telephone.
After meeting with the recruiter, I had a 1:1 with the hiring manager who asked questions about my approach to management and experience with various applicable technologies. This interview was a social, getting-to-know-you sort. No "trick" questions, just getting a feel for management philosophy and experience. It's clear New Relic takes hiring seriously, as this meeting was not rushed or disorganized in any way, and I was given plenty of time to ask questions about the role and the interview process. When we ran out of time, the hiring manager offered to meet me onsite to continue the conversation.
Last was a full day of on-site interviews with members of multiple teams at various levels. All the interviewers were friendly, smart, and supportive, and showed a genuine appreciation for their working environment. The company's commitment to work-life balance was apparent in every question I asked.
Interview questions did get quite technical (no coding challenges, but there were a few whiteboard strategy/architecture/design-oriented questions).
Questions
Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a situation where a coworker wasn't pulling their weight.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 6 interview experiences for the New Relic Engineering Manager role in Portland, Oregon.
Success Rate
New Relic's interview process for their Engineering Manager roles in Portland, Oregon is fairly selective, failing a large portion of engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very good feelings for New Relic's Engineering Manager interview process in Portland, Oregon.
New Relic Work Experiences
- 3.0Culture was greatEngineering Manager • Current EmployeePortland, ORFebruary 9, 2024Pros: Smart, passionate people who all want to make cool stuff.Cons: Rapid erosion of trust throughout public-to-private transition followed by near-total elimination of the culture and values that drew top talent.
- 2.0Management is driving out talented peopleEngineering Manager • Former EmployeePortland, ORApril 18, 2024Pros: Some of the best and brightest people work here. Very high caliber engineers and programmers. Good benefits and the work is cutting-edge. A lot of out-of-the-box thinking and solutions. You will learn a lot working here.Cons: There has been a significant amount of changes in management, even before the company went private, and this trend is expected to continue, which is normal for any organization. However, New Relic is still grappling with appropriate priority setting and attempts too many initiatives simultaneously, which makes it incredibly challenging to complete anything. Additionally, if anyone is even slightly critical or speaks up, it puts a target on them, and they are considered a threat. The VPs and directors micromanage their employees and are not adept at managing people, which is leading to the departure of good talent. Expect layoffs every year and sometimes twice a year.
- 1.0Good Company but minimum transperancyEngineering Manager • Current EmployeeBengaluruAugust 17, 2026Pros: Good Policies, Good WLB, Good Benefits and Fixed PayCons: Zero transparency in some orgs, and leadership, management, and HR would make false promises, vague commitments, and then decline at the last moment. There is no value for first-level management in some orgs.
