Smart Interviewing for Senior Roles: The 3 Areas to Probe (and Prepare)

When Farhan Thawar, VP of Engineering at Shopify, was asked about how he interviews, he offered a beautifully simple lens: People, Process, and Technology. These three areas, he said, are where great candidates truly reveal themselves. As an executive and careers coach, I find this framework a useful one, not just for those hiring, but also for those preparing to be hired at senior levels.



Below, I share some of Thawar’s original interview questions and a few more that I’ve come across in my work as an Executive coach supporting clients who are facing CXO or senior level interviews.


1. Process

“Describe the development process at your last company. What would you try again and why? What would you not try again and why not?” - Farhan Thawar
“Describe a shitty system at your last company. What did you do about it?” -Farhan Thawar

-What’s one process you reimagined that saved time,  dollars or improved quality?
-Have you ever encountered process resistance? How did you navigate it, or when did you choose not to?

At senior levels, process leadership isn’t about creating SOPs, rather it’s about aligning operations with strategy while removing friction for the team. These questions reveal whether the candidate has built systems that serve people or merely enforced rules.


2. People

“How do you keep track of the careers of the folks you’ve worked with previously?” - Farhan Thawar
“Describe a time when you felt a superstar should leave your team to go to another.” - Farhan Thawar

  • Can you share how someone on your team surprised you- and what you did to enable that growth?
    - What do you believe your best hires would say they learned from you?

The best leaders create ripples. They don’t hoard talent-  they grow it, coach it, and celebrate when it outgrows them. Questions like these illuminate generosity, emotional intelligence, and long-term thinking.


3. Technology

“Give me an example of how you dig deeper into a project your team is tackling. Are there certain questions you like to ask, or approaches you’ve found to be effective here?”- Farhan Thawar
“Technology isn’t afraid to ask tough or deep questions, stays unbiased toward their own experiences, trusts the team but can play the tiebreaker.” - Farhan Thawar

-When you’re caught between two strong technical opinions, how do you resolve the impasse?
-What’s a technology decision you made that didn’t work out-  and what did you learn from it?

Senior technical leaders aren’t the smartest person in the room-  they’re the ones who unlock others’ thinking. These questions help identify clarity, curiosity, and humility.


In Conclusion

Senior interviews are less about checking boxes and more about surfacing judgment, values, and leadership style. Thawar’s framework of People, Process, and Tech is deceptively simple- and deeply revealing when explored well.

If you’re preparing for senior roles, work with a coach who understands how to surface your impact-  not just your inputs. As an executive and careers coach, I help clients anticipate these nuanced conversations and answer them with clarity, confidence, and character.


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