Interview Guide for

Infrastructure Engineer

This comprehensive interview guide for Infrastructure Engineers provides a structured approach to evaluating candidates who will design, implement, and maintain your organization's critical infrastructure. With carefully crafted questions and evaluation criteria focusing on both technical expertise and essential behavioral competencies, this guide will help you identify candidates who can ensure the reliability, performance, and security of your systems while effectively collaborating with other teams.

How to Use This guide

This interview guide serves as your roadmap to consistently evaluate Infrastructure Engineer candidates and make data-driven hiring decisions. To maximize its effectiveness:

Customize for your environment - Adapt questions to reflect your specific technical stack, cloud platforms, and infrastructure challenges
Collaborate with your team - Share this guide with all interviewers to ensure alignment on evaluation criteria and create a consistent candidate experience
Maintain independence - Have each interviewer complete their scorecard before discussing the candidate to prevent groupthink
Use follow-up questions - Dig deeper into candidates' responses to understand their thought processes and verify claimed experience
Focus on behaviors - Pay special attention to how candidates have handled specific situations in the past rather than hypothetical scenarios

For more guidance, check out our resources on how to conduct a job interview and why using a structured interview process is crucial.

Job Description

Infrastructure Engineer

About [Company]

[Company] is a leading [Industry] company dedicated to [Company Mission/Values]. We're building innovative solutions and are looking for talented individuals to join our dynamic team. We are committed to fostering a collaborative and supportive work environment where employees can thrive and contribute to our success.

The Role

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Infrastructure Engineer to join our growing team. As an Infrastructure Engineer, you will play a crucial role in designing, implementing, and maintaining our critical infrastructure. Your expertise will ensure the reliability, performance, and security of our systems while collaborating with cross-functional teams to support our evolving business needs.

Key Responsibilities

Design, build, and deploy robust and scalable infrastructure solutions, including servers, networks, storage, and cloud services
Manage and maintain operating systems (Linux, Windows), network configurations, and server hardware
Configure and maintain network devices (routers, switches, firewalls) ensuring optimal performance and security
Automate infrastructure tasks using scripting languages (Python, Bash) and automation tools (Ansible, Terraform)
Implement and maintain monitoring systems to proactively identify and address issues
Apply security best practices, including vulnerability scanning, patching, and access controls
Develop and maintain disaster recovery and business continuity plans
Collaborate with development, operations, and security teams to understand their needs
Create comprehensive documentation for infrastructure configurations and procedures
Identify and implement performance improvements across the infrastructure

What We're Looking For

4+ years of experience in infrastructure engineering or related field
Strong understanding of operating systems (Linux, Windows)
Experience with networking concepts and technologies (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, routing, etc.)
Proficiency with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP)
Scripting abilities in Python, Bash, or similar languages
Experience with infrastructure automation tools
Knowledge of monitoring and alerting systems
Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities
Adaptability and eagerness to learn new technologies
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field (or equivalent experience)

Why Join [Company]

At [Company], we're at the forefront of [Industry] innovation, providing our infrastructure engineers with challenging problems to solve and the latest technologies to work with. We offer:

Competitive salary: [Pay Range]
Comprehensive benefits package including health insurance and retirement plans
Flexible work arrangements
Professional development opportunities
Collaborative team environment
[Location] based with remote work options

Hiring Process

We've designed our hiring process to be thorough yet efficient, ensuring you have the opportunity to showcase your skills while also learning about our team and environment.

Initial Screening - A conversation with our recruiter to discuss your background and interest in the role
Technical Assessment - A hands-on exercise where you'll design an infrastructure solution for a specific scenario
Technical Interview - A deeper dive into your skills with members of our infrastructure team
Experience-Based Interview - Discussion with the hiring manager about your career progression and past experiences
Optional Leadership Interview - For senior candidates, a conversation about cross-team collaboration

Ideal Candidate Profile (Internal)

Role Overview

The Infrastructure Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining the company's critical infrastructure. They ensure our systems are reliable, secure, and scalable to support business operations. The ideal candidate combines deep technical knowledge with strong troubleshooting abilities and collaborative skills, enabling them to build robust infrastructure solutions while working effectively with cross-functional teams.

Essential Behavioral Competencies

Technical Expertise - Possesses in-depth knowledge of infrastructure technologies, operating systems, networking, cloud platforms, and automation tools; stays current with evolving technology trends and applies technical knowledge to solve complex problems.

Problem Solving - Approaches infrastructure challenges methodically, troubleshoots effectively under pressure, identifies root causes of issues, and implements appropriate solutions while balancing short-term fixes with long-term improvements.

Communication - Articulates technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences; creates comprehensive documentation; listens actively to understand requirements and concerns from stakeholders.

Adaptability - Embraces changing technologies and requirements; learns new tools and approaches quickly; adjusts priorities based on business needs; remains effective in ambiguous situations.

Collaboration - Works effectively with development, operations, security, and business teams; builds positive relationships across the organization; balances multiple stakeholders' needs when designing infrastructure solutions.

Desired Outcomes

Design and implement a scalable, cost-effective cloud infrastructure that supports application needs while maintaining 99.9% uptime
Reduce infrastructure-related incidents by 30% through proactive monitoring, automation, and preventative maintenance
Decrease deployment time for new environments by 50% through infrastructure-as-code implementation and automated provisioning
Create comprehensive documentation for all infrastructure components, enabling efficient knowledge transfer and troubleshooting
Successfully implement disaster recovery capabilities that meet recovery time objectives (RTO) and recovery point objectives (RPO)

Ideal Candidate Traits

Demonstrates curiosity and continuous learning about new infrastructure technologies and approaches
Shows ownership and accountability for infrastructure reliability and performance
Balances technical perfectionism with practical solutions that meet business needs
Remains calm and methodical when troubleshooting critical issues under pressure
Takes initiative to identify and address infrastructure vulnerabilities before they cause problems
Communicates proactively about infrastructure changes, risks, and status
Embraces automation to improve efficiency and reduce manual errors
Approaches security as an integral part of infrastructure design, not an afterthought
Collaborates effectively across teams to understand requirements and align infrastructure decisions with business goals

Screening Interview

Directions for the Interviewer

This initial screening aims to quickly identify candidates with the technical foundation and relevant experience needed for an Infrastructure Engineer role. Focus on evaluating their background with key technologies, their approach to infrastructure problems, and their communication skills. Listen for evidence of hands-on experience rather than theoretical knowledge. Pay particular attention to their experience with infrastructure automation, cloud platforms, and how they've handled infrastructure challenges in previous roles. This conversation should give you a clear sense of whether they have the technical foundation and problem-solving approach needed to succeed in this role.

Directions to Share with Candidate

"Today, I'd like to learn about your background in infrastructure engineering and discuss some of your relevant experiences. I'll ask questions about your technical skills and previous work to understand how you approach infrastructure challenges. There will be time at the end for you to ask questions about the role and our company. This conversation will help us determine if there's a good match between your experience and what we're looking for."

Interview Questions

Tell me about your current role and responsibilities related to infrastructure management.

Areas to Cover

Current infrastructure technologies they work with
Scale and complexity of the environment they manage
Level of responsibility and autonomy
Types of projects they lead or contribute to
How their role interacts with other teams

Possible Follow-up Questions

What cloud platforms are you currently working with?
How large is the infrastructure team at your company?
What have been the most challenging aspects of your current infrastructure?
How do you prioritize infrastructure projects?

Walk me through a significant infrastructure project you designed and implemented.

Areas to Cover

Their role in the project and level of ownership
Requirements and constraints they worked with
Design decisions and technologies chosen
Implementation approach and challenges faced
Results and lessons learned

Possible Follow-up Questions

What alternatives did you consider before selecting this approach?
How did you test your implementation before deploying it?
What would you do differently if you were to do this project again?
How did you document this implementation?

How do you approach automating infrastructure provisioning and management?

Areas to Cover

Tools and technologies they've used (Ansible, Terraform, etc.)
Scale of automation they've implemented
Benefits they've achieved through automation
Challenges they've faced with infrastructure automation
How they ensure automation is reliable and maintainable

Possible Follow-up Questions

How do you test your automation scripts before deploying them?
How do you handle secrets management in your automation?
What's your approach to version control for infrastructure code?
How do you balance automation with the need for manual intervention?

Describe how you've used cloud platforms in previous roles.

Areas to Cover

Which cloud platforms they have experience with (AWS, Azure, GCP)
Depth of knowledge with specific cloud services
Cloud architecture designs they've implemented
How they approach cloud security and cost optimization
Experience with multi-cloud or hybrid cloud environments

Possible Follow-up Questions

What cloud services do you have the most experience with?
How do you approach cost optimization in the cloud?
Have you migrated workloads from on-premises to cloud? What was your approach?
How do you stay current with new cloud service offerings?

Tell me about a time when you had to troubleshoot a complex infrastructure issue.

Areas to Cover

Nature of the problem and its business impact
Steps taken to diagnose the issue
Tools and techniques used for troubleshooting
How they collaborated with others during the incident
Resolution and preventative measures implemented afterward

Possible Follow-up Questions

How did you prioritize your troubleshooting efforts?
What monitoring tools were helpful in diagnosing the issue?
How did you communicate with stakeholders during the incident?
What did you implement to prevent similar issues in the future?

How do you approach infrastructure security and compliance?

Areas to Cover

Security practices they've implemented
Experience with vulnerability management
Compliance frameworks they've worked with
How they balance security with operational needs
Approach to security automation and monitoring

Possible Follow-up Questions

How do you stay informed about new security vulnerabilities?
What tools do you use for security scanning and monitoring?
How have you automated security compliance checks?
How do you handle security incident response?

Interview Scorecard

Technical Expertise

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Limited knowledge of core infrastructure technologies; lacks depth in key areas
2: Functional knowledge of most technologies but gaps in critical areas
3: Solid knowledge across operating systems, networking, cloud, and automation tools
4: Exceptional expertise across all infrastructure domains with advanced knowledge

Problem Solving

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Approaches problems unsystematically; struggles to explain technical solutions
2: Can solve routine problems but may miss underlying issues
3: Demonstrates methodical approach to troubleshooting and problem resolution
4: Shows exceptional analytical abilities and creative problem-solving approaches

Communication

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Difficulty explaining technical concepts clearly
2: Communicates adequately but sometimes lacks precision or clarity
3: Articulates technical concepts effectively to various audiences
4: Exceptional communicator who adjusts style appropriately for different stakeholders

Infrastructure Automation Experience

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Minimal experience with automation tools and approaches
2: Some experience but limited scope or depth of implementation
3: Solid experience implementing automation across multiple infrastructure components
4: Extensive experience creating comprehensive automation solutions

Cloud Platform Knowledge

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Surface-level familiarity with cloud platforms
2: Working knowledge of one cloud platform but limited depth
3: Proficient with at least one major cloud platform and related services
4: Expert-level knowledge across multiple cloud platforms

Scalable Infrastructure Design

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to design infrastructure that meets scalability requirements
2: Likely to create partially scalable solutions with some limitations
3: Likely to design appropriately scalable infrastructure for most business needs
4: Likely to create highly scalable, future-proof infrastructure solutions

Incident Response Effectiveness

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to handle complex incidents effectively
2: Likely to resolve standard incidents but may struggle with complex issues
3: Likely to methodically troubleshoot and resolve most infrastructure incidents
4: Likely to excel at resolving even the most complex incidents efficiently

Security Implementation

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Unlikely to implement adequate security measures
2: Likely to implement basic security but miss some important aspects
3: Likely to create secure infrastructure following standard best practices
4: Likely to implement comprehensive, defense-in-depth security measures

Hiring Recommendation

1: Strong No Hire - Does not meet minimum requirements for the position
2: No Hire - Some positive attributes but significant gaps in critical areas
3: Hire - Meets requirements with appropriate experience and skills
4: Strong Hire - Exceptional candidate who exceeds requirements

Technical Work Sample

Directions for the Interviewer

This work sample exercise assesses the candidate's ability to design and explain infrastructure solutions for real-world scenarios. The goal is to evaluate their technical knowledge, design thinking, and ability to make appropriate trade-offs. Allow the candidate approximately 45 minutes for this exercise. Observe how they approach the problem, what questions they ask, and how they structure their solution. Pay attention to their consideration of scalability, security, redundancy, and cost-effectiveness. After they've completed the design, spend time discussing their choices and the reasoning behind them. This will reveal not just what they know, but how they think about infrastructure challenges.

Directions to Share with Candidate

"I'd like you to design an infrastructure solution for a specific scenario. You'll have about 45 minutes to work on this. Feel free to ask clarifying questions, and use any diagramming method you prefer - whiteboarding, drawing on paper, or using a diagramming tool if available. After you've completed your design, we'll discuss your approach and the reasoning behind your decisions. The goal is to understand how you approach infrastructure design challenges, not to find a perfect solution."

Infrastructure Design Challenge:

"Design a scalable, secure, and highly available infrastructure for a web application with the following requirements:

The application consists of a web frontend, an API layer, and a database backend
It needs to handle variable traffic with potential spikes during promotional periods
User data must be protected following security best practices
The solution should include monitoring and backup strategies
Consider both performance and cost-effectiveness in your design

You may choose any cloud platform you're familiar with (AWS, Azure, GCP, etc.). Please explain your choice of components, architecture, and the reasons behind your decisions."

Note for interviewer: As the candidate works, observe their process. Do they ask clarifying questions? Do they consider different options before making decisions? Do they address all requirements?

Areas to Cover During Discussion

Why they chose specific services or components
How their design addresses scalability requirements
Security considerations and implementations
High availability and disaster recovery approach
Monitoring and alerting strategy
Cost optimization considerations
Automation opportunities in their design

Possible Follow-up Questions

How would your design change if the application needed to comply with specific regulations like HIPAA or GDPR?
What would you modify if budget constraints were tighter?
How would you approach migrating an existing application to this architecture?
What potential failure points exist in your design, and how have you mitigated them?
How would you implement infrastructure as code for this solution?

Interview Scorecard

Technical Design Skills

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Produced a basic design missing critical components or considerations
2: Created a functional design but with some gaps or suboptimal choices
3: Designed a comprehensive solution addressing all key requirements
4: Delivered an exceptional design with sophisticated architecture choices and optimizations

Scalability Planning

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Minimal consideration of scalability needs
2: Basic scalability approaches but with potential bottlenecks
3: Thoughtful scalability design appropriate for the stated requirements
4: Advanced scalability architecture with innovative approaches to handling variable loads

Security Implementation

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Significant security gaps in the proposed solution
2: Basic security measures but missing some important protections
3: Comprehensive security approach following industry best practices
4: Exceptional security design with defense-in-depth and advanced protections

High Availability Design

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Solutions lacks redundancy and has single points of failure
2: Basic redundancy but incomplete high availability strategy
3: Well-designed high availability approach with appropriate redundancy
4: Sophisticated high availability design with multiple failover mechanisms

Infrastructure Monitoring Approach

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Minimal or inappropriate monitoring strategy
2: Basic monitoring but limited in scope or depth
3: Comprehensive monitoring strategy covering all critical components
4: Advanced monitoring with predictive capabilities and detailed alerting strategy

Cost Optimization

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Little consideration of cost implications
2: Some cost considerations but missed key optimization opportunities
3: Balanced approach to performance and cost with appropriate optimizations
4: Sophisticated cost optimization strategy while maintaining required performance

Technical Communication

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Difficulty explaining design choices and technical decisions
2: Adequate explanations but sometimes unclear or imprecise
3: Clear, logical explanations of all major design decisions
4: Exceptional ability to articulate complex technical concepts and design trade-offs

Solution Completeness

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Significant gaps in the solution; would not meet basic requirements
2: Solution meets most requirements but has notable omissions
3: Complete solution addressing all stated requirements
4: Comprehensive solution exceeding requirements with valuable additions

Hiring Recommendation

1: Strong No Hire - Does not demonstrate the technical design skills needed
2: No Hire - Some positive attributes but concerning gaps in critical areas
3: Hire - Demonstrates solid technical design abilities appropriate for the role
4: Strong Hire - Exceptional technical design skills that would elevate the team

Technical Competency Interview

Directions for the Interviewer

This interview focuses on assessing the candidate's depth of knowledge in key infrastructure technologies and their ability to apply that knowledge to solve complex problems. Use these questions to evaluate their expertise in specific technical areas relevant to the role. Probe beyond surface-level answers to understand their hands-on experience. Listen for evidence of not just what they've done, but how they approached challenges, made decisions, and learned from their experiences. This interview should help you determine if they have the technical depth needed to be successful in this infrastructure role.

Directions to Share with Candidate

"In this technical interview, I'll ask questions about your experience with various infrastructure technologies and how you've applied them to solve real-world problems. I'm interested in specific examples from your work experience that demonstrate your technical skills and approach. Feel free to go into technical detail, and I may ask follow-up questions to better understand your experience and thought process."

Interview Questions

Describe your experience with configuration management and infrastructure as code. What tools have you used, and how have you implemented them?

Areas to Cover

Specific tools used (Ansible, Terraform, CloudFormation, etc.)
Scale and complexity of implementations
How they structured their code and managed versions
Challenges faced and how they were overcome
Benefits achieved through infrastructure as code

Possible Follow-up Questions

How do you test infrastructure code before applying changes?
How do you handle state management in your infrastructure code?
What strategies do you use to minimize drift between code and actual infrastructure?
How do you handle secrets in your infrastructure code?

Tell me about your experience with network design and management. What components have you worked with and what challenges have you faced?

Areas to Cover

Network technologies and protocols they're familiar with
Experience with network segmentation and security
How they've designed for scalability and performance
Troubleshooting approaches for network issues
Experience with software-defined networking

Possible Follow-up Questions

How do you approach network documentation?
What tools do you use for network monitoring and analysis?
How have you implemented network security controls?
Tell me about a complex networking issue you had to solve.

How do you approach monitoring and alerting for infrastructure? What systems have you implemented?

Areas to Cover

Monitoring tools and platforms they've worked with
Metrics they consider most important to track
How they determine appropriate alert thresholds
Their approach to reducing alert fatigue
Integration of monitoring with incident response processes

Possible Follow-up Questions

How do you distinguish between symptoms and root causes in your monitoring?
What's your approach to monitoring in cloud environments?
How do you handle monitoring for distributed systems?
How have you used monitoring data to drive infrastructure improvements?

Tell me about a time when you had to improve the performance of an infrastructure component. What was the situation and what did you do?

Areas to Cover

Their process for identifying performance bottlenecks
Tools and techniques used for performance analysis
Specific optimizations they implemented
How they measured the impact of their changes
Lessons learned from the experience

Possible Follow-up Questions

How did you prioritize which optimizations to implement?
What performance monitoring tools did you find most helpful?
How did you test your optimizations before fully implementing them?
What was the most challenging performance issue you've had to solve?

How do you approach infrastructure security? Describe specific security measures you've implemented.

Areas to Cover

Their security mindset and approach to defense in depth
Specific security controls they've implemented
Experience with vulnerability management
How they balance security with usability and performance
Incident response experience

Possible Follow-up Questions

How do you stay current on security threats and vulnerabilities?
What's your approach to patch management?
How have you implemented least privilege principles?
Tell me about a time you had to respond to a security incident.

Describe your experience with disaster recovery planning and implementation.

Areas to Cover

Disaster recovery strategies they've designed or implemented
How they determine appropriate RPO and RTO
Experience with backup systems and processes
Testing approaches for disaster recovery plans
Lessons learned from actual recovery situations

Possible Follow-up Questions

How do you balance disaster recovery capabilities with costs?
How often do you test disaster recovery procedures?
How do you document disaster recovery processes?
What's the most challenging aspect of disaster recovery planning?

Interview Scorecard

Technical Depth

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Surface-level knowledge without demonstrated practical experience
2: Basic practical knowledge but limited depth in key areas
3: Strong technical knowledge with demonstrated practical application
4: Expert-level understanding across multiple infrastructure domains

Problem Solving

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Simplistic approach to technical problems without consideration of complexities
2: Can solve straightforward problems but struggles with complex scenarios
3: Demonstrates methodical problem-solving with attention to constraints
4: Exceptional analytical abilities with creative approaches to difficult problems

Infrastructure Automation

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Limited experience with automation tools and practices
2: Basic automation experience but lacking sophisticated implementations
3: Strong automation skills with demonstrated complex implementations
4: Advanced automation expertise with innovative approaches and best practices

Network Design

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Basic networking knowledge without significant design experience
2: Functional understanding but limited complex network design experience
3: Strong networking knowledge with practical design and implementation experience
4: Expert-level network design skills with sophisticated implementation examples

Security Implementation

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Limited security knowledge or implementation experience
2: Basic security practices but gaps in comprehensive approach
3: Strong security implementation experience with defense-in-depth approach
4: Exceptional security expertise with advanced implementation examples

Monitoring & Performance Optimization

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Basic monitoring experience without sophisticated analysis skills
2: Functional monitoring experience but limited optimization expertise
3: Strong monitoring implementation with demonstrated optimization successes
4: Advanced performance analysis skills with significant optimization achievements

Disaster Recovery Planning

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Limited disaster recovery experience or understanding
2: Basic disaster recovery knowledge but minimal implementation experience
3: Strong disaster recovery implementation experience with testing procedures
4: Comprehensive disaster recovery expertise with proven recovery successes

Cloud Architecture

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Basic cloud knowledge without substantial implementation experience
2: Working knowledge of cloud services but limited architecture experience
3: Strong cloud architecture skills with practical implementation examples
4: Expert-level cloud architecture expertise across multiple platforms or services

Hiring Recommendation

1: Strong No Hire - Significant technical gaps that would impede success
2: No Hire - Some technical strengths but concerning weaknesses in key areas
3: Hire - Strong technical abilities that meet the requirements of the role
4: Strong Hire - Exceptional technical expertise that would be a valuable addition

Chronological Interview

Directions for the Interviewer

This interview is designed to understand the candidate's professional journey and how their career experiences have prepared them for this Infrastructure Engineer role. The goal is to get a comprehensive view of their career progression, the environments they've worked in, and how they've grown their skills over time. Pay particular attention to the complexity of infrastructure they've managed, the scale of their responsibilities, and how they've handled challenges. This chronological approach helps identify patterns in their career and verifies the depth and breadth of their claimed experience. Ask follow-up questions to get specific details about their accomplishments and challenges at each role.

Directions to Share with Candidate

"In this interview, I'd like to walk through your professional history to understand your career progression and the variety of experiences you've had. We'll start with your earliest relevant role and work forward. For each position, I'll ask about your responsibilities, the technologies you worked with, challenges you faced, and accomplishments you achieved. This helps me understand how your experience has prepared you for this Infrastructure Engineer role at our company."

Interview Questions

To start, tell me what initially attracted you to infrastructure engineering or related technical fields.

Areas to Cover

Their origin story and motivation for entering the field
Educational background and how it prepared them
Early experiences that shaped their career path
What aspects of infrastructure work they find most engaging
Long-term career aspirations

Possible Follow-up Questions

What skills or experiences outside of your formal education have been valuable?
How has your interest in infrastructure engineering evolved over time?
What technologies or areas within infrastructure are you most passionate about?
How do you stay current with evolving infrastructure technologies?

Starting with your first relevant role, please walk me through your responsibilities and the infrastructure environment you supported.

Areas to Cover

Technologies and tools they worked with
Scale and complexity of the environment
Level of responsibility and autonomy
Key projects or initiatives they contributed to
Growth in skills and knowledge during this period

Possible Follow-up Questions

What was the most challenging aspect of this role?
What was your most significant accomplishment?
How did this role prepare you for your next position?
What did you learn from mentors or colleagues during this time?

Tell me about your next role. What prompted the change, and how did your responsibilities evolve?

Areas to Cover

Reasons for changing roles
New technologies or skills they acquired
How the infrastructure environment differed from previous roles
Increased responsibilities or leadership aspects
Key achievements and challenges

Possible Follow-up Questions

How did you adapt to the new environment?
What new skills did you need to develop for this role?
Tell me about a significant project you led during this time.
How did you handle any technological transitions or migrations?

As you progressed in your career, how did your approach to infrastructure management evolve?

Areas to Cover

Changes in their technical approach over time
Evolution in how they handled problems or made decisions
Growth in leadership or mentoring responsibilities
Adaptation to industry trends and new technologies
Development of their infrastructure philosophy

Possible Follow-up Questions

How has your troubleshooting approach changed over time?
What infrastructure best practices have you adopted or developed?
How has your approach to balancing stability vs. innovation changed?
What role have you played in mentoring junior team members?

Describe a significant infrastructure transformation project you've been involved with. What was your role and what were the outcomes?

Areas to Cover

Scope and scale of the transformation
Their specific responsibilities and contributions
Challenges faced and how they were overcome
Technologies implemented or migrated
Business impact and results achieved

Possible Follow-up Questions

How did you manage stakeholder expectations during the transformation?
What unexpected challenges arose, and how did you address them?
How did you measure the success of the transformation?
What would you do differently if you were to approach this project again?

Throughout your career, how have you balanced technical depth with the need to adapt to new technologies and approaches?

Areas to Cover

Their approach to continuous learning
How they've managed technological transitions
Areas where they've developed deep expertise
How they evaluate and adopt new technologies
Examples of successfully adapting to technological shifts

Possible Follow-up Questions

How do you stay current with infrastructure trends and innovations?
Tell me about a time when you had to quickly master a new technology.
How do you evaluate whether a new technology is worth adopting?
What infrastructure technologies are you currently learning or planning to learn?

Which of your previous roles or environments do you think is most similar to what we're doing here, and why?

Areas to Cover

Their understanding of your infrastructure environment
Relevant experience that transfers directly to your needs
Similarities in scale, technologies, or business context
How they would apply past learnings to your environment
Their perception of unique challenges in your environment

Possible Follow-up Questions

What aspects of our infrastructure are you most excited about working with?
What challenges do you anticipate based on your similar experiences?
How would you approach the transition into our environment?
What improvements might you suggest based on your previous experience?

Interview Scorecard

Career Progression

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Disjointed career path with unexplained gaps or lateral moves
2: Steady progression but limited growth in responsibility or scope
3: Clear progression with increasing responsibility and technical scope
4: Exceptional growth trajectory demonstrating advancement and expanding impact

Technical Evolution

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Limited adaptation to changing technologies over career
2: Basic adoption of new technologies but not driving innovation
3: Consistent growth in technical skills with proactive technology adoption
4: Exceptional technical evolution with evidence of driving technological transformation

Infrastructure Complexity

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Experience limited to simple infrastructure environments
2: Some experience with moderately complex environments
3: Substantial experience managing complex, multi-faceted infrastructure
4: Expert management of highly complex, enterprise-scale infrastructure

Project Implementation

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Limited experience with significant infrastructure projects
2: Contributed to major projects but in supporting roles
3: Successfully led substantial infrastructure implementations
4: Exceptional track record of leading complex, transformative projects

Problem-Solving History

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Limited examples of solving significant infrastructure challenges
2: Has resolved routine challenges but lacks examples of complex problem-solving
3: Demonstrated ability to solve difficult, multifaceted infrastructure problems
4: Exceptional problem-solving history with innovative approaches to complex issues

Leadership Growth

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Minimal leadership experience or responsibility growth
2: Some leadership experience but limited in scope or impact
3: Clear progression in leadership responsibilities with team influence
4: Significant leadership development with substantial team or organizational impact

Adaptability

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Struggles to adapt to changing technologies or environments
2: Can adapt to changes but requires significant adjustment time
3: Successfully navigates changing environments and technologies
4: Thrives in dynamic environments and drives positive change

Relevant Experience Alignment

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Limited experience relevant to our specific infrastructure needs
2: Some relevant experience but significant gaps in key areas
3: Strong alignment between past experience and our infrastructure requirements
4: Exceptional match between candidate's experience and our specific needs

Hiring Recommendation

1: Strong No Hire - Career history indicates poor fit for our needs
2: No Hire - Some relevant experience but concerning gaps or patterns
3: Hire - Strong career progression with relevant experience for our environment
4: Strong Hire - Exceptional career trajectory with highly relevant experience

Optional Leadership Competency Interview

Directions for the Interviewer

This optional interview is recommended for senior Infrastructure Engineer candidates who will have significant influence on infrastructure strategy or team leadership responsibilities. The goal is to assess the candidate's ability to collaborate across teams, influence decisions without direct authority, mentor others, and drive infrastructure initiatives forward. Focus on understanding not just their technical knowledge, but how they work with others to achieve infrastructure goals. This interview helps determine if the candidate can successfully navigate the organizational aspects of infrastructure engineering beyond the technical components.

Directions to Share with Candidate

"In this conversation, I'd like to explore your experience with the collaborative and leadership aspects of infrastructure engineering. We'll discuss how you've worked with various stakeholders, influenced decisions, mentored team members, and driven infrastructure initiatives. I'm interested in specific examples that demonstrate your approach to the human side of infrastructure work, beyond the technical components."

Interview Questions

Tell me about a time when you had to gain buy-in from stakeholders for a significant infrastructure change or initiative.

Areas to Cover

The nature of the infrastructure change and why it was needed
Stakeholders involved and their different perspectives
How they built the case for the change
Challenges in gaining alignment
Strategies used to influence without authority
Outcome and lessons learned

Possible Follow-up Questions

How did you address stakeholder concerns or resistance?
How did you translate technical needs into business value?
What would you do differently if faced with a similar situation?
How did you maintain stakeholder support throughout implementation?

Describe your experience mentoring or developing other infrastructure team members.

Areas to Cover

Their approach to knowledge sharing and mentoring
Specific examples of helping others develop technical skills
How they balance teaching moments with getting work done
Methods for providing constructive feedback
Impact of their mentoring on team capabilities

Possible Follow-up Questions

How do you adapt your mentoring approach to different learning styles?
How do you stay patient when teaching complex concepts?
How do you encourage team members to develop their problem-solving skills?
What's the most rewarding mentoring experience you've had?

Tell me about a time when you had to collaborate with development or other technical teams to solve an infrastructure problem.

Areas to Cover

Nature of the problem that required cross-team collaboration
How they built relationships with other teams
Their approach to bridging different technical perspectives
How they handled any conflicts or disagreements
Results of the collaboration and lessons learned

Possible Follow-up Questions

How did you establish common ground with teams that had different priorities?
What communication techniques were most effective?
How did you handle technical disagreements?
What did you learn about effective cross-team collaboration?

Describe a situation where you had to drive an infrastructure improvement despite resource constraints or competing priorities.

Areas to Cover

The improvement needed and why it was important
Constraints or resistance they faced
How they made the case for prioritizing the improvement
Creative approaches to working within constraints
How they maintained momentum and achieved results

Possible Follow-up Questions

How did you determine which aspects were most critical to prioritize?
How did you measure and communicate the impact of the improvement?
What trade-offs did you have to make?
How did you maintain team morale while dealing with constraints?

Tell me about a time when you had to balance competing infrastructure priorities from different parts of the organization.

Areas to Cover

The nature of the competing priorities
How they gathered requirements from different stakeholders
Their process for evaluating and prioritizing needs
How they communicated decisions and managed expectations
How they maintained relationships with stakeholders whose priorities weren't met

Possible Follow-up Questions

What criteria did you use to evaluate priorities?
How did you handle pushback from stakeholders?
How did you find compromise solutions when possible?
What would you do differently if faced with a similar situation?

Describe how you've handled a situation where you disagreed with leadership about an infrastructure decision.

Areas to Cover

The nature of the disagreement and what was at stake
How they approached the conversation respectfully
Evidence or reasoning they presented
How they navigated the organizational dynamics
Resolution and what they learned from the experience

Possible Follow-up Questions

How did you prepare for the conversation?
How did you maintain a constructive tone during the disagreement?
What did you do if your perspective wasn't ultimately adopted?
How did this experience inform how you handle similar situations now?

Interview Scorecard

Stakeholder Influence

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Struggles to influence outside direct authority
2: Can gain support for straightforward initiatives but has difficulty with complex or controversial changes
3: Effectively builds buy-in for significant infrastructure initiatives
4: Exceptional ability to influence across all levels of the organization

Mentoring & Development

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Limited experience or effectiveness in developing others
2: Some mentoring experience but lacks depth or structured approach
3: Demonstrates effective approaches to developing team members' skills
4: Exceptional mentor with significant positive impact on team capabilities

Cross-team Collaboration

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Primarily works within infrastructure team boundaries
2: Basic collaboration skills but struggles with complex cross-team dynamics
3: Effectively collaborates across technical boundaries to achieve results
4: Exceptional bridge-builder who creates productive partnerships across the organization

Resource Optimization

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Difficulty achieving goals within constraints
2: Can work within constraints but with limited creativity or effectiveness
3: Successfully navigates resource constraints to deliver infrastructure improvements
4: Exceptionally resourceful in maximizing impact despite limitations

Balanced Decision-Making

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Tends to prioritize based on limited perspectives
2: Considers multiple factors but struggles with complex trade-offs
3: Effectively balances competing priorities with rational frameworks
4: Exceptional at making nuanced decisions that optimize for organizational needs

Constructive Disagreement

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Avoids conflict or becomes confrontational
2: Can express disagreement but struggles to do so constructively
3: Effectively voices differing viewpoints while maintaining relationships
4: Exceptional ability to navigate disagreements that lead to better outcomes

Strategic Thinking

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Primarily focused on tactical infrastructure concerns
2: Some strategic thinking but limited in scope or depth
3: Demonstrates clear strategic vision for infrastructure alignment with business
4: Exceptional strategic perspective that drives significant organizational value

Change Leadership

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Primarily implements changes designed by others
2: Can lead straightforward changes but struggles with resistance
3: Effectively drives significant infrastructure changes through the organization
4: Exceptional change leader who transforms infrastructure while bringing others along

Hiring Recommendation

1: Strong No Hire - Leadership skills insufficient for this senior role
2: No Hire - Some leadership capabilities but concerning gaps
3: Hire - Strong leadership skills appropriate for the role requirements
4: Strong Hire - Exceptional leadership qualities that would elevate the team

Debrief Meeting

Directions for Conducting the Debrief Meeting

The Debrief Meeting is an open discussion for the hiring team members to share the information learned during the candidate interviews. Use the questions below to guide the discussion.Start the meeting by reviewing the requirements for the role and the key competencies and goals to succeed.The meeting leader should strive to create an environment where it is okay to express opinions about the candidate that differ from the consensus or from leadership's opinions.Scores and interview notes are important data points but should not be the sole factor in making the final decision.Any hiring team member should feel free to change their recommendation as they learn new information and reflect on what they've learned.

Questions to Guide the Debrief Meeting

Question: Does anyone have any questions for the other interviewers about the candidate?

Guidance: The meeting facilitator should initially present themselves as neutral and try not to sway the conversation before others have a chance to speak up.

Question: Are there any additional comments about the Candidate?

Guidance: This is an opportunity for all the interviewers to share anything they learned that is important for the other interviewers to know.

Question: Is there anything further we need to investigate before making a decision?

Guidance: Based on this discussion, you may decide to probe further on certain issues with the candidate or explore specific issues in the reference calls.

Question: Has anyone changed their hire/no-hire recommendation?

Guidance: This is an opportunity for the interviewers to change their recommendation from the new information they learned in this meeting.

Question: If the consensus is no hire, should the candidate be considered for other roles? If so, what roles?

Guidance: Discuss whether engaging with the candidate about a different role would be worthwhile.

Question: What are the next steps?

Guidance: If there is no consensus, follow the process for that situation (e.g., it is the hiring manager's decision). Further investigation may be needed before making the decision. If there is a consensus on hiring, reference checks could be the next step.

Reference Checks

Directions for Conducting Reference Checks

Reference checks are a critical final step in verifying the candidate's experience and performance claims. These conversations provide valuable third-party perspectives on the candidate's technical abilities, work style, and potential fit for your organization. Focus on speaking with former managers and colleagues who have directly worked with the candidate on infrastructure projects. Prepare by reviewing the candidate's interview responses and noting areas you want to verify or explore further. Listen for consistency between what the candidate shared and what references report. Pay special attention to how the candidate handled technical challenges, collaborated with others, and grew their skills over time. These references can provide important insights that help confirm your hiring decision or raise potential concerns.

Questions for Reference Checks

How did you work with [Candidate], and for how long?

Guidance: Establish the context of their relationship with the candidate, including reporting structure, project collaborations, and the recency and duration of their work together. This helps calibrate the reference's perspective.

What were [Candidate]'s primary responsibilities related to infrastructure engineering in your organization?

Guidance: Verify the scope and scale of the candidate's role as they described it. Listen for alignment with what the candidate shared about their experience and responsibilities.

What would you say are [Candidate]'s greatest technical strengths?

Guidance: Listen for specific technical skills that align with your requirements. Note whether the reference highlights the same strengths the candidate emphasized or reveals different areas of expertise.

Can you tell me about a significant infrastructure project or challenge that [Candidate] handled well?

Guidance: Ask for specific examples that demonstrate the candidate's technical abilities, problem-solving approach, and impact. Compare these examples with stories the candidate shared during interviews.

How would you describe [Candidate]'s approach to infrastructure security and reliability?

Guidance: This question addresses critical aspects of infrastructure engineering. Listen for the reference's assessment of how seriously the candidate takes these responsibilities and their effectiveness in these areas.

How does [Candidate] collaborate with other teams, such as development or security?

Guidance: Infrastructure engineers must work effectively across team boundaries. Listen for examples of how the candidate built relationships and navigated cross-functional challenges.

What areas would you suggest [Candidate] focus on for professional growth?

Guidance: This question tactfully explores development areas. Listen for patterns that might align with concerns identified during interviews, or for new insights about potential challenges.

On a scale of 1-10, how likely would you be to hire [Candidate] again for an infrastructure role, and why?

Guidance: This direct question often elicits honest assessments. Listen not just for the number but for the reasoning behind it, which often reveals valuable insights about the candidate's overall performance and impact.

Reference Check Scorecard

Technical Capability Confirmation

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Reference indicates significant gaps in technical abilities
2: Reference confirms basic technical competence but without strong endorsement
3: Reference strongly confirms solid technical capabilities aligned with requirements
4: Reference enthusiastically validates exceptional technical expertise beyond expectations

Problem-Solving Effectiveness

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Reference describes limited problem-solving abilities or concerning approaches
2: Reference confirms adequate but not remarkable problem-solving skills
3: Reference validates strong analytical and problem-solving approaches
4: Reference highlights outstanding problem-solving abilities with impressive examples

Collaboration and Communication

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Reference indicates challenges in team interactions or communication
2: Reference confirms satisfactory collaboration with occasional friction
3: Reference validates effective teamwork and clear communication
4: Reference enthusiastically describes exceptional relationship-building and communication

Reliability and Accountability

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Reference raises concerns about follow-through or ownership
2: Reference confirms basic reliability with occasional oversight needed
3: Reference validates consistent dependability and ownership
4: Reference describes exceptional accountability and proactive responsibility

Infrastructure Design

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Reference suggests limited capability in infrastructure design
2: Reference confirms adequate design skills for routine infrastructure
3: Reference validates strong design capabilities for complex infrastructure
4: Reference enthusiastically describes innovative and exceptional design expertise

Security Implementation

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Reference indicates concerning gaps in security awareness or implementation
2: Reference confirms basic security competence without notable distinction
3: Reference validates thorough and effective security implementation
4: Reference describes exceptional security expertise and implementation

Scalable Infrastructure Solutions

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Reference indicates candidate's solutions often faced scalability issues
2: Reference confirms ability to build moderately scalable solutions
3: Reference validates consistent delivery of appropriately scalable infrastructure
4: Reference enthusiastically describes exceptionally well-designed, highly scalable solutions

Incident Response and Troubleshooting

0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
1: Reference raises concerns about incident handling capabilities
2: Reference confirms adequate response to routine incidents
3: Reference validates effective handling of serious incidents with good outcomes
4: Reference describes exceptional troubleshooting abilities even in the most complex scenarios

Frequently Asked Questions

How do we ensure we're evaluating infrastructure engineers fairly given different experiences with various technologies?

Focus on assessing core principles and approaches rather than specific technology implementations. A strong infrastructure engineer shows adaptability, solid fundamentals, and learning agility. Consider whether their experience in one technology stack demonstrates transferable skills that would allow them to quickly become productive in your environment. For more on this approach, see our guide on how to raise the talent bar in your organization.

How can we evaluate a candidate's security mindset since this is critical for infrastructure roles?

Look for evidence of security being integrated throughout their work rather than treated as an afterthought. Ask how they've implemented security controls, how they stay current on vulnerabilities, and for examples of security improvements they've driven. Strong candidates demonstrate a proactive approach to security and can explain security concepts clearly. Pay attention to whether they consider security implications naturally during the technical work sample exercise.

What's the best approach for assessing automation skills which are essential for modern infrastructure roles?

Ask for specific examples of infrastructure they've automated, focusing on the complexity, scale, and business impact of their automation work. During the technical interview, dig into their approach to testing, version control, and maintainability of infrastructure code. Strong candidates can articulate both the technical implementation details and the broader benefits of their automation efforts.

How should we weigh cloud vs. on-premises experience for infrastructure engineer candidates?

Focus on the underlying principles and skills rather than specific environments. A strong candidate demonstrates infrastructure fundamentals that apply across environments. If your environment is primarily cloud-based, prioritize candidates who show cloud architecture understanding and experience with infrastructure-as-code. If you're in a hybrid environment, value candidates who can bridge both worlds and understand the appropriate use cases for each.

What if a candidate has strong technical skills but showed weaker communication in the interviews?

Consider the specific communication requirements for your team. Infrastructure engineers need to document their work, collaborate with other teams, and explain complex concepts, but the level of customer or executive interaction varies by organization. If the role requires significant stakeholder management, communication weaknesses could be problematic. You might want to conduct an additional interview focused specifically on communication scenarios relevant to your environment.

How should we compare candidates with deep experience in one area versus broader experience across multiple infrastructure domains?

This depends on your specific needs. If you need a specialist to address particular challenges, depth may be more valuable. For smaller teams where engineers must handle various responsibilities, breadth becomes more important. The best candidates often show both T-shaped skills—deep expertise in core areas with sufficient breadth across related domains. Consider where you most need expertise and where you have coverage from other team members.