Went through IBM's EM interview loop last spring for a senior engineering manager role in the Cloud and Cognitive Software division. Happy to share what I saw, because most of the write-ups online are either super outdated or just describe the process without explaining what interviewers are actually looking for.
The loop was 5 rounds spread over two weeks:
Round 1: HR screen (30 min). Standard stuff. They want to know you're not a flight risk and that the comp range isn't a surprise. Know the band system going in. Senior EM roles landed around Band 9-10 depending on org.
Round 2: Technical validation (45 min). I was surprised this wasn't a coding round. It's more of a deep architecture conversation. They asked about a system I'd designed, tradeoffs I made, how I handled migration or scalability decisions. They want you to speak credibly but not necessarily code.
Round 3: People leadership (60 min). This was clearly the most weighted round. STAR-format behavioral questions, heavy on conflict resolution, performance management, building cultures. "Tell me about a time an engineer wasn't meeting expectations" came up in multiple conversations. Be concrete, not theoretical.
Round 4: Cross-functional stakeholder (45 min). Met with someone outside my org. Mostly about partnering with product and design, navigating ambiguity, influencing without authority. IBM is a big-company environment, so politics are real. They want to know you can operate across silos.
Round 5: Senior leader (30 min). The exec loop closer. More about your philosophy and career direction than your past. I got asked where I saw cloud infrastructure going in 3 years. Be opinionated but not arrogant.
Overall the loop felt structured and fair. IBM's process is more formal than a startup EM loop and lighter on live coding than a FAANG loop. The behavioral depth is real though. If you're not running tight STAR stories going in, you'll feel it.