Did three engineering manager loops this year. One series B startup, one late-stage pre-IPO company, one FAANG-adjacent. Got two offers. Here's what I learned about what's actually being evaluated, not just what they ask.
The common questions and what's underneath them:
"Tell me about a time you had to let someone go." They're testing: did you see it coming early enough, did you give clear feedback, did you handle the process cleanly. The worst answers are ones where the manager sounds like a victim of the situation instead of someone who drove toward resolution. You don't have to have done this to answer well, but you need to have at least managed a PIP.
"How do you handle a team member who's technically strong but hard to work with?" This one is about whether you avoid conflict or address it. They want you to have actually had the conversation, not worked around the person.
"How do you set technical direction when you're not the most senior engineer in the room?" This trips up new managers the most. The answer they want is about facilitation, not authority. You don't need to have the answer; you need to know how to get the room to the answer.
"How do you think about growing engineers on your team?" They're checking whether you individualize. Generic "I give them stretch projects" is weak. "I identified that this specific person needed X, so I structured Y" is strong.
What differed by company stage: At the startup, every question eventually circled back to "could you also contribute individually if needed." At the big company, they didn't care about that at all. They wanted pure people leadership.
Being a first-time manager feels like a liability on paper. In the room, frame it as a strength: you have recent IC credibility AND leadership appetite. Most interviewers respect that combination if you can demonstrate self-awareness about what you're still learning.