Code reviews are about collaboration, not criticism. When reviewing a senior developer’s code, keep it professional and value-driven: ✔ Acknowledge strengths – Start with what’s well-written. ✔ Ask questions – Understand their thought process instead of assuming. ✔ Suggest with reasoning – Provide alternatives backed by best practices. ✔ Use “we” instead of “you” – Make it a team effort. ✔ Stay objective – Focus on the code, not the person. ✔ Be open to learning – A senior dev’s experience offers insights too! Feedback should improve the code and strengthen the team. How do you approach reviews with senior developers? Let’s discuss!

Senior developer or not, the code reviews should be unbiased. In the end, we must remember "the code" wins, not the developer. The idea of peer reviews in code/research paper is aimed at getting the best results. As a leader, if you see your developers getting worried about criticising each other's code, you can consider it as a failure for your team.

Here’s how I think it would be approached: 1. Ask About Design Choices – Instead of dictating changes, ask why they chose a particular approach, “Would a different pattern improve extensibility here?” 2. Challenge Edge Cases – Encourage them to think beyond the happy path. “How does this handle large datasets or concurrency issues?” 3. Balance Positive & Constructive Feedback – Acknowledge good decisions before raising concerns. “The caching implementation is great—have you tested its performance under load?” 4. Encourage Discussion – Frame feedback as questions rather than commands, making it a collaborative process. “Would an integration test add value here?” It’s about fostering dialogue, not just pointing out flaws.

Many other responses touch on the important idea: the review is about collaboration, not criticism. One trick: soften the language. For example, never say "I think approach X would be better". Instead, say "You probably also considered approach X; why did you reject it and choose the approach you did?"