Frame technical debt in business terms: "This debt adds two days to every feature in this area" is more persuasive than "the code is messy."
Best answers show a pragmatic approach: tracking technical debt visibly, quantifying its impact (slowed development, increased bugs), negotiating dedicated time with product, and tackling debt incrementally alongside feature work rather than requesting large refactoring sprints. The best candidates make debt visible to non-technical stakeholders.
Reveals pragmatism and communication skills. Developers who ignore debt create problems. Those who obsess over it ship nothing. Look for the balanced, strategic approach.