How to Conduct Effective Technical Interviews

1. Define Clear Hiring Goals

Before starting the interview process, recruiters must answer:

• What position is this candidate being recruited for?
• What technical and soft skills are must-haves vs. nice-to-haves?
• Are we recruiting for long-term scalability, short-term project requirements, or both?

Tip: Develop a concise job description with necessary technical and soft skills. This sets up interviews to be formalized and in line with business objectives.

2. Organize the Interview Process

A well-organized interview is the cornerstone of equity and efficiency. A typical technical interview process consists of:

• Resume Screening – Weeding out applicants with matching skills.
• Online Coding Round – Basic programming and problem-solving skills evaluation.
• Technical Interview(s) – Algorithm, system design, or role-related skills evaluation.
• Behavioral Round – Communication, teamwork, and flexibility testing.
• Final HR/Managerial Round – Culture fit, compensation, and career development discussions.

Why process is important: Lacking a specific process, interviews become uneven and biased.

3. Apply Appropriate and Realistic Evaluations

Applicants need to be assessed with practical skills, not clever questions.

Good Question Example: “How would you design a URL shortener like Bitly?” → Tests system design and scalability.

Bad Question Example: “What’s the 17th Fibonacci number?” → Tests memorization, not problem-solving.

Best practices:

• Include role-specific challenges (e.g., full-stack challenges for web developers, DSA problems for backend jobs).
• Use live coding sessions on platforms such as HackerRank or CodeSignal.
• Test debugging and optimization skills, not merely writing new code.

4. Emphasize Problem-Solving, Not Merely Syntax

The best programmers aren’t those who know every library function—they’re the ones who can break down problems logically.

• Encourage candidates to explain their thought process.
• Ask follow-up questions like: “What if the dataset was 10x larger?”
• Evaluate clarity, efficiency, and adaptability of their solutions.

5. Evaluate Communication Skills

Technical interviews aren’t just about code. Great engineers must explain ideas clearly to teammates, non-tech stakeholders, and clients.

• Observe if the candidate explains their approach logically.
• Observe whether they pose clarifying questions prior to diving into coding.
• Role-play situations where they have to work with product or design teams.

6. Avoid Prejudice and Maintain Impartiality

Unconscious prejudice can cause rejection of talented candidates. In order to prevent this:

• Standardize interview questions for every candidate.
• Utilize scoring rubrics that have precise benchmarks.
• Perform blind coding tests where feasible.
• Train interviewers in inclusive hiring practices.

7. Be Candidate-Friendly in Interviews

Interviews are a two-way street. Candidates are screening your company too.

Best practices to make it a positive experience:

• Share interview format beforehand.
• Be mindful of time—don’t leave candidates waiting for weeks.
• Give constructive feedback upon rejection.
• Keep the atmosphere conversational, not inquisition-like.

8. Use the Right Interviewers

The most effective interviews happen when professionals who understand the requirements of the role deeply conduct them.

• Match recruiters with senior engineers who are familiar with technical depth.
• Make sure interviewers are trained to test hard and soft skills.
• Don’t use too many interviewers—it bogs down candidates.

9. Add System Design and Real-World Situations

For mid to senior positions, system design interviews are essential. These test if candidates can design scalable, efficient systems.

Sample system design interview questions:

• How would you design the WhatsApp chat app?
• How would you serve millions of user requests per second on an e-commerce website?
• This method demonstrates how candidates consider scalability, trade-offs, and efficiency.

10. Iterate and Refine Your Process

Hiring is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Collect feedback on a regular basis:

• Ask candidates what they thought about the interview process.
• Look at the hiring results—did the new hires excel in their positions?
• Refine questions and methods to incorporate recent industry requirements (e.g., AI, cloud computing).