Engineering interviews have moved online almost entirely. The good news: virtual interviews can be just as effective as in-person—sometimes better. But they require different techniques and tools.
Here’s how to run virtual engineering interviews well.
What Changes (and What Doesn’t)
What Changes
Environment:
- No whiteboard; need shared coding tools
- Can’t read body language as easily
- Technical issues interrupt flow
- Candidate’s home environment varies
Logistics:
- Timezone coordination more complex
- “Walk between interviews” doesn’t happen
- Lunch/office tour doesn’t exist
- On-site culture assessment harder
What Doesn’t Change
- Need to assess technical skills
- Culture fit matters
- Candidate experience matters
- Structured process improves outcomes
- Interviewer calibration essential
Technical Setup
Essential Tools
video:
primary: Zoom/Meet/Teams
backup: Phone number for audio issues
coding:
collaborative: CoderPad, HackerRank, CodeSignal
simple: VS Code Live Share, repl.it
backup: Screen share + local IDE
system_design:
whiteboard: Excalidraw, Miro, Lucidchart
simple: Google Docs/Slides
documentation:
feedback: Greenhouse, Lever, or structured docs
scheduling: Calendly or similar
Pre-Interview Checklist
For interviewers:
- Test video/audio before first interview of day
- Have backup contact method ready
- Close unnecessary apps (bandwidth/notifications)
- Quiet environment secured
- Interview guide/questions ready
- Collaborative tools open and tested
For candidates:
- Send clear instructions 24h before
- Include links to all tools
- Provide interviewer names/roles
- Offer tech check call if needed
- Share backup contact method
Interview Types
Coding Interviews
Format adjustments:
## Virtual Coding Interview Structure
1. Intro (5 min)
- Quick hello, explain format
- Verify tech is working
- "Feel free to ask questions anytime"
2. Problem (35-40 min)
- Share problem in collaborative editor
- Let them read and ask clarifying questions
- Watch them code, observe thought process
- Help if stuck (same as in-person)
3. Questions (5-10 min)
- Candidate questions about role/team
- Wrap up, explain next steps
Tool tips:
- Use platform with syntax highlighting
- Enable autocomplete (this isn’t a typing test)
- Have problem statement in the doc
- Test that candidate can edit
Evaluation same as before:
- Problem-solving approach
- Code quality
- Communication
- Handling of edge cases
System Design
Virtual whiteboarding:
## System Design Virtual Setup
1. Use Excalidraw/Miro (free, low friction)
2. Both interviewer and candidate can draw
3. Start with template:
- User
- Load Balancer box
- Service boxes
- Database boxes
4. Let candidate drive the drawing
5. Ask them to share screen if they prefer local tools
What to assess (unchanged):
- Scope clarification
- High-level design thinking
- Trade-off analysis
- Depth in relevant areas
Behavioral Interviews
Virtual considerations:
- Harder to build rapport; be warmer
- Video fatigue is real; keep to 45-50 min
- Give candidate time to think
- Silence is okay (don’t fill it)
Same assessment criteria:
- Past behavior predicts future
- STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result)
- Look for patterns across examples
Architecture/Deep Dive
For senior roles:
## Virtual Deep Dive
Option 1: Candidate presents their system
- Share screen
- Walk through architecture
- Q&A and drill-down
Option 2: Our system discussion
- We share design doc/diagram
- Discuss trade-offs
- Ask for their input/critique
Option 3: Collaborative design
- New problem we work through together
- Treat as pair design session
Candidate Experience
Before Interview
## Pre-Interview Email
Hi [Candidate],
Looking forward to our interviews on [date]!
**Schedule:**
- 10:00am: Technical Interview with Alice (coding)
- 11:00am: System Design with Bob
- 12:00pm: Team Fit with Carol
**Technical setup:**
- We'll use Zoom: [link]
- Coding will be on CoderPad: [link]
- You can test CoderPad here: [sandbox link]
**Tips:**
- Find a quiet space with stable internet
- You're welcome to use any language you're comfortable with
- If you have technical issues, text me at [number]
Questions? Reply to this email.
Best,
[Recruiter]
During Interview
Opening:
- Check if video/audio is working
- Ask about their environment (“Is now still a good time?”)
- Brief agenda overview
- “Stop me anytime if you have questions”
Closing:
- Leave time for their questions
- Explain next steps and timeline
- Thank them sincerely
After Interview
- Prompt feedback submission (within 24h)
- Quick communication to candidate about timeline
- If rejected, don’t ghost
Interviewer Calibration
Consistent Assessment
## Interview Scorecard
### Technical Skills (coding interview)
[ ] Problem Solving: Did they break down the problem effectively?
[ ] Code Quality: Is the code readable, maintainable?
[ ] Communication: Did they explain their thinking?
[ ] Debugging: How did they handle issues?
Rating: Strong Yes / Yes / No / Strong No
Confidence: High / Medium / Low
### Notes:
[Specific observations, not just "did well"]
Calibration Sessions
Regular sessions to align:
- Review recent interviews together
- Discuss borderline cases
- Share good/bad questions
- Align on bar
Bias Awareness
Virtual adds new bias opportunities:
- Home environment (don’t judge)
- Technical issues (don’t penalize)
- Accent/communication style over video
- “Virtual presence” varies
Mitigate:
- Focus on job-relevant criteria
- Standardized questions
- Multiple interviewers
- Structured scoring
Common Issues
Technical Problems
## Troubleshooting Guide
### Video not working:
1. "Can you try turning your camera off and on?"
2. "Let's both try refreshing"
3. "Let's switch to audio only and continue"
4. Worst case: Reschedule
### Audio issues:
1. "Let's both mute/unmute"
2. "Can you try phone audio?"
3. Provide phone dial-in
### Coding tool issues:
1. "Try refreshing the CoderPad"
2. "You can share your screen and use local IDE"
3. Have backup repl.it link ready
### Internet unstable:
1. Suggest they turn off video
2. Phone audio as backup
3. If repeated, reschedule gracefully
Candidate Anxiety
Virtual can increase anxiety:
- Warm up with easy conversation
- Normalize asking for clarification
- Give thinking time
- Don’t react negatively to struggle
- Remember: they’re interviewing from home
Remote Onboarding Preview
Virtual interviews can preview remote onboarding:
Assess:
- Written communication skills
- Self-direction indicators
- Comfort with async
- Documentation habits
Signal questions:
- “How do you prefer to communicate with teammates?”
- “Describe a time you worked on a distributed team”
- “How do you stay organized working remotely?”
Metrics
Track interview effectiveness:
metrics:
- candidate_nps: "How was your interview experience?"
- time_to_feedback: Hours from interview to debrief
- offer_acceptance_rate: Compare to historical
- new_hire_performance: 6-month correlation
- interviewer_consistency: Cross-interviewer variance
Key Takeaways
- Virtual interviews can be as effective as in-person with right preparation
- Test tools before interviews; have backup plans
- Give candidates clear instructions and setup testing opportunities
- Keep interviews to 45-50 minutes; video fatigue is real
- Use collaborative coding tools with syntax highlighting
- Virtual whiteboards work for system design; let candidate drive
- Calibrate interviewers regularly; virtual adds new biases
- Don’t penalize for technical issues or home environment
- Candidate experience matters even more virtually
- Document feedback immediately; details fade fast
Virtual interviewing is here to stay. Teams that do it well will have an advantage in hiring great engineers.