What Is a Technical Interview? A Complete Guide for Candidates & Hiring Teams
What is a technical interview? It is a structured evaluation process that companies use to assess a candidate’s job-specific, practical, and analytical skills in real-world scenarios. If you’re preparing to get hired in a technical field—or hire someone in one—this guide explains everything you need to know.
In the fast-evolving world of tech, data, and engineering, understanding what is a technical interview is essential. Technical interviews are not just about solving code challenges—they test how well a candidate can analyze problems, communicate ideas, and build scalable, logical solutions under pressure. Companies rely on these interviews to find candidates who can contribute meaningfully from day one.
This comprehensive article will help you understand what is a technical interview, explore its types, formats, benefits, and pitfalls, and guide you on how to take technical interview sessions effectively—whether you’re a hiring manager or an aspiring tech professional.
Looking to reduce manual effort in your hiring process? Consider interview outsourcing to streamline evaluations and free up internal resources.
What Is a Technical Interview?
If you’ve ever wondered, “what is a technical interview?”, you’re not alone. It is one of the most important stages of hiring for roles in software development, IT, engineering, data science, cybersecurity, and similar technical domains.
A technical interview is designed to assess your ability to solve technical problems in a structured, efficient, and creative way. Unlike general interviews, which focus on soft skills or work history, technical interviews measure your core knowledge, analytical thinking, and ability to apply concepts in real scenarios.
For companies with limited internal technical staff, working with a freelance interviewer can ensure expert-level assessments without overloading your engineering team.
What is a technical interview used for across industries?
- In software development, it might include coding problems, debugging exercises, or algorithm design.
- In engineering roles, candidates may be asked to solve design challenges, conduct load analysis, or discuss system efficiency.
- For data roles, technical interviews often include statistical analysis, SQL queries, and model evaluations.
- In IT, these interviews can cover infrastructure setup, security protocols, and problem resolution under pressure.
Understanding what is a technical interview prepares both candidates and recruiters to approach the process strategically and effectively.
Why Are Technical Interviews Important?
Knowing what is a technical interview is one part of the puzzle—but understanding why it matters is equally important.
For employers, technical interviews help:
- Confirm that candidates can perform the job they’re applying for.
- Filter out unqualified applicants early in the process.
- Ensure a stronger technical and cultural fit.
- Avoid poor hiring decisions that lead to project delays or team disruptions.
For candidates, technical interviews provide:
- A platform to show skills that aren’t obvious on a résumé.
- A way to prove hands-on experience and logical thinking.
- Insight into a company’s tech stack, values, and how it approaches problem-solving.
- A chance to demonstrate how they collaborate and communicate under pressure.
So, technical interview as a service in the hiring lifecycle? It’s the key checkpoint that determines whether someone can thrive in a technical role, beyond just theoretical knowledge.
Technical Interview Formats and Common Structures
If you’re trying to understand what is a technical interview, it’s essential to explore the many formats it can take. These interviews are never one-size-fits-all. They vary depending on role, company culture, and project demands.
Here are some of the most common formats in technical interviews:
- Phone Screen Interviews: Usually the first step, this involves light technical questions or brief problem-solving tasks to assess baseline knowledge.
- Online Coding Rounds: Conducted through platforms like HackerRank, Codility, or CoderPad. These involve solving real-time programming challenges.
- Onsite Interviews: These are more comprehensive. They often include whiteboard coding, architectural discussions, and system design tasks.
- Pair Programming: Candidates work live with an engineer to solve problems collaboratively. This reveals not just coding ability but also teamwork skills.
- Panel Interviews: A group of interviewers evaluates a candidate across multiple areas—coding, communication, leadership, and problem-solving.
- Take-Home Assignments: Candidates complete a challenge or build a feature on their own time. This format gives more room for creativity and depth.
Each of these formats plays a different role in answering what is a technical interview, and they’re often used in combination to create a well-rounded assessment.
How to Take Technical Interview (as a Recruiter)
Knowing how to take technical interview sessions as a hiring manager or recruiter is essential to making the process fair, consistent, and scalable.
Here’s how to do it right:
- Plan and Prepare
- Start by identifying the core competencies and skills required for the role.
- Choose the most relevant format: live coding, system design, or take-home assignments.
- Prepare a list of questions that test logic, fundamentals, and real-world application—not just textbook knowledge.
- Execute the Interview Properly
- Ask structured, open-ended questions that invite candidates to explain their reasoning.
- Allow candidates time to think, plan, and explain their thought process.
- Create a non-intimidating environment so candidates can perform at their best.
- Follow Up with Best Practices
- Use scoring rubrics or checklists to standardize evaluations.
- Give timely, constructive feedback to every candidate.
- Consider using Interview-as-a-Service platforms like Panls.ai to improve consistency, reduce bias, and save your team valuable time.
If you’re not sure how to take technical interview sessions consistently across roles or teams, outsourcing to experienced interviewers is often the best solution.
Top Tips for Candidates to Succeed in Technical Interviews
Understanding what is a technical interview as a candidate means more than just knowing how to code. It means preparing strategically.
Here are some actionable tips to succeed:
- Practice coding daily on platforms like Leetcode, InterviewBit, and HackerRank.
- Study data structures, algorithms, and problem patterns (greedy, recursion, dynamic programming).
- Think out loud when solving problems—it helps interviewers follow your logic.
- Ask clarifying questions if the problem statement isn’t clear.
- Prepare for behavioral questions as well—team collaboration matters.
- Review your own past projects and be ready to explain decisions you made.
Mistakes to Avoid in Technical Interviews
Understanding what is a technical interview also means knowing what not to do.
Common recruiter mistakes:
- Asking puzzles or trivia unrelated to the job.
- Not giving feedback or ghosting candidates.
- Running inconsistent interview formats that confuse candidates.
Common candidate mistakes:
- Memorizing solutions instead of understanding the logic.
- Not practicing under time constraints.
- Skipping communication—silent coding rarely impresses.
Avoiding these errors can drastically improve outcomes for both parties.
How Technical Interviews Are Evolving
The definition of what is a technical interview is evolving rapidly due to the rise of remote work, tech tools, and global hiring needs.
Key changes include:
- Remote and video-based interviews are now the default in many industries.
- Asynchronous coding tests are rising in popularity for global hiring.
- AI-powered tools are helping reduce human bias in assessments.
- Interview-as-a-Service (IAAS) solutions are automating technical rounds with professional interviewers.
These trends are reshaping what is a technical interview to be more fair, efficient, and scalable than ever.
When to Outsource Technical Interviews (IAAS Model)
Still wondering what is a technical interview process you can streamline? The answer is Interview-as-a-Service (IAAS).
You should outsource technical interviews if:
- Your engineering team lacks bandwidth to conduct multiple interviews.
- You need consistent evaluation across many candidates.
- You want to reduce hiring bias with standardized processes.
- You’re scaling quickly and need to accelerate the screening stage.
Services like Panls.ai provide qualified experts who handle the interviewing so your team can focus on growth.
Streamline Your Interviews with Panls.ai
If you’re tired of slowing down hiring because of too many interviews, Panls.ai is the solution. It’s an end-to-end Interview-as-a-Service (IAAS) platform designed to help growing tech companies scale hiring without sacrificing quality.
With Panls.ai, you can:
- Upload your job description and requirements
- Get instantly matched with qualified interviewers
- Automate scheduling, assessments, and feedback
- Receive structured, bias-free interview reports
Accelerate your hiring today with expert-led technical interviews that are fast, fair, and scalable.
Ready to streamline your hiring process? Book your free demo now
Conclusion
So, what is a technical interview really about? It’s more than a hiring formality—it’s a powerful tool for identifying top talent and ensuring they’re ready for real-world challenges. Whether you’re a recruiter designing the process or a candidate preparing to succeed, understanding the format, purpose, and evolution of technical interviews is vital.
And if you’re not sure how to take technical interview responsibilities in-house, there are tools and platforms that can make the entire process smarter, faster, and fairer.
Frequently Asked Questions
A technical interview is used to evaluate a candidate’s problem-solving ability, technical knowledge, and real-world thinking for job roles in software, IT, engineering, and more.
Practice coding, understand core concepts like algorithms and system design, and prepare to explain your logic during interviews.
Yes, if you can demonstrate strong fundamentals, structured thinking, and good communication, even entry-level candidates can succeed.
Phone screens, live coding rounds, whiteboard interviews, take-home assignments, and panel interviews.
Coding, logical reasoning, system architecture, debugging, teamwork, and communication.
Anywhere from 30 minutes for phone screens to several hours across multiple interview rounds.
Yes, with platforms like Panls.ai, you can outsource interviews to technical experts for consistency and efficiency.
Use structured scoring, standard questions, rubrics, and consider using third-party platforms to ensure consistency.
