Best Practices for Remote Technical Interviews

Best Practices for Remote Technical Interviews

Technical interviews have moved online, bringing new challenges and opportunities. Here's how to do them right.

Setting Up for Success

Before the Interview

• Send clear technical requirements
• Recommend a quiet environment
• Share your screen sharing requirements
• Provide code editor setup instructions

Environment Setup

• Use a stable internet connection
• Have backup communication method
• Test audio and video beforehand
• Use an appropriate background

Protecting Privacy During Interviews

For Candidates

• Interview from a safe, private location
• Don't display sensitive information
• Use private coding environment
• Control what's shared

For Interviewers

• Only access agreed-upon code
• Don't record without consent
• Respect candidate's environment
• Keep feedback confidential

The Privacy Risk In Technical Interviews

Remote interviews are unusual because both sides may share screens. Candidates can accidentally reveal personal files, private repositories, browser history, messages, or job-search context. Interviewers can accidentally reveal scorecards, internal notes, candidate comparisons, or customer data in open tools.

That makes privacy part of candidate experience. A well-run interview tells the candidate what they will share, when they will share it, and how recordings or notes will be handled. It also gives them time to prepare their environment instead of surprising them with a screen-share request mid-call.

Candidate-Friendly Screen Sharing Setup

Before a technical interview, send a short prep note:

• Which tool will be used for the call
• Whether screen sharing is required
• Whether recording is enabled
• Whether the candidate can use their own editor
• What kind of content they should avoid showing

During the interview, ask before any screen-share step. If the candidate needs a minute to close tabs or move windows, treat that as normal. Good privacy hygiene should not feel like a penalty.

Interviewer Privacy Checklist

Interviewers should prepare too:

1. Close ATS scorecards, private notes, and other candidate profiles
2. Use a clean browser profile for the interview
3. Hide browser tabs during meetings if multiple tools are open
4. Avoid sharing internal Slack, email, or customer systems
5. Do not record without explicit consent and a clear retention policy

For coding interviews that involve AI tools or browser-based docs, hide ChatGPT sidebar history during screen recording and hide browser tabs during meetings are especially relevant.

Technical Best Practices

Platform Selection

• Use platforms with recording controls
• Enable password protection
• Support screen sharing
• Provide accessibility features

Code Sharing

• Use dedicated coding platforms (LeetCode, HackerRank)
• Share isolated environments
• Control access precisely
• Provide sandbox environments

Making Candidates Comfortable

• Explain what you'll be looking at
• Give them control over their environment
• Don't share their screen unnecessarily
• Respect their setup choices

After the Interview

• Securely store any code samples
• Follow up promptly
• Respect privacy in feedback
• Maintain confidentiality throughout

FAQ

Should remote technical interviews be recorded?

Only when there is a clear reason, consent is explicit, and the retention policy is known. If recording is not necessary, skip it.

What should candidates hide before sharing?

Private browser tabs, personal messages, unrelated repositories, desktop files, password managers, and any employer or client information from previous work.

What should interviewers hide before sharing?

Candidate scorecards, internal hiring notes, other candidate profiles, customer systems, Slack messages, and any private company data that is not part of the interview.

Related BlurMe Guides

Before any interview screen share, use the screen sharing privacy checklist before client demos. Interviewers and candidates can also use hide browser tabs during meetings, how to blur sensitive information while screen sharing, and hide ChatGPT sidebar history during screen recording to avoid exposing unrelated work or personal context.

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Sources

• CISA, Guidance for Securing Video Conferencing, https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/CISA_Guidance_for_Securing_Video_Conferencing_S508C.pdf
• OpenAI Help Center, How to Delete and Archive Chats in ChatGPT, https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8809935-how-to-delete-and-archive-chats-in-chatgpt
• Google Chrome Help, Install and manage extensions, https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/2664769?hl=en