# HackerRank Interview Best Practices

_Last updated: Jul 7, 2025, 2:02 PM (Last updated 10 months ago)_

This guide has been developed to assist you and your organization with best practices for HackerRank Interviews.

## **Why and when to use HackerRank Interviews**

HackerRank Interviews can be used to hire for roles at all levels but are especially beneficial for more Senior-level roles. 

## **Considerations before an interview**

1.  **Ensure candidates have the resources they need to feel comfortable.**

    - Provide detailed instructions and resources for candidates.

    - The [Candidate Support Page](https://candidatesupport.hackerrank.com/hc/en-us) has resources to help candidates prepare for, participate in, or follow up on an interview and find answers to frequently asked questions.

    - Ensure candidates are recommended to try out a [Sample Interview](https://click.pstmrk.it/2sm/www.hackerrank.com%2Fpaper%2Finterview%2Fcandidate/ih_I-DgN/EDcI/lCCPqkY_bx/aHJ3LWludGVydmlldy1zY2hlZHVsZWQ) to help prepare for their upcoming interview.

      **Note:** We recommend accessing the interview link using an incognito window or a browser not logged in to a HackerRank account.

    - Whiteboard sessions and conversations during interviews are recommended to put candidates at ease. 

2.  **Make sure your organization has enabled the Virtual Lobby.** Usually, this is turned on by default; this is a virtual waiting room for candidates to wait before entering the interview. (Enabled by Company Admin)

    - This is very helpful for panel-style interviews. With multiple interviews using a single link, it becomes essential to ensure that the participants inside the interview are not disturbed by the sudden appearance of others. 

    - [Using Virtual Lobby in HackerRank Interviews](https://support.hackerrank.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500000498441-Using-Virtual-Lobby-in-HackerRank-Interviews)

3.  **Interview Standardization** - use pre-defined templates.

    - A consistent interview process reduces bias while also providing a way to benchmark and compare candidates to get the right fit. To enable a consistent and structured interview process, interviewers need to ask similar questions to every candidate applying for a role and assess them on the same set of skills.

      - [Standardizing Interviews Using Templates](https://support.hackerrank.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500008525861-Standardizing-Interviews-Using-Templates)

    - Interview Templates help you achieve a consistent interview process! For a particular role, create a template of questions you want to ask and the skills you want to assess the candidate on. You can then use this template to interview every candidate applying for that role.

      - [Using Interview Templates](https://support.hackerrank.com/hc/en-us/articles/11065592866451-Using-Templates-in-Interviews)

    - Add Custom Skills to the Interview Scorecard along with the ability to provide a rubric for rating a candidate on a custom skill.

4.  **Show Candidate Timeline to the Interviewer (s)**

    - Import answered questions from a candidate’s HackerRank assessment for your organization into the interview. To enable access to the candidate timeline, refer to[📄 Creating an Interview](/articles/8404005945)
      \

5.  **Be familiar with the layout of a HackerRank interview**

    - [I/O Console Inside Interviews](https://support.hackerrank.com/hc/en-us/articles/13640312505363-I-o-Console-Inside-the-Interviews)

6.  **Make sure that** [Interviewer Guidelines](https://support.hackerrank.com/hc/en-us/articles/360049354333-Recommended-Questions-and-Interviewer-s-Guidelines) **are provided for custom questions**.

    - Provide a solution to enable interviewers the ability to compare a candidate's code to the solution.

7.  **Access interviews early** and set up questions before the scheduled time of the interview.

## **What steps can I take during an interview?**

1.  **Use interactive video and chat.**

    - You can work with candidates or view their contributions in real time, create a connection beyond the code, and interact more with them through video and chat.

    - For awareness, [the audio and video capabilities of HackerRank Interviews are powered by Zoom](https://support.hackerrank.com/hc/en-us/articles/9768223492883-Audio-and-Video-Calls-in-Interviews-Powered-by-Zoom). 

2.  **Take advantage of Interview Settings** such as Enable Auto Complete, Automatic Brace Completion, Change Screen name, and more. 

3.  [Observation Mode in Interviews](https://support.hackerrank.com/hc/en-us/articles/6970777755795-Observation-Mode-in-Interviews)

    - Observation Mode in HackerRank Interviews lets interviewers keep an eye on what happens on the candidate’s screen.

4.  **Provide feedback** during or after the interview with the [Interview Scorecard](https://support.hackerrank.com/hc/en-us/articles/360048405234-Interview-Scorecards).

## **What are the Recommended Steps While Ending an Interview and After an Interview?**

1.  **Ending the Interview will generate the Interview Report**.

    1.  Be aware [ending an interview is different from leaving the interview](https://support.hackerrank.com/hc/en-us/articles/115007300487-Ending-an-Interview#leave-or-end-an-interview).

    2.  Need more information on [Viewing an Interview Report](https://support.hackerrank.com/hc/en-us/articles/115007328727-Viewing-Interview-Reports)?

2.  If your organization utilizes an applicant tracking system or other HCM integration, copy the scorecard notes and upload them into your ATS.

**Want to learn more about HackerRank Interviews?** 

- Check out the [HackerRank Interview Learning Path](https://hackerrank.northpass.com/p/45310c43d92a71eb704fa7990cbb1168c54b0205) on the [HackerRank Academy](https://hackerrank.northpass.com/auth/auth_url_email/login).

**What’s New** - [The latest product news and updates from HackerRank](https://portal.productboard.com/n3atuxcngbrfdkucdhtkmrwm/tabs/6-released).