Interviews are often viewed from the candidate's perspective: preparing a CV, preparing answers, arriving on time, and trying to make the best possible impression during the meeting. However, in reality, an effective interview does not depend solely on the candidate's preparation. Recruiters need to prepare just as seriously.

These are all important steps, but looking only at the candidate's side is not enough to create an effective interview.

This is especially true for IT companies, where many positions require a combination of technical expertise, practical experience, and the ability to work effectively within a team. A well-prepared interview helps both sides understand each other better and make more informed decisions.

When both sides prepare seriously, an interview is no longer simply a question-and-answer session. It becomes a professional discussion that allows both parties to understand each other more clearly before making a decision.

Table of Contents

1. Why does an effective IT interview require preparation from both sides?
2. Four steps recruiters should prepare before an interview
3. How IT candidates can prepare to stand out
4. Common mistakes that make interviews less effective
5. Frequently asked questions about interviews at VAON
6. Conclusion

1. Why Does an Effective Interview Require Preparation from Both Sides?

A good interview does not begin when the candidate walks into the interview room. It begins when both the company and the candidate clearly understand what they want to learn about each other.

For candidates, the goal is not simply to answer questions correctly in order to increase their chances of receiving an offer. They also need to understand what work they will be doing, who they will be working with, what the environment is like, and what expectations come with the role.

From the recruiter's perspective, an interview should not be viewed merely as a process of "testing" a candidate. A good hiring decision requires enough information to determine whether the candidate truly meets the needs of the position.

This is particularly important when interviewing for IT roles at technology companies. An engineer may have strong theoretical knowledge but may not have experience solving the specific problems a project is facing. A candidate with many years of experience may not necessarily fit the working style of a particular team. Conversely, someone who has never used the company's exact technology stack may still be an excellent fit if they have strong fundamentals, clear thinking, and the ability to learn quickly.

Therefore, an effective interview should help the company answer three questions:

• What does the candidate actually know, and what have they actually done?
• How well will the candidate fit the role and the team's way of working?
• Are the role and the working environment a good fit for the candidate's expectations?

Answering these questions helps reduce mismatched expectations on both sides throughout the hiring process.

At VAON, after applying a standardized two-way interview model to large-scale offshore development projects, we observed a 40% increase in first-year employee retention (VAON internal data, 2026). This demonstrates that when both sides prepare carefully, interviews shift from "question and answer" sessions to professional discussions that help everyone make better decisions.

2. Four Steps Recruiters Should Prepare Before an Interview

According to Harvard Business Review (2025), the first step toward conducting an excellent interview is to clearly define the role and establish a structured evaluation process. As a provider of Bridge System Engineers (BrSE) and Dedicated Teams, VAON applies the following four-step framework.

Research the Candidate's CV and Background Thoroughly

Review the candidate's projects and the technologies they have worked with in detail.

This helps interviewers move beyond generic questions and engage in deeper technical discussions while demonstrating respect for the candidate's time.

Prepare a Structured Question Set

Once the candidate's background is understood, the next step is to identify the topics that need clarification during the interview.

The goal is to help interviewers understand exactly what they are evaluating while ensuring that candidates applying for the same position are assessed against reasonably consistent criteria.

Questions should generally be distributed across three areas:

• Technical Interview: Evaluate the candidate's ability to solve real-world problems using technology.
• Behavioral Interview: Ask about how the candidate handled conflicts, deadlines, or project pressure in the past.
• Culture Fit: Assess alignment with the company's core values and working environment.

For Junior candidates, interviews may focus more heavily on technical fundamentals, learning ability, and approaches to problem-solving.

For Senior or Lead candidates, the evaluation can expand to include system design, technical decision-making, trade-offs, leadership, and the ability to handle complex challenges.

In other words, the same question set should not be used for every seniority level simply because the candidates are applying for the same technical role.

Align Evaluation Criteria (Rubric)

When multiple people participate in an interview, another challenge can arise: each interviewer may view the candidate from a different perspective.

One interviewer may focus on technical skills. Another may pay closer attention to communication. Someone else may prioritize project experience.

These different perspectives are valuable, but before the interview, the team should agree on which criteria matter most for the position.

Using a clear scorecard allows interview panel members to evaluate candidates consistently and reduces the influence of personal bias.

Establish a Professional Interview Environment

Inform candidates in advance about the interview format, such as whether live coding will be required and which platform will be used.

For online interviews, make sure the internet connection and meeting environment are stable and professional.

3. How IT Candidates Can Prepare to Stand Out

Just as recruiters prepare to evaluate candidates accurately, candidates should prepare to present their abilities accurately.

One common mistake is trying to memorize as many model answers as possible.

However, IT interviews often involve follow-up questions that explore the details behind a candidate's previous answers. Instead of memorizing scripts, candidates should focus on understanding their own experiences thoroughly.

Candidates should also view interviews as an opportunity to determine whether the company is a good fit for their career goals.

Research the Product and Company Culture

According to Forbes (2024), understanding a company's mission and achievements is an important part of interview preparation.

Read the job description carefully, review the company's engineering blog, and explore its public GitHub repositories if available.

Ask yourself:

• What problems does the company solve?
• Who are its customers?
• How does the engineering team work?

Prepare Real Examples (Case Studies)

Instead of saying:

"I'm good at React."

Try saying:

"I used React to reduce page load time by 20% for a system serving around 10,000 users."

Prepare examples of projects you are proud of and situations where you handled significant bugs or technical incidents.

A strong answer often follows this structure:

Context → Problem → Approach → Action → Result → Lesson Learned

Not every project allows candidates to share specific metrics, especially enterprise projects covered by NDAs.

In those cases, candidates should focus on explaining their approach to the problem, their personal contribution, and the technical decisions they made, while respecting confidentiality requirements.

Prepare Questions for the Interviewer

A good interview should not end with:

"Do you have any questions?"

followed by:

"No."

This is a valuable opportunity to gather more information about the company, working environment, and role.

Candidates can ask about company culture, benefits, the current state of the team, or how the organization operates.

For example:

• "How does the team's code review and CI/CD process currently work?"
• "What is the biggest technical challenge the team is facing today?"

Professional Conduct and Technical Preparation

Whether the interview is conducted in person or online, careful preparation shows respect for the interviewer and helps candidates feel more confident.

For online interviews, check your camera, microphone, headphones, internet connection, and meeting platform beforehand.

If you have GitHub, GitLab, or a portfolio, keep the links ready so you can share them immediately if requested.

For in-person interviews, plan your schedule so you arrive on time and have a few minutes to settle before the interview begins.

Present yourself neatly and professionally.

These details do not determine the entire outcome of an interview, but they demonstrate how seriously you take the opportunity.

4. Common Mistakes That Make Interviews Less Effective

Having enough interviewers, questions, and scorecards does not automatically guarantee an effective interview.

In practice, a few organizational mistakes can cause both sides to spend considerable time without gathering enough useful information.

An effective IT interview should not be treated as a competition where one side tries to "evaluate" while the other tries to "pass."

It is a key point of interaction between a candidate and a company.

Recruiters should prepare clear criteria, relevant questions, consistent evaluation methods, and a professional candidate experience.

Candidates should research the company, understand the role, prepare evidence from real experience, and actively ask questions.

When both sides prepare well, the interview creates value beyond a simple "pass" or "fail" result.

The company gains a stronger basis for evaluating the candidate's abilities, while the candidate gains enough information to decide whether the organization is the right place to grow.

Ultimately, a good hiring process does more than help a company hire the right person. It also helps candidates find the right job.

That is the foundation of a transparent, professional hiring relationship built for long-term compatibility.

5. Frequently Asked Questions About Interviews at VAON

How long does a technical interview at VAON usually last?

A technical interview at VAON typically lasts between 60 and 90 minutes.

The focus is not on solving complex whiteboard algorithms, but rather on system design and how candidates approach real-world project problems.

Am I required to complete a live coding test?

It depends on the position and seniority level.

For Junior and Middle positions, live coding or take-home assignments are often used to evaluate logical thinking.

For Senior and Lead positions, interviews generally focus more heavily on architecture and system design discussions.

Does "Culture Fit" mean finding someone with the same personality as the current team?

No.

At VAON, Culture Fit means sharing core values such as transparency, accountability, and a customer-focused problem-solving mindset.

It does not mean looking for people with identical personalities or hobbies.

Will I lose points if I do not have many personal projects on GitHub?

No.

We understand that many engineers work on enterprise projects with strict confidentiality agreements (NDAs).

You can still demonstrate your abilities by explaining how you approached and solved real-world problems during the in-depth interview.

Conclusion

An effective IT interview should not be treated as a competition where one side tries to "evaluate" while the other tries to "pass."

It is a meaningful point of interaction between a candidate and a company.

Recruiters need to prepare clear criteria, relevant questions, consistent evaluation methods, and a professional interview experience.

Candidates need to research the company, understand the position, prepare evidence from real experience, and actively ask thoughtful questions.

When both sides prepare carefully, the interview creates far more value than a simple "pass" or "fail" decision.

The company has a stronger basis for evaluating capabilities, while the candidate has enough information to decide whether the organization is the right environment for long-term growth.

Ultimately, a good hiring process does more than help companies hire the right people. It also helps candidates find the right opportunities.

That is the foundation of a transparent, professional hiring relationship built for long-term compatibility.