Candidate Name: [Candidate Name]
Interview Date: [Interview Date]

Introduction

Welcome the candidate and provide an overview of the interview process. Explain the purpose of the onsite interview and set expectations for the discussion.

Background and Experience

Gather information about the candidate's background, education, and relevant work experience. Explore their technical expertise, programming languages, tools, frameworks, and any notable projects they have worked on.

Interviewees

List everyone's names, titles and contact info.

Interview Location

List the interview location or the meeting link. 

Problem-Solving and Algorithmic Skills

Evaluate the candidate's problem-solving abilities and algorithmic thinking through the following types of questions:

Algorithmic problem-solving:

• Present a coding problem or algorithmic challenge to solve on a whiteboard or coding environment.
• Assess their approach, code efficiency, and ability to handle edge cases.

Data structures and algorithms:

• Ask questions related to common data structures (e.g., arrays, linked lists, trees) and algorithms (e.g., sorting, searching, graph algorithms).
• Evaluate their understanding, ability to apply appropriate data structures, and analyze time and space complexities.

Architecture and System Design:

• Present a system design problem and evaluate their approach in designing a scalable, fault-tolerant, and efficient system.
• Assess their ability to choose appropriate technologies, handle data storage and retrieval, and consider system performance.

API Design:

• Discuss their experience with designing APIs and assess their understanding of RESTful principles, endpoint design, and request/response formats.

Coding and Development Skills

Evaluate the candidate's coding and development skills through the following:

Programming Language Proficiency:

• Ask questions specific to the programming language(s) relevant to your tech stack.
• Assess their familiarity, best practices, and ability to write clean, maintainable code.

Code Review:

• Review a code snippet or codebase with the candidate and evaluate their ability to identify potential issues, suggest improvements, and ensure code quality.

System Troubleshooting and Debugging

Assess the candidate's ability to troubleshoot and debug software systems by discussing the following:

Problem Diagnosis:

• Present a scenario or code snippet with a bug or performance issue and evaluate their approach to identifying and resolving the problem.

Logging and Debugging Tools:

• Discuss their experience with logging frameworks, debugging tools, and techniques for efficient debugging.

Communication and Collaboration

Evaluate the candidate's communication and collaboration skills through the following:

Team Collaboration:

• Ask about their experience working in teams and how they handle communication, conflict resolution, and knowledge sharing.

Technical Communication:

• Evaluate their ability to explain technical concepts, discuss solutions, and articulate their thought process clearly.

Closing and Candidate Questions

Provide an opportunity for the candidate to ask questions about the company, team, or role. Offer any final information about the next steps in the interview process.

 

Note: This template serves as a starting point for conducting onsite engineering interviews. Customize the questions and sections to align with your company's specific needs and evaluation criteria. Regularly review and update the interview guide to reflect changes in technology and evolving best practices.