Getting invited to an in-person interview is a big win. It means the company already sees you as a strong contender and wants to know how you operate in a real working environment. At this stage, the focus shifts from just proving your technical ability to demonstrating how you operate in a real working environment.
Regardless of your role (developer, QA engineer, BI analyst, AI specialist, Designer, or Product Manager), your day has two primary objectives:
Collaborative Problem Solving: Show the team how you think, analyse, and approach challenges, not just that you can execute perfectly.
Team Fit Demonstration: Prove that you would be a great cultural and professional addition to the existing team.
The in-person interview is less about checking off skills on a list and more about observing your:
Communication Style: Can you clearly articulate complex ideas?
Collaboration Skills: How do you interact with potential teammates?
Adaptability: How do you handle unexpected problems or feedback?
1. The Big 5: What Interviewers Are Grading
In-person interviews give companies a much clearer picture of your working style. Some qualities are easier to observe face-to-face than remotely.
Across all tech roles, there are five key traits interviewers are typically looking for: collaboration, clarity, problem-solving, adaptability, and presence.
Collaboration: Your ability to work with others
This is about showing that you are someone people enjoy working with. Treat the interviewer like a teammate, not an examiner. Build on what they say and make the conversation feel like a shared problem rather than a test.
Clarity: Your communication and reasoning
This is another critical trait. Think out loud. Explain your process and reasoning clearly, making it easy for interviewers to follow your thought progression.
Problem-solving: Your approach to complexity
Show how you handle trade-offs, complex challenges and constraints. It is less about getting the perfect answer and more about your methodology in getting to the answer.
Adaptability: Your response to the unexpected
Curveballs happen in every interview. Staying calm, curious, and reflective shows that you can pivot under pressure.
Presence and Rapport: Your overall energy and engagement
Smile, make eye contact, and engage warmly with everyone you meet. A confident yet approachable presence can make a lasting impression.
2. Collaborative Problem Solving: The Technical Session
The technical or role-specific portion of an in-person interview is a mini version of your day-to-day work. This session is focused on demonstrating how you think, communicate, and manage complexity.
Follow these principles:
Step 1: Clarify and Align
Before writing a single line of code or drawing a diagram, make sure you understand the objective.
Ask Questions: Invest time upfront to define the scope, constraints, and edge cases.
Restate the Problem: Summarise your understanding of the prompt back to the interviewer to ensure you are solving the right problem.
Define Assumptions: State any assumptions you are making about the data, system, or expected output.
Step 2: Structure and Visualise
Break down your approach into logical, manageable steps before diving into the details.
Use Visuals: Use a whiteboard, notebook, or diagram to illustrate your thinking.
Why this helps: Visualising your process makes it significantly easier for interviewers to follow your thought process and provides a shared reference point.
Outline Your Plan: Structure your approach (e.g., "First, I'll handle the data parsing; second, I'll define the core logic; finally, I'll consider error handling").
Step 3: Handle Complexity and feedback
Demonstrate resilience and openness when faced with challenges.
Don't Panic: If you hit a dead end, take a breath, state your confusion, and walk back through your logic step-by-step.
Welcome Feedback: Stay calm and open to the interviewer's suggestions. They are often more interested in how you deal with uncertainty and iterate than they are in the exact, perfect initial solution.
Discuss Trade-offs: Articulate the pros and cons of different solutions (e.g., speed vs. memory usage).
3. Mastering the STARE Method
The STARE method (Situation, Task, Action, Result, Evaluation) ensures your stories don't just prove what you did, but show how you think and how you grow. While the Action remains the "meat" of the story, the Evaluation provides the "insight" that sets you apart.
Situation
Set the stage. Provide quick, high-level context. Think of this as the opening scene of a movie; keep it to 1-2 sentences. Avoid long backstories; just give enough detail so the interviewer understands the environment.
Task
Define the objective. Explain the specific challenge or goal. What were you trying to achieve, fix, or overcome? This helps the interviewer understand your priorities and the stakes involved.
Action
The "How" and "Why." This is the most critical section. Describe the specific steps you took. Don't just list tasks, explain your logic, the choices you made, and the trade-offs you considered. Use "I" statements to own your contribution.
Result
The "What." Share the tangible outcomes. What changed? Use data or specific feedback where possible (e.g., "reduced processing time by 20%" or "the client renewed their contract").
Evaluation
The "So What?" Conclude with a brief reflection. What did you learn from this experience? If you could do it again, what would you change? This demonstrates growth, self-awareness, and the ability to apply lessons to future challenges.
4. Logistics and Preparation Checklist
A little preparation goes a long way. Taking these proactive steps demonstrates engagement and helps ensure you walk into the interview feeling calm and confident.
Before the Day
Review: Refresh your memory on recent projects and key technical areas that relate to the role.
Research: Look up the company's values and recent news so you know what they care about and can align your answers accordingly.
Prepare Questions: Write down insightful questions you want to ask the interviewers. This ensures you gather all the information you need to make an informed decision.
Logistics Check: Sort out your route, parking, or building access so you are not rushing on the day.
Tech Check (If applicable): If you need your laptop, ensure it is updated, the charger is packed, and you have closed any applications that might cause random pop-ups.
What to Bring
Essentials: A notebook and pen for jotting down notes or planning solutions.
Tech: Your laptop and charger, if required for the session.
Comfort: A water bottle.
Access: Any necessary building access codes or ID details.
On the Day
Aim to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early. This gives you time to settle your nerves.
Be ready for small changes, such as an unexpected whiteboarding session or a different interviewer, or a room change.
If nerves kick in, take a brief moment to think before answering. A pause is always better than a rushed, unclear response.
Remember, you are being observed by everyone you meet. Be friendly and courteous to the receptionist, assistants, and potential teammates - not just your main interviewer.
5. Strategic Questions to Ask
Asking smart, focused questions during your interview shows that you are evaluating the company as much as they are evaluating you. This demonstrates curiosity, thoughtfulness, and strategic thinking and is critical for deciding if the role and team are the right fit.
We recommend organising your questions into 5 categories to gain the most actionable insights:
Culture and Growth
These questions help you understand the company environment, how employees grow, and whether the culture aligns with your values.
What is the most important thing you have learned from working here?
Is there anything you wish someone had told you before you joined?
What is unique about working here that you have not experienced elsewhere?
How does the company support internal mobility or continuous learning?
Role and Team Fit
These questions uncover expectations, workflows, and opportunities within the team, giving you clarity in your first 3-6 months.
What would be the most important problem you would want me to solve if I joined?
What would I work on first, and who would I work most closely with?
How do you train or ramp up new team members?
How does this team define success, and how is that measured?
Technical and Product Insight
These questions reveal the technical or role-specific challenges, priorities, and decision-making processes within the organisation.
What are the biggest technical or product challenges the team is facing right now?
How does the team balance working on new features versus ongoing maintenance?
How do you evaluate new technologies, and who makes the final decisions on architecture/tools?
Can you describe the team’s typical release or deployment process?
Leadership and Management
These questions help you understand the leadership style, team dynamics, and approach to problem-solving from your potential managers.
Have you managed a poor performer before? What did you do, and what was the outcome?
How does the management team deal with mistakes?
What is your leadership style, and how do you approach supporting your team?
What is the typical cadence for one-on-one meetings?
Company Level and Strategic
When speaking with senior leadership ( e.g., CEO, CTO, VP), these questions demonstrate strategic thinking and help you understand the company’s direction, stability and priorities.
How are you funded, and is the company profitable? If not, what is the plan and timeline for profitability?
How does the company decide what major projects to work on next, and how is the vision communicated across departments?
What is the company's biggest competitive advantage in the market right now?
What major organisational changes or growth initiatives are planned for the next 12-18 months?
Tip: Pick a few questions that feel most relevant to your role and curiosity, and mix them across categories. Focus on quality and follow up based on the conversation.
6. Important Thing to Remember
Talent Advisor
Your Talent Advisor has been trained specifically to help you prepare and strategise for your interviews, so make use of them!
AI tools
Using AI is fine, but interviewers may ask you to work independently. If they don’t, make sure to be open and transparent about where and how you used AI.
Accessibility
If you need accommodations such as extra time or a quieter room, it is absolutely okay to ask in advance.
Overall takeaway
An in-person interview is your chance to show what you’re like to work with. Beyond your technical ability, interviewers want to see how you think, communicate, and handle uncertainty, and whether you bring a positive, collaborative energy to the room.
If you stay clear, curious, and comfortable engaging with the team, you make it easy for them to picture you fitting in day to day.
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