You can vet a remote developer in two calls, as long as the technical check is already done before the first one. Skip the screening round, give the candidate a real problem, then use the second call to test how you will work together. Good candidates drop out of long processes, so fewer rounds is a hiring advantage, not a shortcut.
This guide shows what to settle before the calls, what to do in each one, and how to decide afterwards.
Why do five interview rounds lose good candidates?
Every extra round asks the candidate for another hour, another prep session and another wait. Strong engineers often have other offers, so they leave first.
Most early rounds also repeat each other. A phone screen, a technical chat, a take-home task and a panel often check the same thing: can this person code, and can they talk about it?
If you can answer those two questions before the first call, the first call can do something more useful.
Our view: a round should exist only if it tells you something the previous round did not.
What should be settled before the first call?
Three things need evidence on paper before you speak to anyone:
- Technical skill for this role. A test built for the role, scored, and ideally taken under supervision so you know the work is theirs. See what a technical test catches that interviews miss.
- Communication. A separate score or a short video introduction, so you can judge how they explain things before you book time.
- Background. Education and work history that someone has actually verified.
If you have these, a screening call adds almost nothing. If you do not, you will need extra rounds to rebuild them, which is how processes grow to five stages.
A clear brief helps here too. Our guide on writing a role brief that gets a shortlist fast covers it.
What happens in call one: a real problem from your week?
Keep it to about 45 minutes. Pick a real problem from your current work, something small enough to discuss without code access.
For example: a report that is slow, a webhook that sometimes fires twice, or a feature request with unclear edges. Describe it as you would to a new teammate.
Then watch, and do not rescue them. You are looking for:
- Do they ask questions before proposing a fix?
- Do they break the problem into parts and say which part they would do first?
- Do they name trade-offs and risks, not just one answer?
- Can they explain their reasoning in plain words?
- Do they say so when they do not know something?
This is not a trivia quiz. The test score already told you they can code. This call shows how they think when the problem is messy.
What happens in call two: how will you work together?
This call is about the working relationship. It is where remote hires usually succeed or fail, and it is often skipped.
Cover these topics:
- Time zones. Which hours overlap with your team? What do they do when a question comes up outside those hours?
- Feedback. Ask for an example of critical feedback on their code and what they did next.
- Being stuck. How long do they work alone before asking for help? What do they write when they ask?
- Written updates. How do they report progress when no one is watching?
- Start date and notice period. Settle the practical details while you are both engaged.
If you can, bring a teammate who will work with them daily. Their gut feeling is useful data.
How do you decide after two calls?
Write your decision within a day, while the calls are fresh. Score each candidate on the same short list: problem breakdown, clarity, handling of feedback, and fit with your working hours.
If a candidate is strong on the test and both calls, make the offer. Do not add a third call out of habit. The cost of delay is a lost candidate.
If you are unsure, name the one specific doubt. Then fix it with a targeted question or a short paid trial, not another general round. Our guide to picking a developer from profiles can help you compare when two people look close.
How does Talent Navigator support the two-call method?
Vetting is the product. Every visible profile has cleared four steps: a role-specific technical test taken under camera supervision, a separate communication score, a video introduction, and verified education and work history.
So the groundwork is attached to the profile before you open it. There is no recruiter in the middle: you search, shortlist and interview yourself. Our guide on hiring developers without a recruiter in between explains how that works.
The network has 50,000+ developers, and the first shortlist arrives in 48 hrs. Every placement comes with a 2 weeks risk-free trial.
What should you do this week?
- Count your current rounds and write what each one tests. Cut any that repeat another.
- Choose one real problem from this week's work for call one.
- Write your five call-two questions on time zones, feedback and being stuck.
- Make sure each candidate has a scored, supervised test before you speak to them.
- Agree a decision deadline of 24 hours after call two.
Frequently asked questions
Is two calls enough to hire a remote developer?
Yes, if the technical check is done before the first call. The calls then cover thinking and working style, which a test cannot show. Add a trial period to lower the risk further.
Do I still need a coding test of my own?
Not if the candidate already has a role-specific, supervised test score you trust. A second test mostly repeats the first and tires the candidate. Use your own problem in call one instead.
What if I do not trust a test score?
Check how it was taken. Was it role-specific, and was it supervised? Our guide to technical hiring assessment software lists what to look for.
If your hiring still drags through five rounds, try the two-call method on your next role. You can post your first job free and see scored profiles in 48 hrs.