Microsoft Teams Interview: How to Prepare and What to Expect (2026)

A Microsoft Teams interview is a video call like any other, but a few things trip people up: how you join, the lobby, which audio and camera Teams picked, and what is visible when you share your screen. This guide covers what to expect and gives you a checklist for the day before. The parts about joining, the lobby and background blur come from Microsoft's own support pages, read on October 17, 2026. Menu names vary by Teams version and by whether the account is for work, school or personal use, so check the pre-join screen.

Disclosure: this page is published by yestotheoffer, which makes a desktop app for online interviews. This guide is about the Teams interview itself, and the advice applies whether or not you use any tool.

How you will be asked to join

The invitation usually contains a link. You can join in two ways.

• With the Teams app, if you have it installed and are signed in.
• Without an account. Microsoft's guidance is that you can join a Teams meeting anytime, from any device, without signing in. Open the link, choose to continue in the browser, and enter your name. On the mobile app you tap to join as a guest and type your name.

Some organizers add extra steps. Depending on the meeting, admin settings may stop unverified people from joining, and you may have to enter a one-time passcode sent to your email or sign in with a Teams account. If the link does not work, ask the recruiter for another way in rather than guessing.

The lobby

Many interviews put you in a lobby first. Lobby access is set by the organizer, and people without a Teams account do not skip it. You wait until someone in the meeting admits you. Microsoft says that if no one admits you within 30 minutes, you are removed from the lobby.

What to do:

• Join about five minutes early so you are in the lobby when the interviewer arrives.
• Stay on the page and do not click away.
• If nothing happens after a few minutes past the start time, message the recruiter by email or phone to say you are waiting.

The pre-join screen: check these every time

Teams shows a pre-join screen before you enter. This is the place to fix most problems.

Audio

Choose the audio source you want. Computer audio uses your default speaker and microphone. Pick the headset you plan to use and test it. Some settings may be unavailable because of organizer or IT policies.

Camera and background

Check that your camera is on and that you can see yourself. On the desktop app, open Effects and avatars on the pre-join screen to blur your background. Microsoft notes that blurring or replacing the background may not prevent sensitive information from being visible, so also tidy the shelf, remove papers and close the door. If your face looks missing behind the blur, turn the effect off and check whether the camera is covered.

Name and account

Check the name that will appear. Use your full name, not a nickname or an old username.

Setting up your space

• Light from the front, not behind you. A window behind you turns you into a silhouette.
• Camera at eye level. Stack books under a laptop if you need to.
• A headset with a microphone. Laptop speakers can echo.
• A wired connection or a strong Wi-Fi signal, and the other devices on the network quiet.
• Phone on silent and notifications off, on the computer too.
• Water, a pen and a notebook where you can reach them.

Screen sharing in a Teams interview

Some interviews ask you to share a screen to show a portfolio, a document or code. Teams lets you share the entire screen or a single window. Share the one window you need, close email and chat apps before the call, and turn off desktop notifications so private messages do not pop up. Practice the sharing steps once in a test call, including how to stop sharing.

If the interview includes a coding exercise, check in advance which tool will be used (a shared editor, an assessment platform or your own screen) and what the rules are.

Recording and transcription

Teams meetings can be recorded and transcribed. According to university IT help pages, starting a recording or transcription shows a notification to all participants. The invitation or the recruiter may tell you whether the interview will be recorded. If you are not sure, ask politely at the start. Do not record an interview yourself without checking the rules where you and the interviewer are, because consent rules vary by place.

Camera, clothing and what is behind you

Treat a Teams interview like an in-person one. Dress as you would for the office the company works in, and choose plain colors that look clear on camera. Check what is behind you: a clean wall or a tidy shelf is enough. A blurred background hides some clutter, but not all of it, as Microsoft's own page warns.

Put the camera at eye level and sit about an arm's length from the screen so your head and shoulders are in view. Look at the camera lens when you want to seem direct, and at the other person's face when they speak.

Chat, hands and other Teams controls

Teams has a chat, a raised-hand option and reactions. In an interview, the interviewer may paste a link or a question into the chat, so keep the chat panel easy to open. Do not use reactions unless the interviewer does first. If you are in a panel, mute yourself when you are not speaking, and unmute before you answer.

Common problems and quick fixes

Menu names and options vary between Teams versions and between work, school and personal accounts, so look at the pre-join screen and the settings menu in the version you use.

When the company uses its own Teams

If a company sends the invitation from its own Teams account, you may be a guest in their organization. That can mean the organizer decides about the lobby, recording and who can present. Do not expect to change settings. If something does not work, tell the recruiter calmly, and use the backup plan you prepared.

The day-before checklist

1. Open the invitation and confirm date, time and time zone.
2. Click the link on the day before and look at the pre-join screen. Do not wait for the interview day.
3. Test audio and camera with a friend in a Teams call, using the same headset.
4. Update Teams if an update is pending, and restart the computer.
5. Have a backup: the browser if the app fails, your phone if the computer fails, the recruiter's phone number and email.
6. Tidy the camera view and dress fully, in case you need to stand up.
7. Print or open your resume, the job description and your short stories. See how to prepare for a phone interview for the notes structure, which works the same way on video.

During the interview

• Look at the camera when you speak, and at the screen when you listen. It is a small habit that helps you look engaged.
• Pause after a question. Video adds a short delay, and talking over each other happens easily.
• Mute when you are not speaking in a panel. See the panel interview guide.
• If the connection drops, rejoin with the same link and send a short message to the recruiter.
• At the end, thank them and ask about next steps. A short thank-you email the same day helps.

If you are thinking about an AI interview assistant

Candidates ask whether interview assistants work with Teams. Many employers ban outside help in interviews, and breaking that rule can cost you the offer. Read the interview instructions and ask the recruiter if you are not sure. For preparation where live use is not allowed, a transcript tool can help you review how you answered afterward. The compatibility details for Zoom, Google Meet and Teams across several tools are in the compatibility guide, and yestotheoffer is a desktop app for macOS and Windows with 30 free minutes for new accounts, so you can test your setup.

Sources

Read on October 17, 2026. Teams menus change between versions.

• Microsoft Support, join a meeting without an account in Microsoft Teams: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/teams/meetings/join-a-meeting-without-an-account-in-microsoft-teams
• Microsoft Support, using the lobby in Microsoft Teams meetings: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/using-the-lobby-in-microsoft-teams-meetings-eaf70322-d771-4043-b595-b40794bac057
• Microsoft Support, change your background in Microsoft Teams meetings: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/teams/meetings/change-your-background-in-microsoft-teams-meetings
• Microsoft Support, manage audio settings in Microsoft Teams meetings: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/teams/meetings/manage-audio-settings-in-microsoft-teams-meetings
• University IT help pages on recording notifications, for example https://help.illinoisstate.edu/technology/support-topics/communication-and-collaboration-tools/microsoft-365/microsoft-teams/recording-meetings-in-microsoft-teams