Async Interviews: Pros, Cons, and Best Practices

Scheduling interviews is painful. Back-and-forth emails. Calendar conflicts. Timezone math. Rescheduled calls. Days wasted.

Async interviews solve this. You send questions. Candidates record video/written responses on their schedule. You review when it's convenient. No live call needed.

They're not right for every role or every stage—but when used well, they can cut your time-to-hire in half. Here's everything you need to know.

What Are Async Interviews?

An async interview is a pre-recorded, one-way interview where:

1. You send candidates a set of questions
2. Candidates record video or written responses (usually 5-10 questions)
3. You review responses on your own time
4. Top candidates move to live interviews

Common Formats:

• Video responses (most common)
• Written responses (text-based)
• Audio-only responses
• Hybrid (mix of video + text)

Typical Timeline:

• Candidate receives link: Day 1
• Deadline to complete: 48-72 hours
• Hiring team reviews: 1-2 days
• Total time: 3-5 days vs. 7-14 for live

Key Difference from Live Interviews:

Async = one-way (no back-and-forth). You can't ask follow-ups in real-time. Questions must be self-contained.

When to Use Async Interviews

✓

1. High-Volume Screening

You have 50+ applicants and need to narrow to 5-10 for live interviews. Async lets you screen faster without calendar gymnastics.

✓

2. Global/Remote Teams

Candidate is in Sydney, interviewer in San Francisco. Scheduling across 16-hour time difference is a nightmare. Async solves it.

✓

3. Entry-Level Roles

For junior roles where you need to assess communication skills and culture fit, but don't need deep technical discussion yet.

✓

4. Early-Stage Screening

Replace the initial phone screen. Async gives you the same signal (communication, enthusiasm, basic fit) without the live call.

✓

5. Fast-Moving Processes

You need to move in days, not weeks. Async eliminates scheduling delays entirely.

✓

6. Candidate-Friendly Scheduling

Candidates who are currently employed appreciate the flexibility. No need to sneak away for a call during work hours.

DON'T Use Async For:

• Senior/executive roles (too impersonal)
• Deep technical assessments (need back-and-forth)
• Final-round interviews (relationships matter)
• Roles where spontaneity is key (sales, customer-facing)
• When you need to sell the role heavily

Pros and Cons

PROS

1. Time Flexibility

No scheduling. Candidates respond at 9pm if they want. You review at 6am if you want.

2. Speed

Cut screening time from 2 weeks to 3 days. No waiting for calendars to align.

3. Consistency

Every candidate gets the exact same questions. Fairer comparison. Better data.

4. Review on Demand

Pause, rewatch, share with team. Can't do that on a live call.

5. Scalable

Interview 50 candidates without 50 hours of calls. Review in batches.

6. Global-Friendly

Timezone? Irrelevant. Hire from anywhere.

7. Candidate Prep Time

Candidates can think before answering. Often produces better, more thoughtful responses.

8. Reduced No-Shows

Candidates complete on their schedule. No forgotten calendar invites.

CONS

1. Less Personal

No rapport building. Feels transactional. Candidates can't ask questions.

2. No Follow-Up Questions

Can't dig deeper in real-time. Miss nuance and context.

3. Tech Barriers

Camera issues, upload problems, poor lighting. Some candidates struggle with the format.

4. Scripted Feeling

Candidates may over-rehearse. You lose spontaneity and authenticity.

5. Candidate Skepticism

Some candidates find it impersonal or "lazy." May hurt employer brand if overused.

6. Limited Relationship Building

Can't sell the role or company in real-time. Harder to excite top talent.

7. Equity Concerns

Not everyone has quiet space, good wifi, or camera. Can disadvantage some candidates.

8. Hard to Assess "Vibe"

Cultural fit and personality harder to read without real conversation.

Bottom Line:

Async is a screening tool, not a replacement for human connection. Use it early in the funnel, then go live for final rounds.

Cut Your Time-to-Hire in Half

EasyApply includes async interview workflows, automated scheduling for live rounds, and built-in scorecards.

Start Free Trial →

SPEED

Best Practices

1. Set Clear Expectations Upfront

Tell candidates what to expect in the invite email.

✓ How many questions (usually 5-8)

✓ Time per question (usually 1-3 min each)

✓ Total time needed (15-20 min)

✓ Deadline to complete (48-72 hours)

✓ Can re-record answers (yes/no)

✓ What happens next

2. Keep It Short

Don't make it a marathon. Respect their time.

TOO LONG

15 questions, 5 min each = 75 min total

JUST RIGHT

5-7 questions, 2 min each = 10-15 min total

3. Ask Open-Ended, Self-Contained Questions

You can't ask follow-ups, so each question must stand alone.

BAD (too vague)

"Tell me about yourself."

BAD (needs follow-up)

"What's your biggest weakness?"

GOOD (specific)

"Walk me through your experience with [specific skill]. What's a project where you used it?"

GOOD (complete)

"Describe a time you missed a deadline. What happened and what did you learn?"

4. Allow Re-Recording

Let candidates re-record answers (up to 2-3 attempts). Reduces anxiety, gets better responses.

5. Test Your Questions First

Have someone internal complete the async interview. Does it feel reasonable? Too long? Confusing questions?

6. Review Quickly

Candidates spend 15-20 min on this. Don't let it sit for a week. Review within 2 business days.

Pro tip: Block 1-2 hours, batch-review all responses at once. More efficient and fairer comparison.

7. Use a Scorecard

Rate each candidate on the same criteria. Don't rely on gut feel.

Example Scorecard:

• Communication clarity (1-5): ___

• Relevant experience (1-5): ___

• Culture fit signals (1-5): ___

• Enthusiasm for role (1-5): ___

• Total score: ___/20

8. Combine with Live Interview

Don't make the entire process async. Use it to narrow the pool, then go live.

Application → Async Screen → Live Interview → Offer

9. Follow Up Personally

After async, reach out personally—whether advancing them or not.

"Thanks for taking the time to complete the async interview. I really appreciated your response about [specific thing]. We'd love to move you to the next stage—are you available for a live interview this week?"

10. Make It Accessible

Offer alternatives for candidates who can't do video:

• Written responses instead of video
• Audio-only recording
• Live phone screen as fallback

Async Interview Tools

Spark Hire

Most popular async video platform. Clean interface, good candidate experience.

Price: ~$150/mo

Best for: High-volume hiring

Modern Hire

Enterprise-grade. AI scoring, advanced analytics.

Price: Custom ($$$$)

Best for: Large companies

Willo

Simple, affordable, good for startups.

Price: ~$99/mo

Best for: Small teams, light usage

Harver

Combines async video with assessments and games.

Price: Custom

Best for: Volume hiring (retail, call centers)

Loom (DIY)

Not built for hiring, but you can hack it. Send Loom video of questions, candidates respond via Loom.

Price: Free - $15/mo

Best for: Budget-conscious, low-volume

EasyApply (Built-In)

Async interview workflows included. No extra tool needed.

Price: Included in platform

Best for: All-in-one hiring solution

What to Look For:

• Mobile-friendly (candidates often record on phone)
• Re-record option
• Clear time limits per question
• Easy sharing with hiring team
• Built-in scorecards
• GDPR/compliance features

Example Async Interview Questions

For Any Role (Screening)

1. Walk me through your background and why you're interested in this role. (2 min)
2. What do you know about our company, and what excites you about working here? (2 min)
3. Describe your work style and ideal team environment. (2 min)
4. Tell me about a time you faced a challenge at work. How did you handle it? (2 min)
5. What are your salary expectations and ideal start date? (1 min)

For Engineering Roles

1. Walk me through a recent technical project you're proud of. What was your role? What challenges did you face? (3 min)
2. Explain [relevant technology] to someone non-technical. (2 min)
3. Describe a time you had to debug a difficult issue. What was your process? (2 min)
4. How do you stay current with new technologies and best practices? (2 min)
5. Tell me about a time you disagreed with a technical decision. How did you handle it? (2 min)

For Marketing Roles

1. Share a marketing campaign you ran. What was the goal, what did you do, and what were the results? (3 min)
2. How would you approach marketing our product to [target audience]? (2 min)
3. Describe a time a campaign didn't perform as expected. What did you learn? (2 min)
4. What marketing channels do you have the most experience with, and which are you most excited to explore? (2 min)
5. How do you measure success in your marketing work? (2 min)

For Customer Success Roles

1. Tell me about a time you turned an unhappy customer into a happy one. What did you do? (2 min)
2. How do you prioritize when you have multiple urgent customer requests? (2 min)
3. Describe your approach to onboarding a new customer. (2 min)
4. Walk me through a time you identified a customer need that led to a product improvement. (2 min)
5. How do you stay motivated when dealing with difficult customers? (2 min)

For Sales Roles

1. Walk me through your most successful sale. What made it successful? (3 min)
2. How do you handle objections? Give me an example. (2 min)
3. Describe your sales process from lead to close. (2 min)
4. Tell me about a time you missed quota. What did you do differently the next quarter? (2 min)
5. How do you research and qualify leads? (2 min)

Pro Tip:

Keep 1-2 questions consistent across all candidates ("Tell me about yourself", "Why this role?") to make comparison easier.

Hire Faster with Async Interviews

EasyApply includes async interview workflows, automated reminders, built-in scorecards, and seamless handoff to live interviews.

Start Free Trial

No credit card required. Set up in 5 minutes.

FAST