What is a one-way video interview?
A one-way video interview is a recorded interview with no one on the other end. You get a link, read or watch each question on screen, and record your answer within a time limit. The employer reviews the recordings later, sometimes with software scoring them first. It is also called an asynchronous or on-demand interview.
Employers use the format to screen many people early in the process. HireVue, one of the larger vendors, says in its 2025 Explainability Statement that it has hosted more than 40 million video interviews for over 1,100 customers. The same document says candidates can record answers "at a time of their choosing, using a computer, tablet or smartphone."
That flexibility is the main benefit for you. You can pick a quiet hour instead of fitting a live call into a workday. The cost is that no one reacts while you speak. There is no nod, no follow-up question and no chance to read the room.
What happens, step by step, in a one-way video interview?
You usually get an email with a link and a deadline to finish by. You open the link, check your camera and microphone, and read the instructions. Most platforms then offer a practice question. After that, each real question appears, a short preparation timer runs if the employer allows one, and recording starts.
Here is the typical sequence, though each employer sets its own:
- Invitation email with a link and a deadline.
- A device check for camera, microphone and browser.
- An instructions screen showing time limits and whether you can re-record.
- A practice question, on many platforms.
- The real questions, each with preparation time, a recording window and sometimes a retry.
- A confirmation screen, and sometimes a feedback report later.
HireVue's statement says a typical AI-scored assessment has 4 to 6 recorded questions plus 2 to 3 short games, taking 15 to 25 minutes in all. HireVue's candidate tips page says most on-demand interviews ask you to answer "in just a few minutes," and that you'll have the chance to do a practice question.
What can the employer change about the format?
Almost everything about timing. HireVue's statement lists preparation time per question as a setting from 0 to 5 minutes, or unlimited. Retries are a yes or no setting, and HireVue recommends allowing unlimited retries. The employer also decides whether you get a feedback report and how long your data is kept.
The employer also decides who or what reviews your answers. HireVue offers both traditional interviews and AI-scored ones. Its statement says its AI scores only the words you say, from a transcript, and not your face, body language, surroundings or tone of voice. The guide to HireVue interview tips explains that scoring in detail.
Other vendors work differently, and this guide does not describe their scoring. Read the instructions screen on any platform before your first real answer. It is the best record of the rules for your interview.
How should you set up and practise?
Set up as you would for a live video call. HireVue's tips page suggests a spot free from distractions and noise, the strongest wifi you can get, and light in front of you, since light from behind makes you hard to see. It also says not to worry about eye contact with the camera.
Then practise the hard part, which is talking to a screen with no reaction. Record yourself answering five likely questions on your phone, with a timer set to the limit in your invitation. Play each one back and check three things: the first sentence answers the question, there is one specific example, and you finish before time runs out.
Most one-way questions are behavioural or about your interest in the role. The guides to behavioral interview questions and phone interview questions cover the common ones. The free interview question generator builds a practice set from the job posting you applied to.
How do you answer when no one reacts?
Answer in a fixed shape so silence doesn't throw you. Start with a one-line answer, give one example, and end with the result and what it shows about you. The STAR method is a simple version of that shape. Aim to finish with some time left, because a cut-off answer loses its ending.
Here is an example answer for "Tell us about a time you solved a problem for a customer," at about 60 seconds.
"In my last role I fixed a billing error that was costing us repeat customers. A client was double-charged three months running, and the support queue kept closing the ticket. I traced it to a setting in our billing system, worked with finance to refund the client, and wrote a check the team now runs each month. The client renewed, and we haven't had that error since."
If you stumble and retries are allowed, use one. If they aren't, keep going. A calm correction such as "Let me put that more clearly" is better than stopping.
What rights do you have in a one-way video interview?
Your rights depend on where the job is. Illinois has a law written for AI-analyzed video interviews, and New York City requires audits and notice for automated hiring tools. Ontario requires employers to disclose AI use in job postings, and US disability law requires reasonable accommodations in hiring. The table summarises each rule, with sources below it.
| Where | Rule | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois jobs | Artificial Intelligence Video Interview Act, in effect since January 1, 2020 | Notice, an explanation and your consent before AI analyzes your video; deletion within 30 days of your request |
| New York City | Local Law 144, enforced since July 5, 2023 | A bias audit of the tool within the past year, made public, and notice 10 business days before use |
| Ontario employers with 25 or more staff | Employment Standards Act changes in force since January 1, 2026 | Disclosure in the posting if AI is used in hiring |
| United States, all employers covered by the ADA | Americans with Disabilities Act | Reasonable accommodations in the hiring process, unless they cause undue hardship |
The Illinois text is on the Illinois General Assembly site. It also says an employer may share your video only with people whose expertise or technology is needed to evaluate you. New York City's rules are summarised by its Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. Ontario's are on the province's page of recent changes to the Employment Standards Act.
How do you ask for an accommodation?
Ask the employer's recruiter in writing before you start the interview. Say what you need, such as more time, captions, a format that works with a screen reader, or a live interview instead. Keep a copy of the request and the reply.
The US Justice Department's guidance on AI and disability discrimination in hiring says the ADA requires reasonable accommodations during hiring, unless they would create an undue hardship. Its example is an online interview program that doesn't work with a blind applicant's screen reader. In that case, it says, the employer must provide an accommodation, such as an accessible version.
Here is an example request you can adapt.
Hi [name], thank you for the invitation to the video interview for [job title]. Because of a disability, I'd like to request [an accommodation, for example extra time per answer or a live video interview instead]. Please let me know how you'd like to proceed. Thank you, [your name]
HireVue's statement says its system has "well-defined alternative assessments" for candidates who need accommodations. It also says candidates can opt out of AI scoring and have a recruiter rate their answers by hand instead. Your employer decides how those options are offered.
What should you do after you submit?
Note the date you finished and the deadline the employer gave. Then keep applying elsewhere while you wait. If you hear nothing within the time the employer gave, a short, polite check-in is fine, and the guide to following up on a job application has templates.
If you are invited to a live round next, the guide to questions to ask the interviewer helps you prepare for the two-way part. Prept's Mock room lets you practise answering out loud on a clock, with each answer scored out of 10 and checked against your resume, in the free plan.