What is an async interview?

Asynchronous means two things happen or exist at different times. When you apply that to the interview process, an async interview is one in which you send the questions to the interviewee, who then answers them and returns their responses to you later. This is different than a traditional interview where you ask a question and the candidate answers right away.

Asynchronous interviews are generally used as screening tools. You can have lots of candidates complete the interview questions to find the people who could be a good fit for your position. They’re the initial step with in-person or live video interviews happening after with the candidates you select.

How asynchronous interviews work

Most asynchronous interviews are conducted using software for video interviewing. Your HR department creates the questions and sets up the interviews. Candidates receive a link to the interview, which they can complete when they’re ready.

The questions are usually presented as written text, with one question appearing at a time, but you can also record videos introducing yourself and asking the questions. The interviewee has time to reach the question and respond. The interviewee records a video of themselves answering each question, which you can then access through the software program. You can view the responses when deciding which candidates to bring in for a full interview.

Pros of asynchronous interviews

If you’re exploring the idea of an async interview step, you want to know how it’ll benefit your company. Your HR department will likely enjoy several benefits that make the screening and interviewing process easier. Here are some of those benefits:

• Less time-consuming: After you create your list of one-way video interview questions, the process is much faster than traditional phone or video interviews. Your HR staff simply has to send the questions and wait for responses. They can review the responses quickly as they come in to identify candidates to schedule for additional interviews. Many programs have automatic screening capabilities that can streamline the review process.
• Fewer scheduling conflicts: Holding phone interviews is a common way to screen candidates, but it’s not always easy to schedule those interviews. An asynchronous interview process eliminates scheduling conflicts since the candidates answer on their timelines.
• Greater screening capacity: Traditional screening methods often limit how many candidates you can evaluate. You’re limited by how much time your HR department can spend on screening interviews. Sending lists of questions means you can screen a lot more candidates and potentially find a good match that would have otherwise been missed.
• Focus on key skills: You can create your one-way video interview questions to focus on the key skills you need from the person you hire. It’s not always easy to uncover these proficiencies by scanning resumes. With additional questions, you can identify the applicants who fit your criteria closely.
• Less pressure for candidates: Some job seekers are nervous about doing interviews. They might feel intimidated by interviewers or worry about coming up with a quick and impressive response. When they can choose when to do the interview, they can ensure they feel ready. Some interview programs allow candidates to rerecord their answers if they don’t like them, which can also help reduce some pressure.
• More manager involvement: Traditional screening interviews are often done by HR and are limited to one person. When you have recorded answers, you can share the videos with multiple hiring managers or interview team members to give everyone a chance to evaluate the candidates.
• Opportunity for branding: When you send a video containing the questions, you can add your company’s personality to it. You can create a warm, welcoming video that generates excitement about the opportunity.
• Technology skills check: Most jobs these days require the use of technology. Asking candidates to record and submit answers gives you a way to see how well they handle using technology in a small way. This can be especially helpful if you run a remote company and the selected candidate will use video chat features frequently.
• Broader candidate pool: Since applicants can answer when they’re ready without coming into your office, you can interview people from anywhere. Someone who lives in a different time zone can choose a time to interview that fits with their schedule.
• Consistency: All applicants receive the same questions without any follow-up questions from interviewers. This creates a consistent experience that can help remove some bias from the interview process. You can also better compare the responses since everything answers the same questions.
• Reaching employed candidates: Many job seekers already have jobs, which makes it difficult to sneak away during the day for interviews. By offering asynchronous interviews, you make it easier for employed job seekers to start the hiring process without taking time off work.

Cons of asynchronous interviews

With the good comes some potential drawbacks of incorporating this type of screening step into your process. Being aware of the negatives can help you decide if you want to use this method, and it can help you overcome the potential drawbacks. Here are some cons to consider:

• Candidate preference: Not all candidates like this type of one-way video interviewing. They might feel self-conscious about recording their answers, or they might find it more time-consuming for them. This could prevent some candidates from completing the interview. You can avoid this by offering alternative options, such as phone or live video interviews.
• Negative messaging: It can also send a negative message to applicants. They might feel like you don’t have time for them or don’t care. If your company becomes known for your asynchronous interviews, you could see fewer applicants for your vacancies.
• Less personal: This type of interview can feel less personal to the applicant since they’re talking to a camera and don’t get an immediate response. Sending personalized emails and following up with interviewees via email or phone can add a personal connection.
• No follow-up questions: You also miss out on the natural back-and-forth that comes with a live interview. You can’t ask a quick follow-up question based on the response or ask candidates to clarify something they said. If you schedule another interview, you can dive deeper into those topics, but you can miss out on good information about the candidate.
• More work for candidates: The interviewees have flexibility on when they answer their questions, but it can also be more work for them. If you send the questions to all applicants, you’re asking a lot of people to do that work when only a few of them will get interviews.
• Additional software: You’ll typically use a software program that facilitates asynchronous interviews. This comes with an additional cost to your company. However, it can save you money by streamlining the screening process.
• Missing some good candidates: If you use automated screening methods within the software, you could miss out on strong candidates. This is similar to keyword scanning in resumes. A candidate could have the ideal skills and extensive experience but not use the keywords you have set.
• Difficult for language barriers: Candidates who speak English as an additional language may sometimes need a bit more time to form their answers. Most asynchronous interview platforms limit response time to a few minutes. This can make it challenging for individuals who speak English as an additional language to formulate and present their answers within the time constraints.

How to implement asynchronous interviews

Getting started with asynchronous interviews can be time-consuming, but interview platforms generally make it a straightforward process. You have to decide how you’ll use them and do the initial setup. Once you get going, this candidate screening method should make everything faster and easier. These steps will help you get the interview process going.

1. Detail your plan for using this type of interview

Asynchronous interviews are typically a screening step after you receive applications. However, you need to decide exactly how you’ll use them. Determine if all applicants will complete the interview or only the top choices with the best skills based on resumes. Decide if you’ll use them for all vacancies in your company or only certain positions or departments.

2. Choose your software

The easiest way to implement asynchronous interviews is to use a software program that supports this format. Indeed Interview is a live virtual interview platform available at no cost to employers who post a job on Indeed. Many software programs, like Indeed Interview, offer additional video interview features, so consider what other options you might need when choosing the software.

3. Develop the questions

Your questions should dig deeper beyond the resume to help you narrow down the candidates. The questions you ask might be general, such as strengths, weaknesses and career goals, or more specific to the skills and duties of the job. You might create different sets of questions for different positions if you want to ask position-specific questions.

Limit how many questions you ask. If the process takes too long, applicants might now respond.

Choose questions that fit the format. Candidates usually get about one minute to read the question and two or three minutes to answer. Keep the questions straightforward and easy to answer in a limited timeframe to simplify the interview for candidates.

4. Set expectations

While one of the perks for candidates is to answer when they’re ready, you can’t leave the interview open indefinitely. Decide how much time you’ll give the candidates to return their responses — usually at least a few days. Ensure candidates have this information to avoid them missing the deadline.

5. Establish a review process

Determine how you’ll review the responses to ensure you choose the right people for additional interviews. Many software programs for asynchronous interviews have automatic screening options, such as listening for keywords or looking for expected experience based on what you want. You can also manually review the responses.

You’ll need to decide the following things:

• If you’ll use automated review features in the software or review them manually
• Who will review the responses
• If you’ll review them as they come in or all at once after everyone submits
• How long you’ll give candidates to complete the interview
• How many people you’ll choose based on the review to bring in for in-person interviews

Keep the review process consistent to give everyone a fair chance.

Questions to ask in an asynchronous interview

When developing your questions, consider your purpose for the interview. Identify the most important qualities you’re looking for in candidates. This lets you customize the questions to find candidates that offer more of those qualities. You can ask general interview questions and job-specific questions based on your priorities.

Some examples of questions to ask include:

• Tell us more about yourself.
• What experiences do you have that make you a good match for this position and our company?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• Why do you want to work for us?
• What are your career goals for the next five years? Ten years?
• Describe your ideal manager.
• How do you deal with conflict?
• Give us an example of a time when you X. (List a specific situation or skill related to the position.)
• Do you prefer to work solo or as part of a team?

What to look for in responses

Asynchronous interviews are conducted differently than traditional interviews, but you typically look for similar things. You want to find candidates who match your needs. You can do that by looking at the following:

• Responses: Consider how well the candidate answers the questions. Did they pay attention to what you asked, or did they give an unrelated answer?
• Knowledge: Look for clues that the candidate has done their research about your company. This shows that they’re interested in working for your organization.
• Keywords: If you’re using the automated screening feature that listens for keywords, decide which phrases are most important to you.

Establish criteria for choosing candidates for interviews to make the review process easier.

Best practices for asynchronous interviews

Not all applicants appreciate asynchronous interviews for a variety of reasons. These best practices can make the process more successful and help get applicants on board with completing this type of video interview.

Let applicants know early

If you plan to screen all applicants with an asynchronous interview, let them know before they apply. You might note the process in the job advertisement or include it on your careers page on your website. This transparency lets job seekers prepare for the process and decide if they want to do it before they spend time submitting an application.

Be specific

When developing your process, make it simple and clear. Include specific instructions on how to complete the interview process to make it less intimidating. Software to conduct the interviews can vary. For instance, applicants might be unable to rerecord an answer if they don’t like it, or they might be limited to recording again one time. Some programs limit how much time they have to respond. Explain these details before they start the interview so they can plan. Add details about the next steps, including when they can expect to hear if they’re getting another interview.

Make it personal

Sending applicants to an online interview can remove the personal connection from the process. When possible, try to make a personal connection with the candidate. For example, you might send a personalized email with the link to do the interview. Adding small personal connections can make the applicant feel better about doing the interview.

Let them ask questions

A big part of traditional interviews is giving candidates the chance to ask questions or get more details on the position. When they’re simply answering questions on video, this component can get lost. Leave a space at the end for applicants to ask questions or tell you more about themselves that might not fit into the questions you include.

Get feedback

Reviewing this process can help you decide if it’s working or if you should use a different screening method. Ask applicants for feedback on the process to see if it’s a candidate-friendly process. Gather input from your HR team and hiring managers to see how well they feel the interviews work. Be open to suggestions from the interview team to improve your asynchronous interviews or go a different route.