The structured video interview playbook

The central idea

A useful async interview is not a list of generic prompts. It is a deliberately designed sample of the live conversation you would otherwise repeat with every applicant.

Start with the decision, not the camera

Before writing questions, define what the first interview must help you decide. Most roles need evidence across three dimensions: relevant experience, judgment in realistic situations, and the ability to communicate clearly. Every prompt should produce evidence for one of those dimensions.

Name the hiring decision each question supports.
Remove questions that only repeat information already present on the résumé.
Prefer role-specific scenarios over broad personality prompts.

Use a small number of high-signal questions

More questions do not automatically create better signal. A focused interview is easier for candidates to complete and easier for reviewers to compare. Four to six well-designed questions are usually more useful than a long sequence of loosely related prompts.

Open with a straightforward experience question.
Use two or three scenarios that expose judgment and tradeoffs.
Close with a role-specific reflection or motivation question.

Choose delivery question by question

The person asking the question does not need to be the same throughout the interview. A hiring manager can appear on video for a high-context prompt, a text question can keep a technical scenario precise, and an AI presenter can provide consistent delivery where it improves the experience.

Set timing that rewards thinking

Response limits should keep answers focused without turning the interview into a speed test. Give candidates enough thinking time to organize an answer, then set a response window that matches the complexity of the prompt.

Use shorter limits for factual or introductory questions.
Give scenario questions more preparation and response time.
Preview the interview yourself before publishing it.

Review evidence, not production quality

Score the substance of the answer against a written rubric. Do not reward camera quality, background, accent, or presentation polish unless those factors are genuinely job-related. Video should reveal communication and reasoning—not create a beauty contest.