Video and AI interviews: how they work and how to prepare

More employers now put a recorded, often AI-scored, video interview between your online assessment and a human conversation. The format rewards preparation and structure far more than charisma. That's good news, because both can be learned.

The real thing should not be your first timed recording. Practise one-way interviews

What to focus on first

Common traps

• Rambling to fill time. Short and complete beats long and unfinished.
• Reading a script. Eye movement and cadence give it away.
• Ignoring the first sentence. Lead with the answer, then explain.

How to practise from here

Record five common competency answers with a countdown. Review only one thing per take: structure, clarity, pace, or result. Trying to fix everything at once usually makes delivery stiff.

This hub covers the two things candidates actually face: the asynchronous one-way interview (you record answers to fixed questions, no live interviewer) and AI scoring (software pre-screens your responses before a recruiter sees them). If you want the timed recording workflow, use the one-way interview prep guide; if your email says HireVue, pair this page with the HireVue prep guide. If the video interview follows an aptitude test, start from the employer assessment hub to see the likely full process.

What is a HireVue interview?

A HireVue interview is a video interview run on HireVue's software, usually recorded rather than live. The employer sends you a link. You check your camera and microphone, can try HireVue's practice questions (the employer doesn't see them), then answer the real questions one by one. Each question appears on screen, you get a set time to think, and then a timer records your answer. There is no interviewer on the other side.

• Length: HireVue says most video assessments have five to eight questions and take under 20 to 30 minutes.
• Timings and attempts: the employer sets the preparation time, the answer time and whether you can re-record. Read the instructions before your first question.
• Extras: some employers add HireVue games or a coding test to the same link. A few use HireVue for live video interviews instead.
• Scoring: recruiters may watch your answers, and some employers also switch on AI scoring. See HireVue AI explained.

What these interviews actually measure

Despite the camera, this is closer to a structured-answer test than a personality read. HireVue says its AI scores only the transcript of what you say, against the competency each question targets. It doesn't score your face, body language, background or tone of voice, and it stopped using facial analysis in 2020. Recruiters may still watch the video. The full breakdown is in how HireVue scores your interview.

Every HireVue guide on forge

• HireVue interview guide: format, timings, retakes, setup and a 7-day plan.
• The most common HireVue questions: what 646 questions from 40 employers have in common, with a free timed drill.
• HireVue sample answers: worked answers to the 12 most common questions.
• HireVue AI explained: how HireVue scores your interview, and what the AI does and doesn't look at.
• HireVue games: the game-based assessment and how it's scored.
• Best HireVue practice tools: free and paid options compared.
• HireVue retakes, results and feedback: what happens after you record.
• HireVue by employer: JP Morgan (video + math test), UBS technology, Unilever, Haleon, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.

HireVue vs SHL: what's the difference?

They test different things, and many employers use both. SHL sets aptitude and personality tests: numerical, verbal and inductive reasoning questions with right answers, under a timer. HireVue is mainly a video interview platform: you record answers to behavioural and motivation questions, and some employers add short HireVue games. A typical bank or consulting process runs an SHL-style test first, then a HireVue interview for candidates who pass. You prepare for SHL by practising question types against the clock, and for HireVue by building stories and recording timed answers. See our SHL test guide for the aptitude side.

The STARL structure

A light STAR structure keeps answers easy to follow under a recording timer:

• Situation: one sentence of context.
• Task: what you needed to do.
• Action: the steps you took. This is most of the answer.
• Result: the outcome, with a number if you have one.
• Learning: one line on what you'd do differently.

Setup and delivery

• Test your camera, mic, and connection on the platform’s practice question first.
• Look at the webcam, not the screen. On the recording, that reads as eye contact.
• Neutral, well-lit background; reduce noise and notifications.
• Keep a few bullet prompts nearby, but never read a script. It shows.
• Practise out loud against a timer until the format stops feeling strange.

What candidates report: Reddit, Glassdoor and forums

Most candidates search Reddit and Glassdoor before a HireVue. Those posts are worth reading, but know what they can and can't tell you:

• Reliable for the format. The number of questions, preparation and answer times, whether there were games, and how long results took are easy to remember and tend to match across posts.
• Unreliable for exact questions. Employers pick different question sets by role, region and year, and posts are written from memory, often weeks later. A “leaked” list may not be your interview.
• Skewed towards extremes. People post after a surprise or a rejection more than after a routine interview, so threads make HireVue sound harder and stranger than it usually is.

Use the posts to spot themes, check the date, role and country of each one, and prepare a real story for each theme instead of a memorised script. For the themes that repeat across employers, see the most common HireVue questions.

Source notes

forge cross-checks this guide against HireVue’s own candidate interview tips and current HireVue product language around video interviewing and assessments. Employer setup still varies, so follow the instructions inside your actual assessment invite first.

Frequently asked questions