Short answer: An asynchronous interview (often called an async interview) is a screening step where every candidate answers the same set questions on their own time, in writing, by recorded audio or on one-way video, and you review the answers later. It works best between the application and the first live interview. Use it to see more candidates in less time, then meet only the ones who earned a live conversation.
This guide is for owners and managers who do their own hiring and keep losing hours to phone screens that get missed or rescheduled. It explains what an asynchronous job interview is, the three types and when to use each, how to set one up in six steps, sample questions, and when not to use one.
The timing problem is real. The best candidates are usually working somewhere else during your business hours. In 2024 and 2025, 85.2% of U.S. wage and salary workers worked a regular daytime schedule, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Flexibilities and Work Schedules survey (Table 7, 2024 to 2025 data). A 10 a.m. phone screen asks most employed candidates to step away from their current job to talk to you.
What is an asynchronous interview?
An asynchronous interview is any interview where the employer and the candidate do not need to be there at the same time. You set the questions once. Each candidate gets a link, answers when it suits them, and you watch, listen to or read the answers when it suits you. "Asynchronous" just means "not at the same time".
A live interview, by contrast, needs both people free at the same moment. That is fine for a final interview with three people. It is slow for a first screen with thirty.
| What changes | Live first interview | Asynchronous interview |
|---|---|---|
| Who picks the time | Both of you have to agree on a slot | The candidate answers any time before your deadline |
| Your time per candidate | A booked slot, plus no-shows and reschedules | Only the minutes it takes to review the answers |
| Same questions for everyone | Hard to keep; conversations drift | Built in, because the questions are set once |
| Follow-up questions | Yes, in the moment | No; save them for the live interview |
| Best use | Final rounds and senior roles | First screen when you have many applicants |
The 3 types of asynchronous interview, and when to use each
Asynchronous interviews come in three main types: written screening questions, a recorded task, and a one-way video interview. Each tells you something different, so many businesses use two of them in order.
| Type | What you learn | Best for | Weak spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written screening questions | Must-haves: license, schedule, pay range, location | Knocking out applicants who cannot take the job | You cannot hear tone or see how they present |
| Recorded task or pitch | How they sell, explain or handle a customer | Sales and customer service roles | Candidates can rehearse and redo it many times |
| One-way video interview | How they think and speak when they see a question for the first time | The main first screen for most roles | Some candidates find it less personal than a live talk |
1. Written screening questions
Written screening questions are the simplest asynchronous interview: the candidate types short answers when it suits them. Use 3 to 5 "knockout" questions about the true must-haves, such as a required license, the shift, or travel. Put them at the very start, right after the application, so you never spend interview time on someone who cannot take the job. Written answers will not tell you how a person sounds or carries themselves, so they should not be your only screen.
2. A recorded task or pitch
A recorded task asks the candidate to record themselves doing a piece of the job, on video or audio. A sales candidate might pitch a product from a short brief. A service candidate might answer a made-up customer complaint. You hear tone and word choice, which written answers miss. The limit is control: if candidates can study the brief for days and record as many takes as they like, you see their best rehearsed version, not how they think on their feet.
3. A one-way video interview
A one-way video interview is a recorded interview with questions you set in advance. The candidate sees each question only when it is time to answer it, records a reply with video and audio, and moves to the next one. You decide how many questions there are, how long each answer can be, and whether retakes are allowed. That keeps the pressure of a real interview while the candidate still picks the time. For most roles, this is the asynchronous interview that does the most work. Our guide to one-way video interviews covers the candidate side and what the experience looks like.
Want to see how a one-way video interview fits after your application? See IdealTraits video interviews.
How to set up an asynchronous interview in 6 steps
To set up an asynchronous interview, write a short list of job-related questions, decide the rules, explain them to candidates, and score every answer the same way. These six steps work for a written, recorded or video format.
- Pick 3 to 6 questions tied to the job. Start from what the person will actually do in their first 90 days. Fewer, better questions get more people to finish.
- Put knockout questions first. Ask about license, schedule and location in writing before the video questions, so nobody records answers for a job they cannot take.
- Set the rules. Choose a time limit for each answer (one to two minutes suits most questions), whether retakes are allowed, and a deadline to finish, such as three days.
- Tell candidates why you use it. One or two sentences in the invite is enough: everyone gets the same questions, and they can answer at a time that suits them. In a study by Basch and Melchers, an explanation that stressed the same questions for everyone made candidates rate the process as fairer, and an explanation that stressed flexible timing made it seem easier to use (Personnel Assessment and Decisions, 2019).
- Score every answer on the same scale. Write down what a strong, average and weak answer sounds like before you watch any of them. Then rate each answer, question by question.
- Follow up fast, then meet the best in person. Send a text reminder to anyone who has not finished by the deadline. Invite your top answers to a live interview, and tell the others where they stand.
Step 5 matters most. An asynchronous interview is a structured interview by design, because every candidate gets the same questions. The scoring has to be structured too. A 2022 re-analysis of hiring research found that structured interviews predicted job performance with a mean validity of .42, compared with .19 for unstructured interviews (Sackett, Zhang, Berry and Lievens, Journal of Applied Psychology, 2022). Watching answers and going with your gut throws much of that gain away.
The time saving shows up quickly when candidates miss live screens. One IdealTraits customer, an insurance agency, described it this way:
"I was double booking interviews because I knew one of them won't show up and sometimes both didn't show up. And instead of blocking out a whole 5 hours for interviews and maybe two people show up, the video interviews show me who's actually interested and it helps me block out my day a lot better."
Alexandra Rivera, insurance agency, IdealTraits customer (watch at minute 20)
Asynchronous video interview questions to start with
Good asynchronous video interview questions are open, tied to the job, and answerable in one or two minutes without notes. Use these as a starting set and change the details to fit your role:
- What made you apply for this job, and what do you know about what the role involves?
- Tell me about a time you had a lot to do and not enough time. What did you do first, and why?
- Describe a time a customer or coworker was upset with you. What happened, and what did you say?
- Walk me through how you would explain [one thing your business sells or does] to someone who has never heard of it.
- What kind of manager helps you do your best work?
- Our schedule for this role is [days and hours]. How does that fit with your life right now?
Questions 2 and 3 ask about past behavior, which is easy to score against the strong, average and weak examples you wrote in step 5. Question 4 works as a short recorded task inside the video interview. Keep follow-up questions ("why did you choose that?") for the live interview, where you can ask them in the moment.
When an asynchronous interview is the wrong tool
An asynchronous interview is a first screen, not a replacement for meeting people. Skip it, or add a live call, in these cases:
- You have only a few applicants. With three candidates for a senior role, a phone call is faster and more personal than a recorded screen.
- The candidate pool is hard to win. Research shows candidates accept asynchronous video interviews less than face-to-face interviews, and that older candidates accept them less (Basch and Melchers, Personnel Assessment and Decisions, 2019). If strong candidates have many offers, keep the screen short and explain why you use it.
- You would make the final decision from video alone. Use the answers to choose who to meet. Make the hiring decision after a live interview.
- A candidate asks for another format. Some people cannot record video for a good reason, such as a disability or no private space. Offer a phone call instead.
How IdealTraits helps
IdealTraits is an all-in-one hiring platform with AI that helps businesses hire for fit, not just experience. One-way video interviews are included on every plan. You can ask up to 6 questions, set a time limit for each answer, and allow retakes if you choose, and candidates can record from any device. Answers are recorded with video and audio, and AI video interview transcription turns each answer into text you can skim.
You can pair the video interview with pre-hire assessments, to see how a candidate is likely to work before you press play, and use text recruiting to remind candidates to finish. For cost questions, see IdealTraits pricing.
Asynchronous interview FAQ
Is an asynchronous interview the same as a one-way video interview?
A one-way video interview is the most common type of asynchronous interview, but not the only one. Written screening questions and recorded tasks are asynchronous too. For a closer look at the video format, read our one-way video interview guide.
How long should an asynchronous interview take?
Aim for a total of about 10 to 15 minutes for the candidate: a few written knockout questions, then 3 to 6 recorded answers of one to two minutes each. A short screen asks less of people who already have a job, so more of them finish it.
Should candidates be allowed to redo their answers?
Allowing one retake is a fair middle ground. It lowers nerves and lets someone fix a technical glitch, while a strict limit still shows how they think on their feet. Whatever you pick, use the same rule for every candidate in the same job.
What about asynchronous customer or user interviews?
Asynchronous customer interviews and user interviews use the same idea for a different job: product and market research. A team sends set questions, and customers reply by text, voice or video when it suits them. This guide covers job interviews only. The same rules still help in research: ask the same questions in the same order, keep each answer short, and compare answers side by side.
Ready for the next step after the screen? Read how to set fair screening rules in deciding what actually disqualifies a candidate, and how to keep candidates engaged in creating a candidate experience that converts.
This guide was first written by Eric Waldowski in January 2023 and fully updated in October 2026 with new sources, steps and questions.