One-way interview: main questions and examples

The one-way interview is a structured and asynchronous interview that speeds up hiring and reduces the contrast bias of recruiters.

This innovative format allows candidates to respond by video, text, or audio, as appropriate, at a time that is convenient for them and without the pressure of the recruiter’s presence. 

For his part, the examiner has a tool that allows him to evaluate candidates in a standardized and efficient manner. 

In this article, we propose to explore what a one-way interview is and its main characteristics. All this with practical examples of questions that will help you get the most out of this format. 

What is a one-way interview?

One-way interview, also called pre-recorded interviewing, is a type of structured and asynchronous recruitment interview in which the candidate must answer questions pre-established by the recruiter.

This type of interview is sent or recorded as opposed to, for example, others such as group interviews, depending on the case, after receiving the questions, so that only the candidate is present to answer the questions that the recruiter will analyze later. 

Thanks to the one-way interview you can speed up the hiring process in the early stages (and avoid a bit the phenomenom known as ghosting after the interview), and assess whether the candidate’s talent matches the expectations and needs of the project, as long as the questions are in line with the company’s objectives. 

Characteristics and advantages of the one-way interview

Because of the way a one-way interview is conducted, it has a series of specific characteristics that must be known, both to prepare it properly and for the candidate to approach the process with confidence: 

• Pre-recorded format in which candidate and recruiter do not coincide in time. 
• Flexible schedule for answering questions within a time frame set by the interviewer, although response time may be limited. In the same way, the recruiter can analyze the answers at the time that best suits him/her.
• Use of technology, as they are usually conducted on specialized platforms or with Human Resources (HR) management software that provides specific tools. 
• Structured and standardized interview, but where the candidate can show his/her personality.
• Non-existent feedback, which requires the candidate to take greater care with the information he/she wants to provide to the interviewer, and for the interviewer to be clear in his/her initial indications. 
• Scalable and dynamic, it allows recruiters to evaluate numerous profiles in a more agile way than in face-to-face interviews. 

Incorporating this type of job interview makes it easier to screen candidates in the early stages of recruitment and allows you to easily compare profiles while limiting the contrast bias thanks to standardized evaluations. 

Therefore, in one-way interviews you can guarantee candidates that the interviews will take place under the same conditions, as they are structured processes that are identical for all participants and do not depend on the mood, fatigue or saturation of the interlocutor.

How does the one-way interview work?

In the one-way interview, as we have been explaining, the people in charge of the selection of personnel establish a battery of questions that the candidate must answer, as well as the time that each answer has to last.

Normally, once devised, they are incorporated into a specialized program that allows sending an invitation link so that the applicant can respond.

In this way, the answers are recorded in an environment that belongs to the company to be retrieved and analyzed by the interviewers later.

These types of interviews can be of 3 different types:

1. Written. They are common in academic, technical or writing tests. Candidates respond to a form submitted by the company.
2. In audio. They are often used for jobs where great verbal expression is needed, but where visual skills are not important. Candidates access questions through specific platforms or apps where they can record their answers.
3. On video. They are of great help in selection processes in jobs that require interpersonal or communication skills.

As soon as the recruiter analyzes the material submitted by the interviewee, he or she can assess whether the candidate is moving to the next phase of the selection process and invite him or her to participate in a face-to-face interview.

One-way video interview: questions and examples

In the one-way video interviews, which are usually the most frequent at the moment, the questions are nuclear and require a thorough prior work to make the process truly effective.

Before addressing the different types of questions you may ask, take note of the basic recommendations when choosing them:

• Avoid closed questions that can be answered with a yes or no, or with simple answers. It is important that you create the right conditions for the candidate to explain himself and argue his answers. This allows you to get the most information from him and discover how he thinks and the experience he can have in a certain area.
• Be transparent and explain the process in detail before proposing questions. This is part of what is known as preonboarding, the period between the candidate’s first contact with the company and his first day of work, and which is crucial to build a relationship of trust from the outset.
• Keep in mind the objective profile established by the HR department of your company to ask effective questions to assess whether the person meets the demands of the position and whether it can fit well into the organizational culture. Ask yourself, “what requirements do I need to assess?” or “what power skills should the candidate have?” This will also make it easier for you to objectively compare profiles.

With these tips in mind, remember that a one-way interview is a type of structured recruitment interview that you can (and should) adapt to your activity and needs.

Understanding this fact, remember that the questions we propose below are merely indicative. 

---

---

General questions

These types of questions serve to introduce the interview, break the ice and generate a relationship of trust between the parties, even if their relationship is asynchronous:

• Why are you interested in our company?
• What motivates you to seek new job opportunities at this very moment?
• Tell us about your career path since its inception, and what do you value most about your evolution?

Killer interview questions

Killer questions are questions that allow candidates to be screened accurately to expedite the selection process and help set filters.

The candidate may find them somewhat more uncomfortable than other, less compromising questions, but they are a key element in many interviews.

Here are some examples to evaluate different aspects:

• Evaluate geographical flexibility: Are you willing to work 3 days from our offices in New York?
• Evaluate experience: Do you have at least 5 years of experience managing large accounts?
• Assess salary expectations: Do you agree with a pay system based on a base salary plus performance fees?

Technical questions

Assessing technical skills is necessary in most company vacancies. You can use questions of the style to which we propose below:

• Give us a few examples of how you have used the [tool name] tool in your career path.
• Describe how you solved a complex technical problem.
• What kind of tools or resources do you use to optimize your day-to-day work?

In-depth questions

If you need to delve into how the candidate can respond in the future in your company by analyzing their past experience you can resort to competency-based questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action and Results).

Examples include:

• Tell us about a case where you identified an opportunity to improve a product and how you implemented it.
• Describe to us a success story based on teamwork in which you have participated. What was your role, how did it contribute to success?
• What was the hardest decision you ever had to make? How did you cope and what was the outcome?

Closing questions

It is recommended that you close the interview by proposing that the candidate add what they consider with questions such as:

• Would you like to add something else?
• Why do you consider yourself the ideal candidate?
• Would you like to send us a specific question?

As you have seen throughout this article, the one-way interview is a dynamic tool that helps streamline recruitment, as well as offering the opportunity to the candidate to show their skills more serenely.

In this process, the evaluation is a stage that you must also take care of, in order to make a good impression on the candidate to become your best ambassador.

To enhance your processes, we invite you to discover our proctoring plans, remote monitoring solutions for your interviews with which you can create safe spaces for participants and enhance the objectivity of your evaluations thanks to activity reports.

Find out everything we can do for you by requesting a free demo.

---

---