What Is a One-Way Interview?

In a one-way interview, candidates explain their previous experiences and how they relate to the position at hand. A one-way interview can be stressful because there is no chance for back-and-forth conversation with the interviewer. It’s up to the candidate to make sure that all questions are answered clearly and concisely.

What Is a One-Way Interview?

A 1-way interview is a modern technique for remotely interviewing candidates. In this type of interview, candidates record themselves answering questions and send their recordings to the hiring manager or recruiter. Oftentimes this is done using a piece of software but can easily be replicated having the candidate use their own phone or webcam device, if they have one available.

The goal of this type of process is to provide an unbiased view into how well the candidate aligns with the role and company. On a one-way interview, it’s important for candidates to communicate clearly, through their voice and body language, as these almost always occur as one of the first stages within an interview pipeline.

Why Do Companies Conduct One-Way Interviews?

Companies conduct one-way interviews because they are a great way for companies to screen candidates and save time and money.

One-way interviews enable companies to screen candidates without having to meet in person, and can weed people out quickly who aren’t a good fit, helping them substantially scale their screening process without equivalent additional overhead. This can lead to cost-per-hire reduction when hiring hundreds or thousands of candidates.

It is often touted that one-way interviews can reduce bias by preventing interviewers from interjecting themselves into the interview, encouraging them to focus on evaluating applicants based solely on what they say in response to questions asked by an automated system. But such claims have never been substantiated.

How Can You Prepare and What Can You Expect From a One-Way Interview?

It’s important for candidates to prepare for a one-way interview. Here are some tips:

Have answers ready for common interview questions. You can find many of these online, or ask friends and family members if they have any advice for you.
Make sure that your internet connection is strong and reliable, as well as any devices that will be used during the interview (such as a microphone). If possible, test these things out beforehand so there aren’t any problems during filming!
Find somewhere quiet where there won’t be any distractions — this could be at home or in a library. Do what works for you!

If a candidate is selected for an interview, most companies will contact you via email with:

Instructions on questions to answer
How long the interview video should be
Tips on how to be successful
Information on who will be reviewing your video

Drawbacks to a One-Way Interview

One-way interview have substantial drawbacks and are can be harmful to candidate experience.

First, the one-way interview process requires all candidates to be able to navigate the software properly with little to no training. This can easily result in candidate attrition.

Second, candidates see this as a lack of humanity on the side of the employer and often opt-out of process upon receiving such invitations. A great place to see complaints about one-way interviews is here.

Third, this process lacks the human interaction elements that make up a great interview and often result in poor overall outcomes.

If you’re a candidate and you are assigned a one-way interview, think of it as a great way to showcase your skills and experience. The best thing you can do is prepare as much as possible before going into the interview. This will help ensure that you answer all of the questions in a way that shows why hiring managers should consider hiring you over other candidates who might have similar backgrounds or qualifications.