How to prepare for a one-way video interview like HireVue

Many graduate schemes, banks, retailers, and large employers now screen candidates with a recorded video interview before anyone meets them. You get an email with a link and a deadline, sit alone in front of a camera, read a question, and record an answer. The employer watches it later.

People rarely fail these because they lack good experience. They stumble because talking to a lens with a clock running feels strange, and the first real attempt is also the one that counts. The fix is to make that strangeness familiar before the day.

Know what the format actually looks like

Platforms differ and each employer configures its own interview, so always read your invitation. The common shape is consistent enough to plan around.

1. 1The invitation. A link and a deadline, usually a few days away. You choose when to sit it within that window.
2. 2A system check and practice question. HireVue tests your camera and microphone, then offers practice questions that are not sent to the employer. Use them.
3. 3The recorded questions. Each question appears as text or a short video. HireVue’s own guide describes 30 seconds to prepare and up to 3 minutes to answer, though employers can set different timings.
4. 4Retakes, or none. The employer decides whether you can re-record. Assume one take unless the screen tells you otherwise.
5. 5Submission. Once the final answer is recorded, everything is submitted together.

HireVue says most video-based assessments take under 20 to 30 minutes and recommends setting aside 45. Book an hour so a slow connection or a nervous restart does not push you against the deadline.

Set up your space the day before

• Light your face from the front. A window behind you turns you into a silhouette. Face the light, or put a lamp behind the screen.
• Put the camera at eye level. Stack books under a laptop. Looking down into a camera reads as distant.
• Move your video preview near the camera. HireVue suggests placing the preview window at the top centre of the screen so glancing at yourself still looks like eye contact.
• Test the microphone in the same room. Record a short voice memo and listen back for echo, fans, or traffic.
• Plug in the device and close bandwidth-heavy apps. If the connection drops, HireVue says you can resume from the same link.
• Silence notifications. A phone buzzing mid-answer costs you a take you may not get back.

Prepare stories, not scripts

Most questions fall into three groups: past behaviour (“tell me about a time…”), situational judgement (“what would you do if…”), and motivation (“why this role?”). A memorised script sounds read aloud and collapses when the wording differs. A small bank of real stories adapts to almost any prompt.

Structure each story as situation, task, action, result. Spend most of the time on what you did and finish with an outcome you can state plainly. In two minutes, that usually means 15 seconds of context, a minute of action, and 30 seconds on the result and what you learned.

Use the 30 seconds deliberately

1. 1Read the whole question and note every part it asks for. Two-part questions are easy to half-answer.
2. 2Pick the story from your bank that fits best. Do not search for a perfect new one.
3. 3Jot three words on paper: the situation, your key action, the result.
4. 4Start recording with a one-sentence answer to the question, then tell the story that proves it.

HireVue Practice: rehearse the timed, one-take format

HireVue Practice simulates the recorded format with its standard preset of 30 seconds to prepare, 2 minutes to answer, and one take. You can name the employer and role, add a resume and job description, then answer four questions written for that role. It returns a score per question, a transcript, and coaching on what to keep and what to fix.

The first run is free. It is an independent practice tool, not affiliated with HireVue or any employer, and nothing runs during your real interview. Treat the score as practice feedback and the transcript as the most useful part: reading your own words shows filler, missing results, and answers that never reach the point.

Rehearse like it counts, then review honestly

• Record at least three full practice runs on the device and in the room you will use.
• Watch one back with the sound off. Check posture, eye line, and whether you look engaged.
• Listen to one without watching. Check pace, filler words, and whether each answer has a result.
• Change one thing per run. Trying to fix everything at once makes the next attempt worse.

Do not use an assistant during the real interview

Tools that listen to the question and feed answers on screen are a real temptation and a real risk. Reading from a second source is often visible on camera, and employers can treat it as misconduct that ends the application. Prepare beforehand, then sit the interview on your own.

If you need an adjustment because of a disability or neurodivergence, ask the recruiter before you start. HireVue notes that employers may offer accommodations, such as more time or questions in advance.