The Pressure on Hiring Teams Is Growing

Hiring teams working in early careers and high-volume recruitment are under more pressure than ever. The number of applications per role has surged due to AI in recruitment, driven in part by automation tools and AI-generated CVs that make it easier than ever for candidates to apply in droves. But more applications don’t always mean better outcomes. In fact, many organisations and TA teams now find themselves overwhelmed by volume and stuck with outdated, inefficient processes that aren’t built to scale.

Trying to schedule hundreds of first-stage interviews while maintaining a great candidate experience and keeping internal stakeholders aligned isn’t just frustrating. It’s a blocker to progress. That’s why more talent acquisition teams are turning to asynchronous video interviews.

What Is an Asynchronous Video Interview?

An asynchronous video interview (sometimes called a one-way video interview) is a pre-recorded interview format. Instead of meeting live with a recruiter, candidates are sent a set of questions and record their responses using a video interview platform on their own time, and in their own space. The hiring team can then review those responses at a time that suits them.

This flexible, scalable approach is fast becoming the preferred method for early careers and volume hiring teams who need to balance speed with fairness.

 

How Async Interviews Compare to Traditional Interviews

	Asynchronous Video Interviews	Traditional Interviews
Timing	Recruiters and candidates complete their part at different times, flexible for all parties	Scheduled to take place in real-time with both recruiters and candidate on the call
Scalability	Screen hundreds of applicants simultaneously	One-by-one interviews each taking time to schedule and run
Candidate Experience	Re-recording can be allowed, which leads to a lower pressure environment	High pressure and live performance required in the moment
Consistency	Standardised questions across candidates with a set time-limit	Varies by interviewer and conversation paths can go off-track
Collaboration	Shared access, reviewable recordings	Notes and memory only, harder to compare fairly

Why are pre-recorded interviews on the rise?

The rise of async interviews is no coincidence. Talent acquisition teams are increasingly seeking scalable hiring solutions that streamline the early stages of recruitment without sacrificing quality. For time-strapped recruiters, asynchronous interviews mean no more calendar Tetris, quicker shortlist building, and better visibility across the pipeline.

And candidates are on board, too. According to new data from the Unseen Group’s student and graduate panel, 78% of students have already taken part in a pre-recorded interview, 75% of students say they find async interviews more convenient, and 61% say they feel more confident being able to re-record answers without the pressure of someone watching live.

How recruitment teams can rely on OneWay

OneWay is TopScore’s asynchronous video interview platform, designed specifically for early careers and high-volume recruitment. Built to help teams screen faster and more fairly, OneWay is already being used by employers to streamline first-stage interviews while enhancing the experience for applicants. We’ll dive into how it works later, but for now let’s talk about the impact async video is having on both sides of the hiring process.

The Benefits of Asynchronous Video Interviews for Hiring Teams

Asynchronous video interviews aren’t just a workaround for busy schedules, they’re a strategic advantage for teams dealing with high-volume hiring, early careers pipelines, or multiple stakeholders in the process. Here’s how pre-recorded interviewing is transforming the top of the recruitment funnel.

1. Screen at Scale Without Sacrificing Quality

Traditional interviews are time-consuming by design. Recruiters and hiring managers have to book time in their diaries, show up for each session, and make quick judgments based on a single live interaction. With asynchronous video, teams can hundreds of interviews in a fraction of the time. Because candidates record their responses independently, talent teams can queue up interviews, review submissions side-by-side, and make smarter comparisons.

This is particularly powerful in graduate recruitment, where roles often attract thousands of applicants for a small number of positions. With async video interviews, shortlisting becomes structured, consistent, and scalable.

2. Speed Up Time To Hire

When you remove the back and forth of calendar scheduling, everything moves faster. Recruiters no longer have to wait for the perfect interview slot, and candidates can complete the process at a time that works for them. That means faster screening, quicker decision-making, and a shorter time to hire; all critical in competitive markets where top candidates are snapped up fast.

3. Build a Fairer, More Consistent Process

Asynchronous video interviews create a level playing field. Every candidate gets the same set of questions, delivered in the same format. There’s no variation based on who they speak to, or whether a recruiter is having a good or bad day. That consistency doesn’t just improve the candidate experience, it also improves your data and helps reduce unconscious bias in decision-making.

4. Increase Reach and Remove Scheduling Conflicts

Async video interviews are inherently time zone-proof and schedule-friendly. For organisations hiring across regions, or for university recruitment teams working with candidates still in education, flexibility is key. Candidates can record their interviews from wherever they are, whenever they’re ready. It opens the funnel without adding strain to the internal team.

5. Make Collaboration Seamless

Because interviews are recorded, multiple reviewers can weigh in asynchronously. A hiring manager can review responses on their commute, a teammate can leave comments in the platform, and decisions can be made collaboratively without needing live debriefs. It’s a major upgrade from the usual reliance on handwritten notes or a fuzzy recollection of a 15-minute phone screening call.

What’s in It for Candidates? What Students and Graduates Think About Async Interviews

While asynchronous interviews are often framed as a tool for busy hiring teams, the format offers major upsides for candidates too, especially those entering the job market for the first time. Our research across the Unseen Group’s student and graduate panel, highlights how expectations are shifting in the graduate recruitment journey particularly around flexibility and fairness.

Confidence: Interviewing Without the Pressure

For many students and early career applicants, traditional live interviews are a source of real anxiety. The pressure of being “on the spot” can impact performance and make it difficult for candidates to show their best selves. One of the most valued aspects of async interviews is the ability to take a breath, record answers in a calm environment, and even re-record if things don’t go quite right the first time.

In our research, 61% of candidates said the option to re-record made them feel more confident. This matters. Because confidence is directly linked to better communication and a more accurate reflection of a candidate’s potential.

Accessibility: More Inclusive by Design

Unlike live interviews, asynchronous formats don’t require candidates to take time off work or study, arrange travel, or navigate time zone challenges. They can interview from wherever they are with full flexibility. This helps remove barriers for those from lower-income backgrounds, rural areas, or with limited access to transport.

Async video is also beneficial for candidates with accessibility needs. It supports neurodivergent applicants who may find live interaction more difficult and allows for assistive technology to be used where needed. 53% of survey respondents felt that async interviews made the process more accessible and fair.

Convenience: Apply and Interview on Their Terms

Early careers applicants are often juggling part-time jobs, studies, exams, or family commitments. Asking them to attend a midday Zoom call during term time isn’t always realistic. Asynchronous interviews give them the autonomy to record their responses when they feel most prepared. Be it late at night, over the weekend, or on their lunch break.

In our student panel, 75% said async interviews were more convenient than live formats, and 61% prefer real pre-recorded humans asking the questions.

Practise Makes Progress

Graduates don’t have years of interview experience behind them. So for many, one-way interviews provide something traditional interviews rarely do: space to practise. Employers using tools like OneWay can enable practice questions before the real ones begin, giving candidates a chance to get comfortable with the format.

Some also choose to enable re-records (within limits) so candidates can rephrase, rethink, or recover if their nerves get the better of them. This results in a fairer, more accurate representation of their communication skills and personality.

How to Keep It Human: Designing a Candidate-First Asynchronous Experience

Despite all the clear benefits of asynchronous video interviews for both hiring teams and applicants one criticism crops up time and time again: it can feel impersonal. And the feedback isn’t wrong. Without a live conversation, it’s easy for candidates to feel like they’re speaking into a void, unsure whether their responses will ever be watched by a real person.

But this doesn’t have to be the case. Done well, async interviews can feel warm, welcoming, and transparent, especially when employers build in simple, human-first elements to counteract the reputation.

Start With a Real Introduction

One of the most effective ways to personalise an async interview is also one of the simplest: have a human being, ideally the hiring manager or someone from the team, record a short welcome video. A 30-second clip introducing the company, explaining the role, and thanking candidates for their time can go a long way toward building trust and rapport from the start.

This small addition gives candidates a face to connect with and helps replicate some of the emotional cues that are missing in text-only formats.

Set Expectations with a Transparent Timeline

Another pain point in digital hiring is uncertainty. Candidates submit applications and videos… then wait. And wait. One of the easiest ways to improve the async experience is to clearly outline what happens next. When candidates can expect to hear back, who will be reviewing their responses, and how decisions will be made.

Adding this context reassures candidates that they’re not just sending videos into the ether. It also sets a more professional tone for your process and builds a sense of mutual respect.

Let Candidates Ask Questions Too

Just because a candidate can’t ask questions in real time doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get the chance to ask at all. One thoughtful approach is to include a final optional step in your pre-recorded interview inviting candidates to submit a question of their own, such as something they’d like to know about the team, culture, or role.

Hiring teams can then respond via email, video, or in follow-up stages. It not only humanises the experience but also shows candidates you’re genuinely invested in two-way communication.

Ultimately, the key is to test what works best for your candidates and, where possible, offer flexibility.

Introducing TopScore’s OneWay: Simplifying Async Interviews for Early Careers Hiring

Navigating high-volume recruitment is a unique challenge and it demands tools built specifically for the task. That’s why the Unseen Group developed TopScore’s OneWay, A purpose-built asynchronous video interview platform tailored to the fast-paced world of early careers recruitment and other volume hiring scenarios.

Designed for Recruiters and Candidates Alike

OneWay combines simplicity and power in an easy-to-use interface that works equally well for hiring teams and applicants. Recruiters can effortlessly create interview workflows with a mix of text or pre-recorded video questions. This flexibility lets teams tailor the experience to their employer brand and candidate preferences.

For candidates, the platform is accessible, making it easy to record responses anytime, anywhere. Features like the option to re-record answers and practice questions empower candidates to present their best selves without the pressure of a live interview.

By focusing on candidate experience and recruiter efficiency, OneWay helps organisations reduce time-to-hire and improve fairness, all while supporting inclusive hiring practices that welcome diverse talent.