Your recruiting team just received 247 applications for a single remote role. Half the candidates are in different time zones. Your hiring manager wants first-round interviews done within two weeks.
Here's what you're up against: according to the New York Times, LinkedIn saw a 45% increase in applications submitted in the past year, an average of 11,000 applications per minute. Candidates are using tools like ChatGPT to generate and polish resumes at scale, which means you're spending hours reviewing applications where it's hard to tell who's genuinely qualified and who just crafted a compelling resume.
Traditional resume screening takes too long and tells you too little. You're trying to identify qualified candidates from polished resumes, coordinating calendars across continents, and manually tracking everything. It doesn't scale, and it doesn't give you the insight you need to make confident hiring decisions.
Here's what companies are doing instead: they're replacing time-intensive resume review with async video screening that reveals actual candidate quality in a fraction of the time.
The companies getting results understand this: async interviews help you identify qualified candidates faster without adding weeks to your process. When you implement them well, you get:
- 50% faster time-to-hire by eliminating scheduling bottlenecks
- 30% lower recruitment costs by reducing time spent on initial screening
- Better hiring decisions based on demonstrated skills alongside resume credentials
This guide shows you how to implement async interviews that work. You'll learn when to use them, how to set them up, which platforms deliver results, and the specific mistakes that tank completion rates.
Let's get into it.
What Are Asynchronous Interviews?
Asynchronous interviews are pre-recorded responses where candidates answer your questions on their schedule, and you review them on yours.
You create questions in your platform, send the link to candidates, and review responses when it fits your calendar. Candidates get the link via email, record responses within 5-7 days, and submit when they're ready.
A candidate in Singapore records at 10 PM their time. You watch it at 9 AM in New York the next morning. The interview happens without anyone coordinating calendars.
What async interviews replace in your process
Async interviews replace the most time-intensive part of traditional hiring: initial screening.
Old way: Resume review → Phone screen → Live interview → Final interview
New way: Async interview (replaces resume review and phone screens) → Live interview → Final interview
Instead of spending hours reviewing resumes then conducting phone screens to verify basic qualifications, you watch candidates demonstrate their communication skills, articulate their experience, and walk through relevant scenarios. You get better information faster, then invest your time in meaningful conversations with candidates you know are qualified.
Why this matters for your hiring process
When you're dealing with high application volumes, resume screening becomes a bottleneck. You're trying to assess candidate quality from bullet points, which often leaves you guessing at who's worth talking to.
Async interviews give you richer information upfront. When candidates record responses, you see:
- How they communicate in real scenarios (not just what's written on paper)
- Whether they can articulate their experience clearly
- If they've thought through problems relevant to the role
- Their genuine interest and enthusiasm for the opportunity
This helps you make better decisions about who to advance, which means less time wasted on phone screens with people who aren't the right fit.
What you get with modern async platforms
Response time limits: 30 seconds to 3 minutes per question, based on complexity.
Preparation time: 15-60 seconds before recording starts, giving candidates a moment to gather their thoughts.
Retake options: 1-2 retakes per question so candidates can refine answers if needed.
Multiple formats: Video, audio-only (for candidates who prefer it), text answers, and file uploads for work samples.
Quality assurance features: Tools that help you identify when responses might be overly scripted or prepared, ensuring you're evaluating genuine candidate capability. Platforms like Willo include Real Talk, which monitors for natural speech patterns and helps you spot responses that don't reflect authentic thinking.
The goal is simple: help you identify qualified candidates efficiently without sacrificing the quality of your assessment.
How Do Async and Live Interviews Work Together?
They serve different purposes in your hiring funnel, and both are valuable.
Use async at the top of your funnel for efficient initial screening. Use live interviews in the middle and bottom to build relationships and assess fit with candidates you've already qualified.
Here's how it works for a customer success manager role:
Stage 1 (Async): Screen 150 applicants with 4 questions about conflict resolution and communication. Takes 3 days. You watch responses on your schedule, identify the top 15-20%, and make advancement decisions without conducting 150 phone screens.
Stage 2 (Live): 45-minute video interviews with the top 12 candidates. You already know they can communicate well and have relevant experience because you've seen them demonstrate it. Use this time to assess chemistry, answer their questions, and evaluate culture fit. Takes 1 week.
Stage 3 (In-person): Bring 3 finalists onsite for team meetings.
You use async to make your screening process more efficient, then invest your time in conversations with candidates you're confident about.
When Should You Use Async Interviews?
Async interviews work best when you need to screen multiple candidates efficiently while getting better information than resumes alone provide.
The traditional approach—reviewing resumes then conducting phone screens—works fine for small candidate pools. But when you're dealing with 50+ applications, or hiring across time zones, or need to move quickly, that approach becomes a bottleneck.
Async interviews solve this by giving you richer candidate information upfront, without the scheduling complexity of phone screens.
Where async interviews deliver the most value
High-volume hiring. When screening 50+ candidates for a role, async interviews let you evaluate everyone efficiently. HelloFresh made the switch and saw dramatic improvements in their screening process—recruiters described it as transformative for managing large applicant pools.
Remote-first roles. If async communication is core to the job (video updates, written documentation, client presentations), async interviews let you evaluate this skill directly. You're assessing a capability that matters for the role, not just checking boxes from a resume.
Geographic hiring across time zones. When your candidates span different continents, async interviews eliminate scheduling complexity while giving you better assessment data than resume screening alone.
Early-career programs with large applicant pools. EDF fills 400+ roles per season using async screening. It lets them evaluate communication and presentation skills across hundreds of candidates without the logistical nightmare of coordinating that many phone screens. Learn more about early careers hiring.
Time-sensitive hiring. When you need to move quickly, async interviews compress your timeline significantly. Madison Reed doubled their candidate response rates and cut hiring time in half using Willo's async approach.
The results companies see:
- 50% reduction in time-to-hire
- 30% decrease in recruitment costs
- Better quality conversations in live interviews because you've already qualified candidates
Travelxp reduced their screening time by 66% and improved interview response rates by 42%. LaunchCode increased qualified candidates by 54% because they could efficiently evaluate more people.
Where async fits in your hiring process
Use async interviews at the top of your funnel for initial screening. Keep live interviews for building relationships and making final decisions.
Use async to replace:
- Time-intensive resume review processes
- Initial phone screens that verify basic qualifications
- Back-and-forth scheduling for preliminary conversations
Keep live interviews for:
- Deep conversations with qualified candidates
- Culture fit assessment
- Selling the opportunity
- Final evaluations and team meetings
The goal is efficiency without sacrificing quality. You want to spend your time on high-value conversations, not administrative screening tasks.
How Do You Set Up Async Interviews That Candidates Actually Complete?
Implementation determines whether async interviews improve your hiring or create friction.
Step 1: Identify where async fits your process
Start by pinpointing where async interviews will create the most efficiency gains.
Ideal scenarios:
High-volume early-career recruitment (200+ applicants). Async lets you evaluate communication skills across large candidate pools without coordinating hundreds of phone screens.
Initial screening for remote roles. If async communication is essential for the job, evaluating it early makes sense. You're assessing a real job requirement.
Geographic hiring across time zones. Async eliminates scheduling complexity while giving you better information than resume review alone.
Any role with 50+ qualified applicants. Async helps you identify the top candidates worth your time for live conversations.
Roles where communication is critical. Customer service, sales and marketing, teaching, account management—positions where communication style directly impacts success.
Step 2: Choose your platform
Platform choice affects both candidate completion rates and your team's efficiency.
What matters most:
Candidate experience. Look for platforms that work across 99.9% of devices and browsers with no apps or downloads required. The easier it is for candidates to complete, the better your completion rates.
Mobile optimization. Over 60% of candidates use smartphones. The platform needs to work seamlessly on mobile.
Flexible formats. Video, audio-only (for candidates who prefer it), text answers, file uploads. Different roles need different assessment approaches.
Quality assurance tools. Features that help you identify when responses might be overly scripted, ensuring you're evaluating authentic capability. Willo's Real Talk monitors for natural speech patterns and helps you spot rehearsed responses.
ATS integration. Seamless data flow into Greenhouse, Lever, Workable, or your existing ATS saves time. View all integrations.
Support. 24/7 candidate support ensures technical issues don't prevent qualified candidates from completing their interviews.
Security and compliance. GDPR compliance, enterprise-grade security, data encryption protect candidate information.
Step 3: Write questions that reveal relevant capability
Your questions determine whether async interviews give you useful information.
Keep it focused. 3-5 questions totaling 15-20 minutes. More than that and completion rates drop significantly.
Ask questions that matter for the role. Focus on skills and scenarios relevant to job success. You want to learn things resumes can't show you—how someone thinks, communicates, and approaches problems.
Match time to complexity:
30-60 seconds for straightforward questions ("What experience do you have with Salesforce? Walk me through how you've used it.")
1-2 minutes for behavioral questions ("Tell me about a time you had to change your approach on a project. What happened and what did you do?")
2-3 minutes for complex scenarios ("Walk me through how you'd handle this customer situation from start to finish.")
Be specific. Instead of "Tell me about your experience" (too broad), ask "What's a specific project you've worked on in the past 6 months? Walk me through your role, the biggest challenge, and the outcome with specific numbers."
Specificity helps candidates give you concrete examples rather than general statements.
Include something that reveals personality. After role-specific questions, add something that shows who they are: "Tell me about something you're learning right now and why it interests you." This helps you get a sense of the person beyond their professional qualifications.
Not sure where to start? Willo Intelligence can help you generate effective interview questions based on your role requirements.
Step 4: Set clear expectations
Communication makes the difference between good and poor completion rates.
In your job posting: "Our interview process includes an async video screening where you record responses on your schedule, followed by live interviews with our team. This helps us evaluate everyone fairly while respecting the demands on your time."
In your application confirmation: "Thanks for applying! If your background matches what we're looking for, you'll receive an invitation to complete a brief async video interview within 3 business days. This gives you a chance to showcase your experience beyond what fits on a resume."
In your invitation email:
What to expect: 4 questions, 1-2 minutes each, about 15-20 minutes total
Why this format: "Async interviews help us evaluate all candidates fairly using consistent criteria, while giving you the flexibility to record when it works best for you. You choose the timing and environment."
What happens next: We'll review responses within 3 business days and invite top candidates for live interviews
Support: Technical help link, recruiter contact, 24/7 candidate support
Details: Retakes allowed (1-2 per question), 7-day deadline, guaranteed response timeline
Clear communication helps candidates know what to expect and why you're using this approach.
Step 5: Monitor and support the process
During interviews, candidates record independently, but you're actively ensuring everything runs smoothly.
Automated support:
Send helpful reminders at 3 days and 1 day before deadline. Monitor support inbox for technical questions. Send immediate confirmation when submissions come in.
Active monitoring:
Track completion rates. If you sent 50 invitations and only 15 have submitted after 4 days, investigate. Normal completion rates for well-designed processes run 60-80%.
Review early submissions to catch any issues. Are questions clear? Are time limits appropriate? Address problems quickly before more candidates encounter them.
Step 6: Review efficiently and fairly
How you review determines whether you identify the right candidates.
Focused review sessions. Block 90-minute sessions to review 10-15 candidates consecutively. This creates consistency in your assessments.
Use clear criteria. Before watching responses, know what you're evaluating. Have specific criteria for strong, acceptable, and weak answers to each question.
Look for substance. A candidate who provides specific examples with measurable outcomes tells you more than someone who speaks smoothly but vaguely. You're evaluating capability, not presentation polish.
Watch for authenticity. Candidates who share genuine stories and speak naturally tend to give you more reliable information than those who sound overly rehearsed. Tools like Real Talk help identify overly scripted responses.
Collaborate with your team. Share promising candidates within the platform. Use commenting features to discuss and make collaborative decisions efficiently.
Respond promptly. If you promised 3-day review, honor it. Timely responses respect candidate effort and keep them engaged.
Want to save time on repetitive tasks? Willo Intelligence can help you write follow-up emails, generate candidate summaries, and create shortlists automatically.
Step 7: Connect async to your live interview process
Async interviews are most effective when they feed into your live interview pipeline.
Clear advancement process:
After reviewing async responses, identify your top 15-20%. These candidates have demonstrated relevant skills and strong communication. Invite them to live interviews where you can go deeper, assess fit, and answer their questions.
Reference their responses: "Hi Sarah, I enjoyed your async interview, especially your example about the knowledge base project that reduced ticket time by 50%. I'd like to discuss this more and answer any questions you have about the role. Are you available for a 45-minute call this week?"
This shows you paid attention to their responses and helps create continuity between screening stages.
Step 8: Improve based on data
Your first async process will have room for improvement. Companies with high satisfaction rates continuously refine based on feedback.
Track key metrics:
Completion rate (target 70-85%), time to complete, where candidates drop off, candidate feedback scores, time-to-review (target under 3 business days), quality of candidates advancing.
Calculate your time savings to see the impact of async interviews on your hiring process.
Gather feedback: After async interviews, ask candidates about their experience. After live interviews, ask if the async format gave them a fair opportunity to showcase their skills.
Make adjustments:
If completion rates are low: Extend deadline from 48 hours to 7 days, reduce questions from 8 to 4, add hiring manager video to personalize the invite, clarify why you use this approach.
If questions aren't giving you useful information: Make them more specific and scenario-based. Generic questions tend to produce generic answers.
Which Async Interview Platforms Actually Work in 2025?
Platform choice affects both your team's efficiency and candidate completion rates.
For human-friendly experience with quality assurance: Willo
Willo is rated #1 by G2 three years running for helping companies screen candidates efficiently while maintaining strong candidate experience.
What you get: Multiple response formats (video, audio, text, file uploads), unlimited interviews on higher plans, Willo Intelligence for automating repetitive tasks like writing follow-up emails and generating candidate summaries, Real Talk for identifying overly scripted responses, seamless ATS integrations, collaborative team review, 24/7 candidate and customer support.
Best for: Companies that need to screen efficiently without compromising on candidate experience or assessment quality.
Why it works: Works across 99.9% of devices and browsers—no apps, downloads, or registration required. Candidates just click and start. Maintains premium experience even on slow connections.
Real Talk advantage: Monitors for natural speech patterns and helps identify overly scripted responses, so you can be confident you're evaluating authentic capability.
Real results:
- Madison Reed: Doubled candidate response rates and cut hiring time in half
- Travelxp: 50% reduction in time-to-hire and 66% reduction in screening time
- LaunchCode: 54% increase in qualified candidates
- Bott + Co: Saves 45+ minutes per interview
- EDF: Halved recruiter admin time while filling 400+ roles per season
View all case studies to see how other companies are using Willo.
Hireflix
Focused on doing async video interviewing well without added complexity.
Best for: Companies prioritizing straightforward implementation. Cost-effective for SMBs.
HireVue
Comprehensive platform with both live and async capabilities, advanced analytics, and enterprise features.
Best for: Corporates with complex workflows and dedicated recruiting operations teams.
Hirevire
Solid async screening functionality at $19/month with unlimited responses.
Best for: Agencies, startups, and SMBs with tight budgets who need basic async screening.
What to choose
Screening 100+ candidates annually: Willo for the balance of candidate experience, efficiency, and quality assurance features that ensure authentic assessment.
Want to see it first: Start with Willo's free demo to tour the platform and see how it integrates with your workflow.
What Mistakes Decreases Your Candidate Completion Rates?
These implementation issues separate effective async programs from ones that create friction.
1. No personal connection anywhere
Candidates receive an automated email, record their responses, wait, then get a form rejection. They never interact with anyone from your company.
This creates a transactional feel that doesn't reflect well on your employer brand.
Add personal elements: Have your hiring manager record a 60-second introduction video for the invitation email. After submission, send a thank-you that references something specific from their responses. When advancing candidates, send a personal note: "Hi Sarah, I really appreciated your example about the knowledge base project. Let's talk more about it."
Small touches make candidates feel valued and improve your employer brand.
2. Too many questions
Asking 10-12 questions that require 2-3 minutes each creates a 45-minute process. That's too long for initial screening.
You need baseline information to identify qualified candidates. That takes 3-5 well-designed questions, maximum. Keep total time to 15-20 minutes.
One company reduced questions from 8 to 4 and saw completion rates jump from 58% to 84%.
3. Unclear time expectations
When you ask complex questions but only allow 45 seconds, or don't allow any retakes, you create unnecessary pressure.
Match time limits to question complexity. Quick verification questions get 30-60 seconds. Behavioral questions with specific examples get 1-2 minutes. Complex scenarios get 2-3 minutes.
Allow retakes—at least one per question. This reduces pressure and often leads to better, more natural responses.
4. Unclear purpose
If you don't explain why you use async interviews, candidates might assume it's just to save you time without benefiting them.
Frame it clearly: "Async interviews help us evaluate all candidates using consistent criteria, while giving you the flexibility to record when it works best for you. This approach helps us make fair assessments and lets you showcase your skills beyond what fits on a resume."
Clear communication about benefits helps candidates understand the value.
5. Technical friction or quality issues
When platforms require apps, downloads, or complex setup, candidates abandon the process. When they encounter browser crashes or upload failures, frustration sets in.
Look for platforms that work across 99.9% of devices without requiring downloads. Willo works directly in browsers—candidates just click and start.
Also consider quality assurance. Platforms with features like Real Talk help ensure you're evaluating authentic responses, not overly rehearsed performances, which gives you more reliable assessment data.
Include a "Test Your Tech" link in invitations so candidates can verify their setup works. Provide 24/7 support so technical issues don't prevent qualified candidates from completing interviews.
Find Qualified Candidates Faster With Async Interviews
Traditional screening takes too long and tells you too little. You spend hours reviewing resumes and conducting phone screens, often with limited insight into whether candidates can actually do the job.
Async interviews help you screen more efficiently without sacrificing assessment quality. You get richer information about candidates—how they communicate, articulate their experience, and approach relevant scenarios—in a fraction of the time.
Companies making this shift see:
- 50% faster time-to-hire
- 30% lower recruitment costs
- Better quality live interviews because you've already qualified candidates
- Improved ability to evaluate candidates across time zones and geographies
The key is choosing a platform designed around both efficiency and quality. Willo helps HelloFresh, EDF, Madison Reed, and hundreds of others screen candidates effectively while maintaining strong candidate experience.
About Willo: We help companies screen candidates efficiently without spending weeks on initial interviews. Traditional hiring spends too much time on preliminary screening. Willo's async interview platform gives you richer candidate information faster, helping you identify qualified candidates and spend your time on conversations that matter. With features like Real Talk quality assurance, Willo Intelligence automation, 24/7 support, and a platform rated #1 by G2 three years running, we make it easier to hire the right people in less time.
