AI interviews are becoming a standard part of modern hiring. For employers, they promise faster, more consistent hiring decisions. For candidates, they often represent the first real interaction with a potential employer. Yet despite their growing use, many people still ask the same core question: how do AI interviews actually work?

 

This guide explains AI interviews step by step, from setup to evaluation, for both employers and candidates. The goal is to remove confusion, clarify roles, and show where AI supports, not replaces human decision-making.

 

 

What Is an AI Interview?

 

 

An AI interview is an interview process where artificial intelligence helps structure, conduct, analyze, or support candidate interviews. AI can assist in different ways, including:

 

• Delivering interview questions
• Managing interview flow and timing
• Analyzing responses for skills and signals
• Providing structured insights to hiring teams

Importantly, AI interviews are not fully automated hiring decisions. In most real-world use cases, AI supports early-stage evaluation while humans remain responsible for final decisions.

 

 

 

 

 

Step-by-Step: How AI Interviews Work for Employers

 

Step 1: Define the Role and Evaluation Criteria

 

The process begins with the employer. Before any AI is involved, hiring teams define:

• The role requirements (skills, experience, competencies)
• What “good” looks like for the role
• Which skills should be assessed during interviews

Strong AI interviews rely on clear inputs. The more structured the role definition, the more useful the AI-supported insights will be.

 

 

Step 2: Configure the Interview Format

 

Next, employers choose the interview format best suited for the role. Common options include:

• Asynchronous video interviews (candidates record responses on their own time)
• Live AI-assisted interviews (AI guides questions, humans may observe or join later)
• Conversational AI interviews (chat or voice-based interview flow)

Employers also configure:

• Question sets
• Time limits
• Evaluation rubrics

This ensures every candidate is assessed consistently.

 

 

Step 3: Invite Candidates to the AI Interview

 

Candidates receive an invitation explaining:

• What the interview involves
• How long it will take
• Whether it’s recorded or live
• What technology is required

Clear communication at this stage is critical. When candidates understand the process, completion rates and engagement are significantly higher.

 

 

Step 4: AI Conducts or Supports the Interview

 

During the interview itself, AI may:

• Present questions one at a time
• Manage pacing and transitions
• Capture video, audio, or text responses
• Prompt follow-up questions based on responses (in conversational formats)

For employers, this step eliminates scheduling bottlenecks and ensures every candidate experiences the same interview structure.

 

 

Step 5: AI Analyzes Interview Responses

 

After the interview, AI systems analyze responses using techniques such as:

• Natural language processing (NLP)
• Speech and text analysis
• Structured scoring frameworks

The AI looks for job-related signals such as:

• Clarity of communication
• Relevance of answers to the role
• Consistency with required competencies

Crucially, AI does not “decide who gets hired.” It organizes information so humans can review it more efficiently and fairly.

 

 

Step 6: Hiring Teams Review Insights and Decide

 

Hiring managers and recruiters review:

• Interview recordings or transcripts
• AI-generated summaries or highlights
• Structured scores aligned to role criteria

Humans then make decisions about:

• Advancing candidates
• Scheduling follow-up interviews
• Making offers

AI reduces noise and bias by standardizing inputs, but judgment remains human.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step-by-Step: How AI Interviews Work for Candidates

 

Step 1: Receive the Interview Invitation

 

From the candidate’s perspective, the AI interview process starts with an invitation. This usually explains:

• The interview format
• Estimated time commitment
• Whether preparation or re-recording is allowed

Transparency here sets the tone for the entire experience.

 

Step 2: Prepare for the Interview

 

Candidates typically prepare by:

• Testing camera, microphone, and internet
• Choosing a quiet, well-lit space
• Reviewing the job description
• Practicing answers

For asynchronous interviews, candidates appreciate being able to prepare and complete the interview on their own schedule.

 

 

Step 3: Participate in the AI Interview

 

Depending on the format, candidates may:

• Record video responses to predefined questions
• Speak with a conversational AI via voice or chat
• Participate in a live interview supported by AI prompts

The experience is structured and predictable, which many candidates find less stressful than traditional interviews.

 

 

Step 4: Responses Are Captured and Submitted

 

Once the interview is completed:

• Responses are securely stored
• Candidates typically receive confirmation of submission
• Next steps are communicated

Candidates are not being “judged in real time by a robot.” Their responses are reviewed later by hiring teams.

 

 

Step 5: Human Review and Follow-Up

 

After AI-assisted analysis, human recruiters and hiring managers review interviews. Candidates may then:

• Be invited to a live interview
• Receive additional assessments
• Be informed of next steps or outcomes

The AI interview is usually one step in a broader hiring process, not the final decision.

 

 

 

What AI Interviews Evaluate and What They Don’t

 

AI Interviews Commonly Evaluate:

 

• Communication clarity
• Role-specific knowledge
• Structured responses
• Alignment with job criteria

AI Interviews Do Not:

 

• Replace human judgment
• Make final hiring decisions
• Evaluate personal traits unrelated to the job

Understanding this distinction helps both employers and candidates engage with confidence.

 

 

Why Organizations Use AI Interviews

 

Employers adopt AI interviews to:

• Reduce time-to-hire
• Improve consistency across interviews
• Scale hiring without increasing recruiter workload
• Create fairer, more structured evaluations

 

For candidates, the benefits often include:

• Flexible scheduling
• Clear expectations
• Reduced bias from unstructured interviews

 

 

 

Common Misconceptions About AI Interviews

 

• “AI interviews replace humans.”
  They don’t. Humans still decide.
• “AI interviews are unfair by default.”
  When designed correctly, they often reduce bias by standardizing evaluation.
• “Candidates are judged instantly.”
  In most cases, responses are reviewed later by people.

 

 

 

The Future of AI Interviews

 

As AI interviewing continues to evolve, the focus is shifting toward:

• Greater transparency for candidates
• Stronger human-in-the-loop models
• Better role-specific evaluation

The most successful organizations treat AI interviews as a support system, not a shortcut.

 

 

Final Takeaway

 

AI interviews work by combining structure, technology, and human judgment. For employers, they streamline hiring while improving consistency. For candidates, they offer flexibility and clarity, when implemented thoughtfully.

When both sides understand how the process works, AI interviews become less intimidating and more effective, serving as a bridge between efficiency and fairness in modern hiring.

 

 

 

 

Interviewer.AI is a purpose-built technology platform designed to help recruiters and HR teams identify and hire the right talent with greater confidence and efficiency. We also partner with universities to support admissions and coaching, enabling them to use technology to better assess potential, skills, and readiness. Our mission is to make hiring more equitable, explainable, and efficient by enabling teams to screen candidates early and shortlist those who best meet role-specific criteria.

Schedule a demo today to learn more about how AI interviews can help your hiring.

 

 

 

 

Gabrielle Martinsson is a Content Writer at Interviewer.AI. She’s a tech geek and loves optimizing business processes with the aid of tech tools. She also loves travelling and listening to music in her leisure.