Skip to main content
A well-designed AI interview is the difference between noisy data and clear hiring signals.

​
Start with the End in Mind

Before configuring your interview, answer these questions:
  • What must this person be able to do on Day 1? These are your non-negotiable criteria and should carry the highest weight.
  • What skills can be learned on the job? These are nice-to-haves — include them at lower weight or leave them out entirely.
  • What does failure in this role look like? This helps you identify red flags and design questions that surface them early.

​
Structure Your Interview

A good AI interview follows a natural flow that builds comfort and progressively goes deeper:
The warm-up isn’t filler — it’s strategic. Candidates who feel comfortable give better, more authentic answers. Skipping it leads to guarded, surface-level responses throughout the entire interview.

​
Sample Agendas by Role Type

​
Software Engineer (Mid-Level) — 20 minutes

​
Sales Representative — 15 minutes

​
Customer Support Lead — 15 minutes

​
Calibrating Follow-Up Depth

Hello Recruiter’s AI asks follow-up questions based on candidate responses. You can control how deep it goes:
  • Light follow-ups — Good for high-volume, entry-level roles where you need quick screening. The AI accepts answers at face value and moves on.
  • Moderate follow-ups — The default. The AI asks one follow-up per topic to get more specific examples.
  • Deep follow-ups — Best for senior or specialized roles. The AI probes multiple layers — asking for specifics, challenging assumptions, and requesting alternative approaches.
Match depth to seniority. Deep follow-ups on an entry-level role will feel like an interrogation. Light follow-ups on a VP role will miss critical insights.

​
Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don’t overload with criteria. 5–7 evaluation criteria is the sweet spot. More than that dilutes the signal — each criterion contributes so little to the overall score that it becomes hard to differentiate candidates meaningfully.
Don’t copy generic criteria from job description templates. “Strong communication skills” and “team player” are so vague they’re almost meaningless. Be specific: “Ability to explain technical trade-offs to non-technical stakeholders” is far more useful to the AI evaluator.
Test your own interview before going live. Complete the full AI interview yourself. You’ll immediately spot questions that are confusing, topics that feel redundant, or a total duration that’s too long. If you wouldn’t want to sit through it, your candidates won’t either.

Evaluation Criteria

Interview Agenda

Candidate Experience