AI video interviews for first-round screening
Alfa AI invites each suitable applicant to a short interview with Lisa, its AI interviewer, on video or audio. You get the recording, a transcript and a score on the candidate's profile instead of booking a phone screen. Try the demo above to hear Lisa for yourself, then read how it works.
Updated
What is an AI Interview?
An AI Interview is a short first-round screening conversation between a job applicant and Lisa, the AI interviewer in Alfa AI. It takes the place of the first phone screen: the candidate talks to Lisa on video or audio in their browser, and a person on the hiring team reviews the recording.
- Lisa aims to finish in about four minutes, and every call ends automatically after about seven and a half minutes.
- Candidates take it whenever it suits them, so there is no call to schedule.
- Lisa holds the interview in the job's application language.
- AI Interviews are on by default for every new job in Alfa.
What happens in the AI Interview demo?
The demo is a short video call with Lisa that is not tied to a job. She introduces herself, asks about your background, your career goals and your strengths, and the call lasts up to four minutes.
- Watch the 15-second intro video, check your camera and microphone, then join the call. No account is needed.
- Allow camera and microphone access when your browser asks for it.
- The demo call is recorded, like a real AI Interview.
- A real AI Interview also uses the job description, the candidate's resume and the recruiter's own questions.
How does an AI Interview work for candidates?
Applicants whom the AI screening marks as suitable are invited to an AI Interview when they finish applying, and they take it in their browser.
- The candidate watches a short intro video from Lisa. The page explains that the interview is a relaxed conversation and that a person on the hiring team will review it.
- If the job allows both formats, they choose a video call or audio only.
- A notice tells them that by joining the call they agree that the interview is recorded, transcribed and assessed by AI. They check their camera and microphone, then join.
- Lisa greets them, asks the questions in a relaxed conversation and thanks them for applying.
- If the call ends unexpectedly in its first 90 seconds, the candidate can usually restart the interview from the beginning.
- If their session expires, they can enter the email they applied with to have their interview link sent to them again.
- Recruiters decide whether candidates see an option to skip the interview.
How do recruiters set up an AI Interview?
Recruiters set up the AI Interview once per job, while the job is still a draft, and Alfa then invites every suitable applicant automatically. Five settings control it.
| Setting | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Enable AI Interview | Invites every applicant the AI screening marks as suitable. | On |
| Interview type | Both lets the candidate choose a video call or audio only. Video only and Audio only fix the format. | Both |
| Interview questions | Up to three questions Lisa asks every candidate, typed in or picked from suggestions for the role. | None |
| Opening greeting | The first thing Lisa says. | "Hi there, welcome to your AI screening call, how are you doing today?" |
| Show skip button on AI Interview | Shows candidates the option to skip the interview. Turn it off to hide that option. | On |
- A company admin can also choose the background behind Lisa in video interviews, such as an office with your logo.
- You can ask Lisa in Alfa to change these settings, to send a specific applicant their interview link, or to interview everyone who applies without a resume screen.
What questions does the AI interviewer ask?
Lisa follows the same structure in every AI Interview: the candidate's background, your own questions, one or two of the role's most important skills, and why the candidate is looking for a new role. She skips any part that an earlier answer already covered.
| Part | What Lisa asks about | Example question |
|---|---|---|
| Background | The candidate's recent work, referring to details from their resume | "Could you introduce yourself and talk me through your most recent role?" |
| Your questions | Up to three questions you set for the job, asked of every candidate | "Tell me about a time you calmed down an upset customer. What did you do?" |
| Key skills | Practical experience with one or two of the skills that matter most for the role | "How have you used a help desk system to manage and prioritize support tickets?" |
| Closing | Why the candidate is looking for a new role, then how the call will be used | "Why are you looking for a new opportunity?" |
These examples show the kind of question Lisa asks. Her exact words depend on the job, the candidate's resume and the conversation.
What do recruiters get after an AI Interview?
Each completed AI Interview appears on the candidate's profile with the full recording and a transcript, and the candidate's AI score takes their interview answers into account alongside their resume.
| What you get | Details |
|---|---|
| Recording | Video interviews play in a player split into chapters, and audio interviews play as a waveform. You can download the recording. |
| Transcript | The whole conversation, with each speaker named. Words highlight as the recording plays, and selecting the time on a line jumps to that moment. |
| Candidate Scorecard | An AI score from 0% to 100% for how closely the candidate's evidence matches the job's skills, with the strengths and gaps behind it. |
| Lisa's take | A short written view of each suitable candidate, in their notes. |
- Ask Lisa to compare your top interviewed candidates, and she reviews them using their interview evidence.
- Invite the strongest candidates to a live interview, which they book from your calendar in Alfa.
Who makes the decision after an AI Interview?
A person on the hiring team does. Lisa runs the conversation and organizes the evidence, and a recruiter or hiring manager reviews the interview and decides the next step.
- Candidates are told before they start that a person on the hiring team will review their interview and decide the next step. They are also told that the interview is recorded, transcribed and assessed by AI, and joining the call is their agreement.
- Your own questions are asked of every candidate on the job. The questions Alfa suggests ask candidates to describe real experience, and are written to avoid age, gender, race, religion, disability, marital status and other protected characteristics.
- Lisa does not draw conclusions from protected traits. The AI score counts only evidence, so a skill the candidate does not show does not raise it.
- Recruiters can move any candidate on the board themselves, whatever their score.
- Before a job is published, Alfa runs seven advisory fairness checks on the advert and screening rules: age; sex and gender; race, ethnicity and nationality; religion or belief; disability and health; sexual orientation; and marital, pregnancy and family status. The checks do not replace legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
How long is an AI Interview?
About four minutes. Lisa aims to leave room for about three questions before her closing question, and every call ends automatically after about seven and a half minutes.
Can candidates choose between a video and an audio interview?
Yes, when the job's interview type is set to Both. A recruiter can also make the AI Interview video only or audio only.
Can candidates skip the AI Interview?
By default, yes: candidates see an option to skip it. A recruiter can hide that option, and candidates are then told the interview is required, although a candidate who closes the page after applying still applies without one.
Do candidates have to agree to an AI Interview?
Yes. Before the call, a notice tells candidates that by joining they agree that the interview is recorded, transcribed and assessed by AI. Joining the call is their agreement.
Does the AI decide who gets hired?
No. Lisa runs the interview and organizes the evidence, and a person on the hiring team reviews it and decides the next step.
What language does Lisa interview in?
The job's application language, which the recruiter sets on the job. Lisa keeps to that language unless the candidate switches to a different one.
How is an AI Interview different from a one-way video interview?
In a one-way video interview, candidates record answers to fixed prompts with nobody on the other side. In an AI Interview, Lisa talks with the candidate in real time, refers to their resume and skips a question that an earlier answer already covered.
Do AI Interviews replace live interviews?
No. The AI Interview replaces the first phone screen. Recruiters can then invite the strongest candidates to a live interview with the hiring team.
