Invited to a VeraHire interview? Here is what happens.
A company you applied to uses VeraHire to run its first interview. This page covers what the interview is, how your answers are scored, and what happens to the recording.
Go to your recording and your data
Is this invite real?
Yes, if you applied to the company named in it. VeraHire is hiring software that employers use to run first-round interviews. The invite names the company and the role. If you never applied there, or a message asks you for money or bank details, do not continue and contact the company directly. VeraHire never charges candidates.
What is this, exactly?
A first-round interview, held by voice. You talk to an AI interviewer instead of a recruiter, and it asks about your experience and how you approach the work. A person at the company reads the result and decides what happens next.
Am I talking to a person?
No. It is an AI interviewer, and it says so. The interviewer introduces itself as an AI at the start of the call. A person at the company reads the report afterwards.
How long does it take?
Usually 10 to 15 minutes. It varies by role. The interviewer tells you the expected length at the start of the call and asks whether now is a good time. You take it whenever suits you, evenings and weekends included.
Do I need a camera?
Usually not. Most interviews are voice only. Some employers ask for video on specific roles. In that case you see a camera preview before you start, you can blur or replace your background, and if your camera will not start you can finish with audio only. There is no face analysis. You need a device with a microphone, a stable connection, and somewhere reasonably quiet.
What language is the interview in?
English. Interviews run in English today.
During the interview.
What you are asked and what to do if something goes wrong.
What kind of questions will I be asked?
Questions about the requirements in the job description. Expect questions about your relevant experience and how you handle the work, with a follow-up when an answer is short on detail.
How should I prepare?
Read the job description. Think about how your experience maps to what the role asks for, and have specific examples ready. Specific answers score better than general ones, because each score has to point to something you said.
Can it understand my accent?
It should. If it mishears you, say so and repeat the point, the same as you would with a person. Scores are based on what you said about each requirement.
What if my connection drops?
The interview tries to reconnect on its own. That usually works. If the call drops for good before the interview is finished, you get the option to continue later. The interviewer picks up where the call dropped and gives you a quick recap of what you had already covered.
Can I ask for a different format?
Yes, you can ask. You may request an alternative interview format. Ask the company's hiring team before you start.
Can I retake it?
That is the company's call, not ours. Some allow it. Ask the hiring team before you start if it matters to you.
How you are scored.
And what the hiring team sees at the end.
How is my interview scored?
Criterion by criterion. The requirements come from the job description, and each one is judged on its own and marked met, partly met or not met. Every one of those calls has to point back to something you said in the interview, so the hiring team sees the reason next to the score.
Is it fair?
Every candidate for a role is measured against the same bar. An independent third-party audit applied the standard set out in New York City's Local Law 144 to VeraHire's resume screening and interview analysis, and found no conclusive evidence of disparate impact across race or ethnicity, sex, or their intersections. It is not a certification, and it is not a guarantee that any hiring process is free of bias. Read the audit.
What if I give one bad answer?
Each criterion is judged separately, so one weak answer affects that criterion and leaves the others alone. If you realise mid-answer that you want to add something, say it.
Does the AI decide whether I get hired?
No. It never makes the hire. VeraHire produces a score and a report with the evidence behind it, and by default a person reviews them before any hiring decision. Some employers switch on automatic steps, such as inviting everyone above a score to interview, or declining an application at the resume stage. You can ask the company for a person to review your application.
Should I opt out of AI resume screening?
Know what it does first. VeraHire scores your resume against the requirements in the job description, one at a time, and shows the hiring team the reason next to each call. If you would prefer not to be screened this way, ask the employer what the alternative is. Whether there is one is their decision.
When will I hear back?
The company decides that. The hiring team at the company gets your report and contacts you about next steps.
Will I get feedback?
That depends on the company. VeraHire produces a detailed report for the hiring team, and whether they share it with you is their decision.
Your recording and your data.
What is kept, for how long, and who can see it.
Am I recorded?
Yes, the interview is recorded and transcribed. That is how your answers get assessed, and it lets the hiring team check the reasoning behind a score.
Does it analyze my face or my voice?
No facial recognition and no voice identification. During a voice interview, our voice provider derives signals about expression and tone, and these are stored with your interview record. They are not used to identify you. You can opt out of that analysis by writing to privacy@verahire.ai.
Is my interview used to train AI models?
No. Interviews are not used to train models.
Who can see my interview?
The hiring team at the company you applied to. Authorized VeraHire staff can access it for support. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest, and access is scoped to each company. We do not use your data for marketing or advertising. Read the privacy policy.
How long is my data kept?
Up to three years, unless you ask us to delete it sooner. You can request deletion at any time by writing to privacy@verahire.ai. We delete it unless the law requires us to keep it.
Can I get a copy of my interview?
You can ask. Depending on where you live, you can request a copy of your audio, transcript or report, or a correction. Write to privacy@verahire.ai.
Good luck with the interview.
Answer the way you would to a person, with specific examples.
For a technical problem or a question about your application, contact the hiring team at the company that invited you.