Recorded video interviews: what employers say about questions, timing and who watches

Santander UK describes a pre-recorded interview of four to five questions. The Metropolitan Police gives one minute to prepare and five minutes to record each answer. NatWest describes six pre-recorded questions taking about 20 minutes in total. BT Group uses one recorded video question inside its online assessment.

Other employers give no count. Lloyds mentions a recorded video answer, Aviva a recorded interview with a practice question first, and Network Rail recorded answers about motivation and experience.

Lloyds says a member of its team reviews video responses and that there is no AI scoring of your answers. BT says a recruiter reviews its video answer, while its five written answers are scored with AI support. Clifford Chance says it does not use AI to screen applications or make hiring decisions. Most employers do not say.

If you do not know, plan for both. Speak clearly, structure the answer, and keep it specific. A recruiter and a scoring system both respond better to a clear situation, action and result than to general statements.

Use a simple order: the situation in a sentence, what you did, and what changed. If the question asks about motivation, give one concrete reason, one piece of evidence and one link to the role. Keep each answer to about two to three minutes when five are allowed, because rambling is the most common failure.

When the Met Police gives one minute to prepare, jot three words only. When Santander gives four to five questions, prepare four to five stories. Preparing to the stated numbers is better than preparing in general.

Place the camera at eye level, face a window or a lamp, and test the microphone. Record yourself answering one question and watch it once, looking for a single fix such as pace or the first sentence. Recording yourself ten times produces stiffness.

If your invitation includes a practice question, as Aviva's does, use it to settle into the format. If the employer offers adjustments, request them before the interview, not after.

Forvis Mazars says its first interview is live on video with a time slot you choose. That is closer to a normal interview than a recorded one: a person responds, so listening matters as much as your prepared points.

Prepare four short examples and be ready to adapt them, then use the conversation. Ask one question at the end that you cannot answer from the website.