Let’s be honest. Most interview advice is recycled garbage. You’ve read the same lists a hundred times, full of questions that candidates have rehearsed since their first internship. The result? You learn who’s good at interviewing, not who’s good at the job. You’re left wondering if your process is actually finding the best fit or just the best performer on camera.

After conducting thousands of interviews and making every mistake in the book, I've learned that the right questions are your sharpest tool. This is especially true for a video interview, where you have less time and fewer non-verbal cues to cut through the fluff. This article isn't just another generic list. We’re breaking down the common questions for a video interview that actually predict performance, reveal character, and help you separate the talkers from the doers.

Asking the right questions is vital, but it's just one piece of the puzzle. For a deeper dive into building a high-performing team from the ground up, learn how to hire salespeople effectively to move beyond interviews to a comprehensive hiring strategy. Turns out there’s more than one way to hire elite talent without mortgaging your office ping-pong table. Ready to ditch the script and start asking questions that matter? Let’s do this.

1. Tell me about yourself

Look, I get it. This question feels as old as the dial-up modem, but don't sleep on it for your asynchronous interviews. It’s not just a warm-up; it's a diagnostic tool. In a pre-recorded video, this question is your first real look at a candidate's communication style, their ability to be concise, and whether they can connect through a lens. It’s less about their life story and more about their professional sales pitch.

Think of it as the ultimate filter. A rambling, unfocused answer tells you volumes. So does a polished, confident one. This is one of the most revealing questions for a video interview because it sets the stage for everything that follows. It's the handshake, the elevator pitch, and the first impression all rolled into one.

How to Get the Most Out of It

Don't just ask the question and move on. Set specific parameters to get the data you need.

• Set a Time Limit: Ask candidates to answer in 90 seconds or less. This tests their ability to synthesize information and focus on what’s truly important. Can they land the plane?
• Structure Their Response: Prompt them to frame their answer using the Present-Past-Future model. This gives you a clear, chronological narrative of their career path and aspirations without the fluff.
• Focus on Relevance: Explicitly ask them to connect their story to the role they’re applying for. Why are they the right person for this job, right now?

Pro Tip: Watch their delivery, not just their words. Are they making eye contact with the camera? Is their audio clear? These non-verbal cues are crucial in a remote work environment and are on full display here. This is your first test of their video communication skills. Don't blow it.

2. Why are you interested in this position/company?

If "Tell me about yourself" is the handshake, this question is the first real conversation. It's a fantastic litmus test for separating the casual applicant from the genuinely invested candidate. Anyone can click "apply," but only someone truly interested will have done their homework. In a video interview, you’re not just listening for a good answer; you’re watching for authentic enthusiasm. A flat, robotic delivery of a well-researched answer is almost as bad as having no answer at all.

This is one of those classic questions for a video interview that reveals motivation, research skills, and cultural alignment in one go. A generic "I want a new challenge" answer tells you they've probably sent out 50 other applications today. A specific, passionate response tells you they want this job.

How to Get the Most Out of It

Don’t let them get away with a vague response. Guide them toward an answer that gives you real signal.

• Ask for Specifics: Prompt them to name a specific company value, recent project, or product feature that excites them and explain why. This pushes them beyond the "About Us" page.
• Connect to Their Goals: Ask, "How does this specific role align with your long-term career aspirations?" This reveals if they see the job as a stepping stone or a destination.
• Probe for Cultural Fit: Frame the question around your company's mission. For example, if you're a mission-driven company like Tesla, you might ask, "What about our mission to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy resonates with you personally?"

Pro Tip: Pay close attention to their energy levels. Genuine interest is hard to fake on camera. If they light up when talking about your company's latest product launch, that’s a strong positive signal. You can learn more about how to prepare for a video interview and coach candidates to bring their best selves to the screen on asyncinterview.io.

3. What are your greatest strengths?

This one’s a classic for a reason, but in a video interview, it takes on a whole new dimension. You’re not just listening for keywords; you’re watching a candidate’s self-awareness and confidence in real-time. This question forces them to move beyond a bulleted list on their resume and actually sell their value proposition. In an asynchronous format, it's a powerful test of their ability to articulate their skills convincingly without any live feedback.

Think of this as their elevator pitch on steroids. A generic answer like "I'm a hard worker" is a red flag, signaling a lack of preparation or self-reflection. But a candidate who can connect a specific strength to a quantifiable achievement for a previous employer? That's someone who understands impact. This is one of those questions for a video interview that separates the contenders from the pretenders.

How to Get the Most Out of It

Push candidates beyond vague platitudes by framing the question to demand specifics and evidence.

• Demand Evidence: Ask them to provide a specific example or story for each strength they mention. "Tell me about your top two strengths and a time you used each to solve a business problem."
• Align with Role Requirements: Frame the question around the job description. For a sales role, ask, "What are your greatest strengths when it comes to building client relationships?" This forces them to demonstrate relevance.
• Focus on Differentiation: Challenge them to explain what makes them unique. A great prompt is, "What's one strength you have that most other candidates for this role might not?"

Pro Tip: Encourage candidates to think beyond just technical abilities. When responding, they should consider identifying high-impact skills like strategic thinking or adaptability. These are often the qualities that truly predict success and are much harder to teach than a new software program.

4. Describe a challenging situation you faced and how you handled it

This isn't just about finding out if a candidate can handle a tough Tuesday. This classic behavioral question is a stress test for their storytelling and problem-solving skills, all wrapped in one. In a pre-recorded format, it’s a goldmine. You get to see, without interruption, how they structure a complex narrative, articulate their specific contributions, and demonstrate resilience through a screen.

This is one of the most powerful questions for a video interview because it forces candidates to move beyond generic claims of being a "problem-solver." It demands proof. Companies like Amazon and Procter & Gamble use this to evaluate everything from leadership potential to the ability to deliver results under fire. A candidate who can nail this response shows they can communicate with clarity and impact, even when the pressure is on.

How to Get the Most Out of It

A vague prompt gets you a vague answer. Guide candidates to give you the specific data points you need to make a smart hiring decision.

• Mandate the STAR Method: Explicitly ask candidates to frame their answer using the Situation, Task, Action, Result framework. This gives you a coherent story and ensures you get the full picture, not just a highlight reel.
• Focus on Specifics: Instruct them to describe their specific actions and decisions, not what the team did. You’re hiring them, not their old team. What was their unique contribution?
• Ask for Quantifiable Results: Prompt them to end their story with a measurable outcome. How did their actions save money, improve a process, or increase revenue? Numbers cut through the noise.

Pro Tip: Look for ownership and learning. The best answers don't just detail a success; they often include what the candidate learned from the challenge. This insight into their self-awareness and growth mindset is invaluable. For more on this, explore our guide to mastering on-demand interviews.

5. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

This question is the classic crystal ball of the interview world, and in a video format, it’s more revealing than ever. It's not about trapping a candidate into admitting they plan to jump ship in two years. It's a strategic probe into their ambition, foresight, and whether their career map has any roads leading to your company's future. It separates the drifters from the drivers.

In a pre-recorded video, you get to see how they articulate long-term vision without a live audience to read. Can they connect their personal goals to your organizational ones? A vague, "I want to be in a senior role" is a red flag. A specific, well-researched answer is a signal of a candidate who plans to build, not just occupy a seat.

How to Get the Most Out of It

Frame the question to get a response that’s more than just career-day fluff. You want to see alignment and realistic ambition.

• Prompt for Company Alignment: Ask, "How do you see your career growing with our company over the next five years?" This forces them to think specifically about their role within your structure, not just their abstract career goals.
• Request Specific Milestones: Encourage them to outline 1-2 key professional milestones they hope to achieve in that timeframe. This tests their ability to set tangible goals. For example, Google often looks for candidates who can articulate a growth path within its vast tech ecosystem.
• Balance Ambition with Reality: Acknowledge that plans change. You could ask, "While things can change, what does an ideal five-year journey look like for you professionally?" This shows you value direction, not a rigid, unchangeable script.

Pro Tip: Look for evidence of research. Do they mention specific roles, projects, or departments within your company? A candidate who says they want to grow into a role that doesn't exist shows they haven't done their homework. This is one of those questions for a video interview that quickly sorts the truly invested candidates from the rest.

6. Why are you leaving your current job?

Let's be honest, this question is the landmine of the interview process. Ask it in person, and you can feel the air change. Ask it in a video interview, and you get an unfiltered look at a candidate’s professionalism, self-awareness, and ability to handle delicate topics. It’s not about digging for drama; it’s about understanding motivation. Are they running away from something, or are they running toward something?

In an asynchronous format, you can review their answer multiple times, watching for subtle hesitations or shifts in tone. Their body language, word choice, and overall delivery are raw data points. This is one of those critical questions for a video interview because it reveals a candidate's character just as much as their career goals. A candidate who gracefully navigates this question is likely to handle workplace conflicts with the same maturity.

How to Get the Most Out of It

Frame the question to elicit a forward-looking response, not a complaint session.

• Focus on the Future: Instead of just asking why they're leaving, try: "What are you looking for in your next role that you aren't getting in your current one?" This encourages a positive, growth-oriented answer.
• Probe for Alignment: Ask them to connect their reasons for leaving to specific aspects of the role you're offering. This tests whether they’ve done their research and are genuinely interested in your company's mission or culture.
• Assess Professionalism: Watch how they talk about their current or former employer. Companies like Deloitte and General Electric use this to screen for candidates who seek new challenges rather than those who simply flee problems or badmouth past colleagues.

Pro Tip: Pay close attention to the "why now?" aspect of their answer. Is their reason for leaving tied to a recent event, or is it a well-thought-out career move? A thoughtful, strategic answer suggests a candidate who is proactive and intentional about their career path, not just looking for any port in a storm.

7. Do you have any questions for us?

This isn’t just a polite way to wrap things up; it’s a critical data point. In an asynchronous interview, you lose the natural back-and-forth of a live conversation. This question is your chance to see if a candidate can bridge that gap by demonstrating genuine curiosity and showing they’ve done their homework. It’s the ultimate test of engagement.

A candidate with zero questions either isn't interested or isn't prepared. Either way, it’s a red flag. The quality of their questions reveals their priorities, critical thinking skills, and how deeply they’ve considered the role beyond the job description. This is one of those questions for a video interview that separates the passive applicants from the truly invested ones.

How to Get the Most Out of It

Don't just leave it as an open-ended formality. Guide them to give you the insights you need about their motivations and level of preparation.

• Prompt for Specificity: Instead of a generic ask, try, "What two questions do you have about the team's culture or our biggest challenges this year?" This forces them past surface-level inquiries.
• Request a Video Response: Have them record their questions as a separate video response. This gives them time to be thoughtful and shows you what’s truly on their mind after they’ve had a chance to process the initial interview questions.
• Look for Company Alignment: A candidate asking Netflix about creative freedom or Amazon about innovation signals they understand the company's core DNA. Pay attention to how their questions align with your values.

Pro Tip: The best questions are never about salary or vacation days at this stage. They are about impact, growth, and team dynamics. A question like, "What does success look like in this role in the first 90 days?" tells you they’re already thinking about hitting the ground running.

8. How do you handle stress and pressure?

This question isn't just a sneaky way to see if a candidate will crack; it's a diagnostic for resilience in a remote world. When you can't see someone’s body language in a bustling office, you need to know they have the internal toolkit to manage deadlines, navigate ambiguity, and stay productive when things get chaotic. This question moves beyond theory and into practical self-awareness.

In an asynchronous video interview, you get a front-row seat to how they discuss a tough topic. Do they get flustered just talking about pressure? Or do they present a calm, structured answer? This is one of those critical questions for a video interview because it reveals a candidate’s coping mechanisms and emotional intelligence, key predictors of success in high-stakes roles like project management or emergency services.

How to Get the Most Out of It

Don't let candidates get away with a generic "I thrive under pressure." Dig deeper for the real story.

• Ask for a Specific Story: Frame the question with, "Tell me about a time when you were under a lot of pressure. What was the situation, and how did you navigate it?" This forces them to provide concrete evidence, not just platitudes.
• Request Coping Strategies: Follow up by asking what specific, healthy strategies they use to decompress and reset. You're looking for proactive habits like exercise or time-blocking, not reactive ones.
• Probe for Lessons Learned: Ask, "What did that stressful experience teach you about your work style?" This shows you whether they are self-aware and committed to continuous improvement.

Pro Tip: Pay close attention to their tone and pacing. A candidate who calmly articulates a past high-stress situation demonstrates composure. This isn't just about what they did; it’s about how they reflect on it, which is a powerful indicator of their true resilience. For more guidance on what to look for, check out some additional virtual interview tips.

Key Question Comparison for Video Interviews

Your Turn: Make Video Interviews Your Secret Weapon

So there you have it. A curated list of powerful questions designed to cut through the noise and get to the heart of what a candidate can bring to your team. We’ve moved beyond the tired, predictable prompts and armed you with specific, strategic questions for a video interview that reveal character, competence, and cultural fit. From understanding a candidate’s core motivation to assessing their problem-solving grit, each question is a tool. But like any tool, it’s only as effective as the person wielding it.

Knowing the right questions is only half the battle. The real magic, the part that gives you an almost unfair advantage, is building a scalable and repeatable process around them. Without a streamlined system, you’re just creating more work for yourself. Hope you enjoy spending your afternoons manually sending emails and trying to coordinate a dozen different time zones, because that’s your reality without the right framework. This is where asynchronous video interviews stop being a novelty and become a non-negotiable part of your hiring toolkit.

The goal isn't just to ask better questions; it's to create an experience that respects everyone's time, yours and the candidate's. It's about gathering deep, consistent data on every applicant so you can make decisions based on substance, not scheduling convenience. A well-structured video interview process lets you evaluate a candidate’s communication skills, professional demeanor, and ability to think on their feet, all before you ever have a live conversation. To truly maximize this, ensuring your candidates present themselves well is key; for more on that, consider these tips on making professional videos.

Ultimately, your hiring process is a direct reflection of your company's brand. A clunky, slow, and disorganized process signals that you might be a clunky, slow, and disorganized place to work. The best talent has options, and they aren't waiting around for you to get your calendar sorted. By adopting a modern approach to video interviews, you’re not just saving time; you’re sending a clear message that you are efficient, innovative, and serious about finding the best people. Stop letting logistics dictate your hiring success. Take these questions, build a process, and turn your video screening from a necessary chore into your most powerful competitive advantage.

Ready to stop chasing schedules and start finding talent? Async Interview lets you implement these exact questions into a seamless, asynchronous workflow. Let candidates shine on their own time and get the insights you need 10x faster. Give it a try and see how the right tool transforms your hiring.