One-way video interviews

A one-way video interview has nobody on the other end. You open a link, a question appears on screen, a countdown gives you a little time to think, and then your camera records your answer. Someone at the employer watches it later.

The first one feels strange. You're talking to a lens, with a timer in the corner and nobody nodding along. The format is predictable, though, and a few short practice sessions make it feel ordinary.

How common they are

When we checked 29 banks, advisory boutiques, asset managers and insurers hiring in the UK in September 2026, a recorded video interview was the most common screening stage: 11 described one on their own pages and 2 more were widely reported.

• Official: Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan, UBS, Santander UK and Man Group describe a recorded, on-demand or online interview stage on their careers pages
• Official: HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group and Schroders build recorded video answers into longer online assessments
• Reported: Recruitment news and candidate reports describe recorded interviews at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley
• Official: KPMG UK asks six questions delivered by an AI avatar, about 40 minutes in total, and says its own people review the recordings
• Official: Deloitte and EY include video answers in their online assessments, and BDO runs a separate video interview with practice built in
• Official: Grant Thornton's published process doesn't describe a video interview, and includes a short written case study instead

What happens

1. The invite arrives. The deadline can be only a few days away, so read it fully before you click anything.
2. You may get a practice question. It's the best way to check your camera, microphone and timings. Official: Bank of America mentions practice questions, and BDO's video interview has practice built in.
3. Each question has two timers. A short preparation time while the question is on screen, then a fixed answer time while the camera records.
4. Retakes vary. Some platforms allow a re-record and many don't. Official: Man Group says re-records are only for technical problems, so check the rules before your first question.
5. Someone reviews it later. You won't get a reaction on the day, and it can take weeks to hear back.

Timings reported for recent programmes

Even if your employer isn't listed, the range is useful: preparation time runs from 30 seconds to 3 minutes, and answer time from 90 seconds to 3 minutes.

What the questions are about

Reported: At banks, recorded interviews mostly ask about motivation and behaviour, with technical questions usually saved for later rounds. These example prompts were written by financeprep.uk for practice.

• Motivation: "Why this area of finance, and why now?"
• Behaviour: "Tell us about a time you had to deliver something at very short notice"
• Strengths: "What kind of work gives you energy, and what drains it?"
• Commercial awareness: "Choose a recent business story and explain why it matters to a firm like ours"
• Light technical, for some roles: "How might higher interest rates affect a company with a lot of debt?"

How answers are reviewed

• Reported: Recruitment news from September 2026 describes banking video interviews where answers are transcribed and assessed with AI, then reviewed by recruiters
• Official: UBS tells candidates that people, not AI, make the decisions on its video interviews, and KPMG says its people review the recordings

Either way, the advice is the same. Answer for a thoughtful person who is listening properly: make a clear point, back it with a specific example and explain why it matters for the role. There is no trick wording to learn.

A shape for answers against a timer

Use the preparation time to choose one example and jot down three words: the situation, what you did and the result. Don't write a script. Then answer in this order:

1. Your point, in one sentence. "I'm good at keeping a team on track when plans change, and a society event last spring shows it."
2. The situation, briefly. One or two sentences of context is enough.
3. What you did and why. Spend most of your time here, and say "I", not "we", for your part.
4. The result. Use a number if you have one: people, money raised, time saved.
5. Why it matters for the role. One sentence is enough.

At a calm pace, 90 seconds is roughly 200 words: one example told well, not three rushed ones. With 3 minutes, add detail or a second short example, but don't pad. Aim to finish with 10 to 15 seconds spare rather than being cut off mid-sentence.

If your mind goes blank, pause, repeat the question in your own words and start with your point. A short pause looks far calmer on camera than it feels.

Set-up checklist

• Put the camera at eye level, with light in front of you rather than behind
• Find a quiet room with a plain background, and tell housemates when you're recording
• Silence your phone, close other apps and plug in your laptop
• Test your microphone and camera in the platform's own check
• Look at the lens, not at your own face on the screen
• Wear what you would wear to a first-round interview on a video call
• Read the retake rules and the deadline, including the time zone, before you start

Using AI and notes

Official: Rothschild & Co allows AI to help you prepare but expects your application in your own words. Deloitte asks candidates to complete assessments independently. BDO allows AI for preparation only and says it removes candidates who misuse it.

Prepare in whatever way helps you, then answer live, in your own words. A reading voice and moving eyes are easy to spot on camera, and a scripted answer rarely sounds like you.

How to practise

Many universities give their students free access to practice platforms, sometimes including video interview practice, so check your careers service before paying for anything. Official: The careers services at Cambridge, Warwick, Bath and Loughborough all describe free practice-test access for their students.

A simple three-session routine:

1. Just notice. Answer three questions at a relaxed timing and watch each one back once for eye contact, pace and filler words.
2. Lead with your point. Use the timing from your invite and focus on one thing only: a clear first sentence.
3. Do a full run. Answer a complete set in one go, one take each, as close to the real conditions as you can make it.

If your invite includes an online test as well, the 72-hour plan shows how to fit both into the days you have.