Congratulations on landing an interview. This guide shows you how to set up properly, what to do during the call, and the small habits that make the biggest difference.
Joel is an AI recruiter built by Outhire. You will have a live conversation with Joel, either over the phone or on a video call, the same way you would with a human recruiter. Joel asks about your experience, listens to your answers, asks follow-ups, and gives you space to ask your own questions at the end.
You take the call on your own time. Your invitation will include a phone number or a video link and a window to complete it in. Start it whenever suits you, just make sure you finish before the deadline.
The conversation is recorded and shared with the hiring team so the humans making the decision can hear you in your own words.
Spend ten minutes on the setup and the call itself becomes much easier.
Choose whichever has the strongest signal: Wi-Fi for video or 4G/5G for phone. If you are on Wi-Fi, sit close to the router.
The single biggest upgrade you can make. A headset stops your microphone from picking up Joel's voice and prevents echo. Wired earbuds with a built-in mic work just as well as fancy headphones.
Background noise like traffic, TV, coworkers, or cafes makes it harder for Joel to hear you and harder for the hiring team to review your interview afterwards.
Review the job description, look over your resume, and think about specific examples from your work. Bullet-point notes are fine; full scripts are not.
A quick checklist you can keep open on a second screen, or scan one more time before you join.
Aim for two to four sentences per answer. Give an example, not just a yes or no.
If you missed a question or are not sure what is being asked, just say "could you repeat that?". It is completely normal.
"I have not done that specifically, but I have done X which is similar" lands far better than a polished bluff.
Show personality and the way you actually think. Relax, breathe, and treat it like a conversation, because that is what it is.
Wait until Joel has fully finished the question before you start answering. Speaking while Joel is still talking, even quietly to show you are following along, can cause it to stop mid-question.
It is obvious to both Joel and the people reviewing the recording. Trust what you actually know. That is what the hiring team wants to hear.
Stay on the interview tab so your video and audio stay connected. Switching away can drop your camera feed or mute your microphone without you realising.
Speakerphone picks up everything around you. A headset solves this completely.
Bullet-point reminders are great. Reading paragraphs is not. It sounds flat and you will miss the follow-up questions that let you stand out.
If you join a video interview, you will see a row of controls at the bottom of the screen. Here is what each one does.
Click to mute and unmute yourself. Keep it on while you are speaking so Joel can hear you to respond.
If your icon has a line through it, you are muted. Joel cannot hear you. Click again to unmute before answering.
Click to turn your camera on or off. We recommend leaving it on so the hiring team can see who they are talking to.
A line through the icon means your camera is off. The interview still works, but Joel and the hiring team will only hear you, not see you.
First time using your browser for video? Your browser will ask permission to use your camera and microphone the first time you join. Click Allow for both. If you accidentally clicked Block, you can fix it from the small camera icon next to your browser's address bar.
Quick answers to the things candidates ask most often.
Joel is an AI recruiter that runs a live phone or video conversation, the same way a human recruiter would. The conversation is real-time and tailored to the role you applied for.
Most interviews with Joel run between 10 and 20 minutes. The exact length depends on the role and how much you have to share about your experience.
If you lose connection, dial back in or rejoin the video link using the same details from your invitation. Joel will pick up where you left off.
Yes. Joel records and transcribes your interview so the hiring team can review it later. You will be told this at the start of the call.
It is fine to say so. A clear "I have not worked on that specifically, but here is what I have done that is close…" is far better than trying to bluff.
Joel is on your side. Every question is a chance to show what you can do, and there is no time pressure on your answers. Take a breath, be yourself, and tell your story.
Good luck.
If something is not working, contact the employer who invited you first. For technical issues with the Outhire platform, our team can help.