Creating and Scheduling Interviews

This guide explains how to create and schedule interviews in Lavalier. You can start an interview immediately with Interview Now or plan ahead with Schedule Interview. Lavalier supports virtual meetings, phone calls, and in-person interviews—all with automatic recording and transcription.

Prerequisites

Before creating an interview, ensure you have:

• Recruiter or Owner permissions on your Lavalier account (or at least Hiring Manager permissions for specific roles)
• At least one role in "Ready to Screen" or "Interviewing" stage
• Candidate information ready (you can create candidates inline during interview creation)
• For phone interviews: A verified phone number to use as your caller ID
• For virtual interviews: A meeting link from Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, or Webex
• Successfully logged into Lavalier

Getting Started

You can create interviews from multiple locations in Lavalier:

Option 1: From a Role Page

1. Navigate to the role you're hiring for
2. Click the Interview button in the role header
3. Choose one of two options:
   • Start Interview - Begins an interview immediately
   • Schedule Interview - Schedules an interview for a future date/time

Option 2: From the Candidates Page

1. Click Candidates in the top navigation bar
2. Find the candidate you want to interview
3. Either:
   • Hover over the candidate row and click the three-dot menu (•••) that appears
   • Click into the candidate to open their profile, then click the Interview button
4. Choose Interview Now or Schedule Interview
5. The dialog opens with the candidate pre-selected

Completing the Interview Form

Once the interview dialog opens, fill in the required fields:

Core Information (Always Required)

1. Candidate Name

   • Select an existing candidate or type a new name to create one inline
   • If you select an existing candidate, their phone number will auto-populate for phone interviews

2. Role Interviewing For

   • Choose from roles in "Ready to Screen" or "Interviewing" stages
   • Only roles you have access to will appear
   • If you have permission, you can type a new role name to create one inline

3. Interviewer Name (Schedule mode only)

   • Select the interviewer who will conduct this interview
   • In quick mode, you're automatically set as the interviewer

Interview Type Selection

Choose the format that matches your interview setup:

Virtual Interview

• For video calls via Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, or Webex
• Requires: Meeting link (paste your meeting URL in the Meeting Link field)
• Click the paste button to quickly insert a URL from your clipboard
• Supported platforms: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Webex, Slack Huddles

Phone Call

• For phone-based interviews
• Requires:
  • Phone Number to Call - Enter the candidate's phone number (US format: +1 555-123-4567)
  • Appear to Caller ID As - Select a verified phone number that will show as your caller ID
• If you don't have a verified number, you'll need to complete phone verification first

In-Person Interview

• For face-to-face interviews with recording
• Choose your recording method:
  • Use this computer to record - Record directly in your browser
  • Use my phone - Use the Lavalier mobile app on iOS or Android
  • Upload an audio file - Upload a pre-recorded .wav or .raw file

Schedule Mode Additional Fields

If you selected Schedule Interview, you'll also need to set the Date, Time, and Duration (ranging from 10 minutes to 2 hours).

Once you've filled out the form, click Interview Now or Schedule Interview to create the interview.

Understanding Interview Status

After creation, interviews move through these statuses:

• Pending: Scheduled for the future
• Running: Interview is currently in progress
• Processing: Recording is being transcribed and analyzed
• Complete: Analysis finished and results are available

Troubleshooting

Problem: Can't see the "Interview" button or option Solution: Only Owners, Recruiters, and users with Hiring Manager permissions can create interviews. Also verify the role is in "Ready to Screen" or "Interviewing" stage.

Problem: "Virtual interviews require a valid meeting URL" Solution: Paste a complete meeting link from Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, or Webex starting with https://.

Problem: "Please enter a valid US phone number" Solution: Phone interviews support US numbers only. Format as +1 followed by the 10-digit number (e.g., +1 555-123-4567).

Problem: "You must verify a phone number to use as caller ID" Solution: Complete phone verification first by clicking the verification link in the dialog.

FAQs

Q: Can I edit an interview after creating it? A: Yes, you can edit interviews before they start. Click the menu icon (•••) on the interview and select Edit Interview. Once an interview is running or complete, you cannot edit the core details.

Q: Can I use the same meeting link for multiple interviews? A: Yes, you can reuse meeting links (like a personal Zoom room). Just make sure the meetings don't overlap, as the recording bot can only join one meeting at a time per link.

Q: How do I add multiple interviewers? A: During creation, you select one interviewer. After the interview is created, you can add more interviewers by editing the interview.

Q: What meeting platforms are supported? A: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Webex, and Slack Huddles. Other platforms can be used but will be categorized as generic "virtual" interviews.

Q: Can I cancel a scheduled interview? A: Yes, go to the interview page and click Delete Interview. Note: interviews from calendar integrations must be deleted from your calendar app.