Getting Started for Recruiters

Welcome to Lavalier! In about 20 minutes, you'll have your first role posted, a candidate added, and an interview ready to record. Follow each step in order—you can come back here anytime.

Before you start: If you're the first person on your team in Lavalier, take two minutes to set up your Company OS. If your team is already up and running, skip ahead to Step 1.

Step 1: Create Your First Role

Defining your role tells Lavalier what to listen for during interviews. You can either import an existing job description or build one from scratch with the AI assistant.

1. Open the Lavalier drop-down in the top-left and select Roles.
2. Click New Role in the top-right.
3. Choose Create Role to build with the AI assistant, or Import from PDF to upload an existing job description.
4. Fill in the job essentials—title, level, location—and save. You can add deeper detail like must-have skills and selling points anytime.
   
   

Make this role yours. Once it's created, you can tailor the interview stages (Recruiter Screen, Tech Screen, Loop, etc.) and prepare AI-suggested interview questions tied to the skills that matter most. Both take just a few minutes and make every interview far more focused.

Full role creation guide →

Step 2: Add Your First Candidate

With a role in place, you're ready to add someone to interview.

1. Open the role you just created.
2. Click Add Candidate in the role header.
3. Search for an existing candidate or fill in a new candidate's details, then save.
   
   

Full candidate guide →

Step 3: Schedule or Start an Interview

You can start an interview right now or schedule one for later—the flow is the same either way.

1. From the homepage, click New Interview. (From inside a role, the equivalent button is Interview Now.)
2. Pick your candidate and role.
3. Choose your interview type: Virtual Meeting, Phone Call, or In-Person.
   • Virtual: paste your Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, or Webex link.
   • Phone: enter the candidate's number and select your verified caller ID.
   • In-Person: Lavalier records using your computer's microphone.
4. To schedule, add the interviewer, date, time, and expected duration, then click Schedule Interview. To start now, click Start Interview.

Tip: Lavalier's notetaker joins virtual meetings automatically, so you can focus on the conversation instead of taking notes.

Full scheduling guide →

Step 4: Conduct Your First Interview

When your interview is ready, Lavalier handles recording and transcription—you just talk.

1. From the Interview Calendar tab on the homepage, click Open Interview on the one you want to run.
2. Review the candidate's details and your prepared questions on the prep screen.
3. Click Start Interview to begin recording.
4. During the interview, use the Questions Panel on the left, Notes on the right, and the Live Transcript as it updates in real time. Add thumbs up/down markers to flag key moments.
5. Click the red End Interview button when you're done. Lavalier processes the transcript in about a minute and shows you an AI-generated summary.
   
   

Full interview guide →

What's Next?

You've finished your first interview—here's where to go next:

• Write structured feedback — Capture your rating and recommendation while it's fresh
• Compare candidates — Ask questions across interviews to find the strongest fit
• Invite your team — Add hiring managers and other recruiters from your account settings
  
  

Questions? Reach out to support anytime, or explore the knowledge base for detailed guides on every feature.