The three steps
- Open the join link.
It comes from the recruiter, by email or in the calendar invite. The page shows the role, the company, and two numbered steps. There is no account to create and no password.
- Download and run InterviewWatch.
One file, currently Windows 10 or 11, no admin rights needed. It does not install anything: the candidate opens the downloaded file and the app runs.
- Paste the interview code and click Connect.
The code is on the join page, next to a Copy button. Once the app connects, the join page turns green and says "Agent connected".
The consent screen
Before any monitoring starts, the app shows a consent screen listing exactly what it observes. The candidate has to tick I consent to monitoring for this interview and click Start session. Nothing is collected until they do, and the consent itself is recorded as a signed event at the top of the session record.
A candidate who does not consent simply does not start the session. That is a conversation for you and them, not something the product decides.
What is and is not monitored
| Observed | Never collected |
|---|---|
| Active applications, devices, and network connections | Screen, audio, or video recording |
| Window titles and focus changes | What the candidate types, or any keyboard input |
| Display setup and virtual device changes | File contents or clipboard contents |
Paste activity is a good example of the line: the agent can see that a large paste happened and roughly how big it was, and it never sees the text that was pasted.
Monitoring stops when the candidate closes the app. It only ever runs during the interview session they agreed to.
During the interview
Once connected, the candidate uses the Join interview button inside the InterviewWatch app to open the meeting, and leaves the app open for the whole round. Closing it early ends the session and finalises the report where it stands.
If a candidate ends the session by accident, an admin can allow one reconnect from the interview row. The rejoin is recorded as a second session, and each session's report stays separately downloadable.
A wording template for your invite
Paste this into your interview confirmation, replacing the link:
This interview is monitored with InterviewWatch, which helps us keep
the process fair for everyone.
Before we start, please open this link and follow the two steps:
<join link>
You will download a small app and paste in your interview code. It
takes about two minutes, needs no admin rights, and there is nothing
to sign up for. The app shows you exactly what it observes and asks
for your consent before anything starts. It never records your
screen, camera, microphone, keystrokes, or files.
Please get set up 10 minutes before we meet, and join the call from
the button inside the app.Common candidate problems
Windows SmartScreen warns about the download
Choose More info then Run anyway. SmartScreen shows this for any executable it has not seen often yet. Download only from the link on the join page, never from a copy someone forwarded.
"Interview not found" on the join page
The link expired or was revoked. Ask the recruiter to send a fresh candidate link from the interview row.
The code is not accepted
Codes are per interview and single use. Make sure it was copied from the join page for this round, with no trailing space. Re-copy with the Copy button rather than typing.
The page still says "Waiting for agent"
The app has not connected yet. Check it is actually running, that the code was pasted and Connect pressed, and that a corporate VPN or firewall is not blocking it. More in troubleshooting.
They are on a Mac
The macOS agent is not shipped yet: the tab is visible but disabled on the join page. For now a monitored round needs Windows 10 or 11. Schedule the round unmonitored, or ask the candidate to use a Windows machine.