Canvass + Greenhouse: Asynchronous Video Interviews — Checklist, Best Practices, and ROI

Canvass’s asynchronous video interviewing platform integrates directly with Greenhouse to move first-stage interviews out of calendars and into an on-demand, trackable workflow. Candidates record responses to pre-set questions at their convenience; recruiters and hiring managers receive those responses inside Greenhouse along with a machine-generated transcript and metadata so evaluation is faster and consistent. This integration is designed for teams that want to scale initial screening without adding scheduling overhead: you record once, invite many, and review on your schedule. The remainder of this guide explains how the integration works, who benefits most, measurable outcomes you can expect, implementation steps, and operational best practices to get reliable results quickly.

How the Canvass–Greenhouse workflow typically runs

• Define screening stage Create or map a Greenhouse job stage for asynchronous interviews (e.g., “Canvass Screen”) so responses are tracked in the same pipeline.
• Record standard questions Hiring managers or talent teams record a set of scripted questions once in Canvass—these become the reusable template for all candidates for that role.
• Invite candidates from Greenhouse Send invitations directly from a candidate’s Greenhouse profile; the invitation contains a link to the Canvass task and any instructions or branding you need.
• Candidates submit video responses Candidates record their answers asynchronously; each response is automatically transcribed and tagged with timestamps.
• Review inside Greenhouse Responses and transcripts are accessible from the candidate’s Greenhouse record so reviewers can watch, read, score, and comment without leaving the ATS.
• Progress and decisions Move candidates through stages based on scripted scorecards or automated pass/fail rules to keep the pipeline moving consistently.

Core features delivered by the integration

• Asynchronous video interviews Eliminates scheduling conflicts — candidates respond when convenient, increasing throughput for screening teams.
• Automated transcription A searchable text transcript is attached to each response, speeding review and enabling skimming for key phrases.
• In-ATS review Watch recordings and read transcripts from within Greenhouse so evaluators maintain a single source of truth for candidate data.
• Company branding Customize the candidate experience with logo and brand colors to keep communications consistent.
• Flexible pricing Options range from pay-as-you-go to unlimited subscriptions depending on hiring volume and budget.

Who benefits most: high-volume and distributed hiring teams, remote-first companies, and hiring functions that need a repeatable, auditable first touchpoint. In practice this includes campus recruiting, customer support, early-career hiring, and roles with standardized screening criteria. The integration is also useful for organizations seeking to centralize candidate interactions inside Greenhouse so that interview records, reviewer notes, and scoring remain auditable and attached to the applicant record.

Expected operational improvements (illustrative)

Implementation checklist for Greenhouse administrators

• Install and authorize the integration Follow Canvass’s Greenhouse app installation and OAuth steps; ensure API keys and permissions are scoped correctly.
• Map job fields and stages Decide which jobs and interview stages will use Canvass and configure stage mapping to preserve your existing pipeline.
• Create templates and question sets Work with hiring managers to record standardized question sets for each role family.
• Configure notifications and SLAs Set candidate response windows and internal reminders for reviewers to avoid bottlenecks.
• Train reviewers Provide a short guide on using transcripts, scoring, and where to leave comments inside Greenhouse.
• Run a pilot Pilot one or two roles for 4–6 weeks, gather metrics and feedback, then iterate before full roll-out.

Best practices for writing effective asynchronous interview questions include using single-concept prompts, keeping questions short (30–60 seconds to read), and instructing candidates on desired response length or structure. Ask practical, role-relevant tasks or situational prompts rather than open-ended culture-fit questions to make review faster and comparable.

Efficient reviewing and scoring approach

• First pass: transcript skim Scan the automated transcript for keywords or red flags — this takes less time than watching full responses.
• Second pass: targeted playback Play the specific timestamp where the candidate answers the competency or example you need to verify.
• Use a short rubric Limit scores to 3–4 levels with clear anchors (e.g., demonstrates, partially demonstrates, does not demonstrate).
• Record structured comments Leave concise, objective notes tied to the rubric to support downstream decisions and calibrations.

Privacy, data retention, and compliance are operational necessities when using video interviews. Ensure candidate consent is captured during the invitation process, verify storage and retention windows (especially for EMEA regions with GDPR), and confirm that transcripts are handled according to your data protection policy. Canvass provides a privacy policy and support documentation to integrate with your compliance workflows.

Pricing considerations: pay-as-you-go works for teams with sporadic high-volume needs; unlimited subscriptions are cost-efficient for ongoing hiring programs. Factor in reviewer time saved, reduced scheduling overhead, and faster pipeline progression when calculating ROI. There is no partner implementation fee for this integration, which shortens time-to-value.

Use-case scenarios and expected outcomes

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

• Poorly written prompts Avoid vague questions—test prompts in a pilot and refine to ensure answers are comparable.
• No review SLAs Set and monitor internal deadlines for reviewers to prevent candidate experience lag and pipeline stalls.
• Over-reliance on transcripts Use transcripts to triage but watch recordings when nuance (tone, problem-solving) matters.
• Ignoring accessibility Provide clear instructions, allow multiple attempts if appropriate, and ensure transcripts are accurate for users who rely on text.

Frequently asked questions about Canvass + Greenhouse

Getting started: run a short pilot with one team and two roles, track time-to-review and candidate flow, then iterate on question design and reviewer rubrics. The largest gains come from standardizing prompts, enforcing review SLAs, and attaching structured scoring to decisions so downstream interviews are higher quality and faster to schedule.