A hiring team can treat live and async as competing formats. In practice they answer different questions. The useful decision is not which format is better in general, but which format fits this stage and this role.
Choose async when consistency matters
A recorded interview gives every candidate the same question and a similar amount of time. That makes it easier to compare answers against a rubric. It also lets candidates choose a quiet moment, which can help people who need time to think or who work unusual schedules.
Async works well for structured questions about experience, reasoning and role-related scenarios. It gives the reviewer a recording to revisit and a shared set of evidence to discuss with the team.
Choose live when interaction matters
Some parts of a role cannot be judged from a prepared answer. A live conversation lets the interviewer follow a thread, test an assumption and see how the candidate responds to a new idea. It also gives the candidate a chance to ask questions about the team and the work.
Live is a better fit for a negotiation, a sensitive conversation, a complex case that unfolds in real time or a role where personal presence is part of the job. If the interview needs improvisation, do not force it into a recorded format.
Look at the stage
An early screen may need a consistent set of answers from a group of candidates. A later conversation may need depth and interaction. The format can change as the process moves forward.
Ask what the team needs to decide at this stage. If the answer is a comparison across candidates, async can help. If the answer is a judgement about how the candidate works with others in the room, live may be better.
Design the handover
When both formats are used, tell the candidate what each step is for. A recorded step followed by a live conversation should feel like one process, not separate unrelated tests. Share the relevant evidence with the live interviewer so the candidate does not repeat the same stories.
Keep the criteria consistent across formats. The live conversation can explore a different angle, but it should still connect to the same role requirements.
Ask the candidate
Some candidates need an adjustment. A quiet space, extra time or a different format may be possible. Asking early is easier than fixing a problem after the interview has started.
The right format is the one that gives the team useful evidence and gives the candidate a fair chance to provide it. That answer can differ by role, by stage and by person.