Not legal advice. This site is an editorial reference. Laws change — always confirm with a qualified attorney in the relevant jurisdiction before recording, and check each page’s last reviewed date.

Recording Job Interviews

Recording your own job interview — phone screen, video screen, or in-person — is in most US states lawful as a one-party-consent recording. Whether you should is a different question. Recording covertly can backfire if discovered; disclosure can also backfire if the interviewer is hostile to it.

The legal overlay specific to this role

  • State consent rules apply. If you are in California, Massachusetts, or another all-party state, you need the interviewer’s consent.
  • The interviewer is a party to the call. If you are interviewing with a federal agency, federal law applies; if with a private employer, state law of the parties’ locations.
  • No HR or labor-law exception exists that makes recording a job interview lawful when the underlying consent statute prohibits it.
  • Workplace policies may forbid recording for current employees; they do not directly bind a prospective applicant.

A practical workflow

  1. Decide whether you really need a recording. Note-taking, by hand or in a doc, captures most of the value with none of the legal risk.
  2. If you record, pick a method that does not betray you if discovered. Voice Memos in your pocket is fine; a dedicated “evidence collector” app raises eyebrows.
  3. If you are in an all-party state, ask: “Would it be OK if I record for my notes?” Many interviewers say yes.
  4. Use the recording for yourself: review for follow-up questions, decompress, prepare for next round.
  5. Do not share the recording publicly. Even where the recording is lawful, sharing it can give rise to defamation, right-of-publicity, or business-disparagement claims.

Consent script tailored to this role

I’d like to record so I can review my notes afterward. Is that OK?

Tools and platforms suited to this role

  • Voice Memos (iOS) or any built-in recorder.
  • For video interviews on Zoom/Meet/Teams, the platform’s recorder if the host enables; OS screen recorder otherwise.

Common mistakes

  • Recording covertly in an all-party state.
  • Posting the recording to social media. Whatever points you score in the moment cost you in the legal exposure and the reputational hit.
  • Using a hidden recorder to gather evidence of discrimination. Talk to an employment lawyer before you do this; the lawful path varies.

Where to get help

  • An employment attorney if you suspect discrimination or labor-law violations.
  • State labor departments and EEOC field offices.

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