What Is the Sapia Chat Interview? A Candidate's Guide (2026)

If you just got an email inviting you to a Sapia chat interview, you are probably wondering what it is and whether you can prepare. The short version — it is a typed, text-based interview, not a video call. No camera, no timer, and you can do it from your phone.

This guide walks through what happens from the invite to the feedback report, what the AI is actually looking at, and a few practical things you can do before you start.

A Sapia chat interview (also called the Smart Interviewer) is an asynchronous, text-based assessment where you type answers to 5 to 7 mostly behavioural questions. There is no video or camera — you are scored only on your written responses. It is untimed, works on a phone or computer, and afterward you get a personal feedback report called My Insights.

Here is the typical flow, based on Sapia's own candidate explainer and employer deployments.

Step 1 — You get an invite link

You receive an email (or a link inside the employer's application system) to start the interview. As soon as you begin, Sapia sends an email from notification@sapia.ai with a subject like "Online Interview Started." That email holds a unique link back to your saved answers, so keep it.

Note that some employers set a deadline. Bunnings, for example, asks candidates to finish within 48 hours of the invitation to stay in the running. Check your own invite for any deadline.

Step 2 — You answer 5 to 7 questions by typing

The interview is a chat. You are asked between 5 and 7 questions — Bunnings tells its candidates to expect "usually 5." Most are behavioural questions asking for an example from your own experience, such as a time you went the extra mile or handled a big change. Some versions include a few multiple-choice questions.

There is no video and no camera at any point. You type your answers.

Step 3 — You write at your own pace

The interview is not timed, and you are not penalised for how long you take. Sapia suggests allowing 20 to 30 minutes, and employers report most people finish in about half an hour — similar to a phone interview.

A few useful specifics:

• Aim for 50 to 150 words per answer. That is the recommended length.
• Each answer is capped at 500 words, so you cannot ramble endlessly.
• You can save and come back later using that emailed link, and you can edit answers before submitting.

If you are researching this platform as an employer rather than a candidate, our independent buyer review of Sapia covers pricing, integrations, and fit.

Step 4 — You submit

Once you send your final answer, your responses go to the employer's recruitment team for review. The AI has already scored your written answers against the role's attributes at this point.

Step 5 — You get a My Insights report

Shortly after submitting, you receive an emailed "My Insights" personality profile plus a coaching tip based on your responses. This report goes to you only — it is not shared with the employer. After that, the employer's team follows up separately about next steps.

This candidate feedback report is one of Sapia's more distinctive features — many screening steps leave you with no feedback at all.

One honest caveat — not everyone loves it. Some candidates, including a teenager who interviewed for Woolworths, found the report off the mark and called it "pretty stupid." Treat My Insights as one machine's read of your word choices, not a verdict on who you are.

Sapia describes its approach as "blind screening." You are assessed only on the text you write — there is no video, audio, or demographic data used, and the company says sensitive characteristics like gender, age, and race are not part of the AI.

Two things are happening under the hood:

• Personality traits. Your language is analysed against the HEXACO model — six dimensions covering Honesty-Humility, Emotionality, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness. Your coaching tip is drawn from your highest-scoring trait.
• Competency fit. Your answers are scored against a competency model for the role, and every applicant is measured on the same set of attributes derived only from their responses.

There is also an anti-cheating layer. The system checks for plagiarism from the internet and can detect answers written by content generators like ChatGPT. Write in your own words.

You cannot game a personality read, but you can give it good material to work with.

• Have one or two real examples ready for common behavioural prompts — a time you helped a customer, handled change, or fixed a problem. General STAR-style answers (situation, task, action, result) work well here.
• Write in full, natural sentences in your own voice. Skip copy-pasting from ChatGPT — it can be detected.
• Keep each answer around 50 to 150 words. Enough to show detail, short enough to stay focused.
• Use the recommended browser (Chrome works well) on a phone, tablet, or computer, and a steady connection. It runs on Android, iOS, and desktop.
• If typing is hard for you, ask. Some deployments offer a voice-to-text option, an accessibility toolbar, or an alternative interview format on request.

How many questions is the Sapia chat interview and how long does it take?

Expect 5 to 7 questions, and plan for about 20 to 30 minutes. It is untimed, so you can take longer if you need to, and employers report most people finish in roughly half an hour.

Is the Sapia chat interview a video interview?

No. It is entirely text-based — you type your answers and there is no camera or video recording at any stage. Sapia calls this blind screening, and you are assessed only on what you write.

What is the My Insights personality report after a Woolworths interview?

My Insights is a personality profile plus a coaching tip that Sapia emails you after you submit. It is based on the language in your answers, mapped to the HEXACO traits, and it is sent to you only — not to the employer. Some candidates have found it inaccurate, so read it as one automated interpretation rather than fact.

How do you pass the Woolies AI job interview?

There is no trick answer, because the AI scores your written responses against the role's competencies and personality traits. Give specific, honest examples from your own experience, write in full sentences in your own words, and answer every question fully.

Can you retake or edit the Sapia interview?

You can save your progress and edit your answers before you submit using the unique link Sapia emails you when you start. Whether you can retake it after submitting depends on the employer, so check your invitation for any deadline — some, like Bunnings, ask you to finish within 48 hours.

Does the Sapia interview detect ChatGPT?

Yes. The chat interview checks for plagiarism from internet sources and can detect answers written by content generators like ChatGPT. Write your own answers to avoid being flagged.

Want the employer-side view of how Sapia compares to other AI screening platforms, including our top-rated pick Tenzo AI? See our guide to the best AI recruiting software of 2026.