Problem
The interview conversation can feel stiff/robotic rather than a natural back-and-forth. The interviewer prompts and response behavior need tuning so the exchange flows like a real interview.
Goal
Make the AI interviewer feel more fluid, human, and responsive across both modes.
Scope
- Text interviewer prompt (
lib/prompts.ts -> interviewerSystemPrompt):
- More natural acknowledgements and transitions between questions.
- Smarter follow-ups that react to the content of the answer (probe specifics, ask "why", chase missing detail) instead of generic next-questions.
- Better pacing - vary question length, avoid repetitive phrasing, don't over-explain.
- Handle short/uncertain answers gracefully (encourage, rephrase) without breaking character.
- Avatar interviewer context (
lib/tavus.ts -> buildInterviewerContext):
- Keep the brief one-sentence reactions natural and varied (avoid sounding scripted).
- Tune for spoken delivery (shorter sentences, conversational tone).
- Keep the separation: still NO formal scoring/critique during the live interview (that stays with the evaluator).
Ideas
- Light persona variation (warm vs. tough interviewer) as an option.
- Few-shot examples of strong follow-ups in the prompt.
- Tune temperature / response length for the interviewer model.
Done when
- Interviews (text + avatar) feel noticeably more natural and responsive in manual testing, with follow-ups that clearly react to what the candidate said.
Problem
The interview conversation can feel stiff/robotic rather than a natural back-and-forth. The interviewer prompts and response behavior need tuning so the exchange flows like a real interview.
Goal
Make the AI interviewer feel more fluid, human, and responsive across both modes.
Scope
lib/prompts.ts->interviewerSystemPrompt):lib/tavus.ts->buildInterviewerContext):Ideas
Done when