Categories: AI Interview Assistant, AI Recruiting, AI Video Recording

Kerplunk Review: Is AI Video Interviewing the Future?

SirKris

Writer

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Let’s be real for a second. If you’ve ever been on the hiring side of the table, you know the drill. You post a job, and suddenly your inbox looks like a clown car exploded—resumes spilling out from every corner. You spend hours, maybe even days, sifting through them, trying to separate the contenders from the pretenders. It's a grind. I once spent an entire week just doing initial phone screens for a single marketing role. By Friday, I couldn’t even remember my own name, let alone which candidate said what.

For years, we've been promised that technology would save us from this particular brand of HR purgatory. And now, AI is stepping up to the plate, whispering sweet nothings about efficiency and bias-free hiring. The latest tool to catch my eye is Kerplunk, an AI-powered video interviewer that makes a pretty bold claim: help you vet, interview, and hire talent in under 3 minutes. Yeah, you read that right. Three minutes.

So, is it just another piece of shiny tech, or is it the real deal? I decided to take a look.

Visit Kerplunk

So, What Exactly Is This Kerplunk Thing?

At its heart, Kerplunk is an AI-powered video interviewing platform. But that's a bit like saying a smartphone is just a pocket calculator. The idea isn't simply to record candidates answering questions. Kerplunk uses artificial intelligence to assess those video responses in real-time. It’s designed to be a first-pass filter, a tireless digital assistant who can work through a mountain of initial interviews while you’re still sipping your morning coffee.

Think of it as the first-round interview, but on steroids. It can handle candidates across 95+ languages, which is genuinely impressive for any company with a global footprint. It's built to take the most time-consuming part of the funnel—the initial screening—and automate it, so human recruiters can focus on the high-value stuff: talking to the best-fit candidates.

How Kerplunk Actually Changes the Game

It’s easy to throw around terms like “AI-powered” and “streamlined,” but what does that mean in practice? Let's get into the nuts and bolts of it.

The AI-Powered Interviewing Core

This is the main event. Instead of a 30-minute phone call where you ask the same five questions over and over, you send candidates a link. They record their answers, and Kerplunk’s AI gets to work. It analyzes their responses, not just for keywords, but for other indicators that you define. This automated assessment is the secret sauce. It’s like having a team of junior recruiters who never get tired, never have a bad day, and can screen hundreds of applicants overnight. The platform provides real-time analytics and reports, so you’re not just getting a “yes” or “no,” but actual data to back up the suggestions.

More Than Just a Pretty Interface

Kerplunk isn't just a one-trick pony. It also provides access to a candidate database and an advanced search function. This means you’re not just evaluating active applicants; you’re building a talent pool for the future. I’ve always been a huge proponent of building talent pipelines, and a tool that helps you tag and search past applicants is a massive plus. It turns a reactive hiring process into a proactive one.

You can also customize the interview workflows. This is huge. Not every role needs the same screening process. A sales role might have different knockout questions than a developer role. Kerplunk gets that, allowing you to build workflows that make sense for your team, not forcing you into a rigid, one-size-fits-all box.

The Good, The Bad, and The AI

No tool is perfect, right? I’ve seen enough SaaS platforms to know that there's always a trade-off. Here’s my breakdown of what I love, and what gives me a little pause.

The Big Wins for Kerplunk

The speed is the most obvious advantage. Reducing time-to-hire is the holy grail for recruiters, and Kerplunk directly attacks that metric. But for me, the most compelling pro is its potential to minimize unconscious bias. Humans, bless our hearts, are walking bags of biases. We might subconsciously favor a candidate who went to the same college or sounds like us. An AI, when trained correctly, doesn't care about any of that. It assesses based on the criteria you set. That’s a powerful step toward more equitable hiring practices.

The seamless integration promise is also a big deal. The last thing anyone wants is another siloed piece of software that doesn’t talk to their main ATS. Finally, that huge language support (95+!) is not just a small feature; it's a game-changer for international recruitment.

A Few Caveats to Consider

Okay, let's talk about the other side of the coin. My biggest hesitation with any hiring AI is the potential to overlook nuance. Can an algorithm truly detect passion, creativity, or that special spark that tells you someone is a perfect culture fit? Some of the best hires I've ever made were people who didn't look perfect on paper but absolutely nailed the interview with their personality and drive. There's a risk that an over-reliance on AI could filter out these 'diamond in the rough' candidates.

Then there's the practical stuff. The website mentions seamless integration, but I’ve been burned before. Depending on your existing tech stack, there could be bumps in the road. And of course, there’s the cost. While they have a free plan, the full suite of features on the Professional plan could be a barrier for smaller startups or non-profits operating on a shoestring budget.

Let's Talk Money: A Look at Kerplunk's Pricing

Pricing can make or break a tool, so I was keen to see their model. It’s actually pretty straightforward and surprisingly generous to start.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

I really like that they offer a "first 50 interviews are on us" model. It’s a genuinely useful free tier that lets you kick the tires and see if the platform actually works for your team before you have to pull out the company card. For the Professional plan, you have to book a demo—which, funnily enough, is done through a Calendly link. A modern tool using another modern tool. I can appreciate the efficiency.

Frequently Asked Questions About Kerplunk

Final Thoughts: Is Kerplunk a Must-Have?

So, where do I land on Kerplunk? I’m cautiously optimistic. I don’t think AI will—or should—ever completely replace human recruiters. The final decision, the culture fit assessment, the negotiation... that requires a human touch. Always has, always will.

But that's not what Kerplunk is trying to do. It’s not trying to be the whole hiring department. It’s trying to be the best, most efficient screener you’ve ever had. For high-volume roles or for companies drowning in applications, a tool like this isn't just a nice-to-have; it could be a lifesaver. It frees up your team to do what they do best: connect with great people.

If you're tired of the resume black hole and want to spend more time talking to top-tier candidates and less time on administrative drag, then giving Kerplunk a shot, especially with its generous free plan, seems like a no-brainer. It might just be the tool that finally makes you believe in the promise of a smarter, faster hiring process.

Reference and Sources

• Kerplunk Demo Booking Page: https://calendly.com/jonathan-_1y/kerplunk-demo