How To Schedule an Interview

How To Schedule an Interview With a Candidate

Best Way To Schedule Interviews

There isn’t one ‘right’ way to schedule interviews, but using scheduling software offers significant value by automating the process and enabling interview self-scheduling.

Scheduling software can integrate with an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), allowing candidates to self-schedule interviews based on interviewer availability. Using automation, interview software helps increase the quality and frequency of candidate communication while decreasing admin work. 

Online interview scheduling tools generally accommodate all interview types and formats, including hybrid, panel, group, one-on-one, and more.

These tools can display pre-set availability, but they can also sync to the interviewer’s calendar and display up-to-date time slots. This prevents double booking and allows job seekers to choose when works best for them. 

Once an interview is booked, the interview scheduling tools can automatically send the candidate, and interviewers customized emails, reminders, and other notifications. You can also set parameters and allow candidates to book or reschedule interview slots, eliminating back-and-forth messages and last-minute cancellations.

There are several touchpoints in interview communication you can automate:

• Confirmation that the application was received
• Screening/interview request to book
• Interview confirmation 
• Interview reminder(s)
• Applicant no-show messages
• Follow up ‘thank you for interviewing’ message reiterating next steps
• Rejection messages

Using software to schedule interviews is the best because it greatly reduces manual admin work, empowers the applicant, and frees up your time to focus on other tasks.

Step 1: Plan Your Interview Process

Planning your interview process before scheduling interviews is highly recommended. It’s hard to know where you’re going without a roadmap, especially when you’re trying to answer questions and communicate details with candidates.

Ideally, the interview process is structured so that every candidate has the same experience before, during, and after the interview. Structured interviewing requires some work to get set up. Still, once you’ve got a process in place, it is easier to bring in new or different interviewers because they can simply follow an interview guide or interview scorecard. These structured interviewing elements don’t replace training (or a training guide), but they can improve interview compliance by providing something to follow.

Structured interviewing is also beneficial for interview scheduling because uniformity and predictability allow you to focus on optimizing every task instead of wondering what comes next.

If you don’t intend on planning a structured process, focus on planning the most important details: 

• The number of interview rounds 
• How long each interview should be
• What interview types are involved, and how candidates will access the interview (in-person, phone, or video interview)
• Who is attending or rating, and what stage(s) they are involved in (panel interview, one-on-one interview, etc.)
• What candidates need to know or come prepared with

Step 2: Coordinate Interview Times

How will you keep track of all your interviewers’ schedules so you can easily book interviews? Get clear on availability and any blackout periods you should be aware of to make coordinating schedules and booking time as easy as possible. This step of interview scheduling is where time to hire can take a hit, so it’s a good place to focus your energy on optimizing.

Here are some manual interview scheduling systems to consider:

Manual systems work, but if you want to drive efficiency, your best bet is to introduce automation using online interview scheduling software. An admin user can pre-set calendar availability, or interviewers can connect their calendars and select interview slots. Candidates then self-schedule based on what’s available. Online interview scheduling tools also allow candidates to cancel or rebook up to a certain point before the interview without contacting a recruiter or HR representative.

Sophisticated software for interview scheduling works equally well with any interview format and even accommodates hybrid interviews.

Step 3: Send a Clear Interview Invitation Email in Advance

Wondering how to write an email to schedule an interview? No matter what the details of the interview are, there are some core components all interview scheduling emails should contain:

• Salutation
• The candidate’s name 
• Company name
• Job title
• Type of interview and what to expect
• Rough length of the interview
• Details about the interview itself
• Directions to the location and information about parking (for in-person or hybrid) 
• Link to the video interview (for a recruiter-booked interview)
• Link to the scheduling page (for self-schedule)
• Details about canceling or rescheduling
• Sign off
• Your name and role

Instead of calling candidates, or sending a mass email, personalize and automate the emails you send to candidates to reduce manual labor.

Step 4: Lock in Hybrid Interview Logistics

As hybrid work becomes more popular, so does hybrid interviewing. Hybrid interviewing is when some participants are in-person, and some are remote during a single interview. Hybrid interviewing is most common when it comes to panel interviewing.

There are a few different interview arrangements for hybrid interviewing:

Scheduling hybrid interviews can pose a different challenge due to coordinating time zones and ensuring interview setup and delivery consistency. Determine the hybrid interview arrangement, communicate the details or send the link to the candidate in advance, and troubleshoot your AV setup before the first interview.

If you conduct structured interviews, determine how to maintain consistency around the arrangement (who is calling in from where), rating, and recording interviews.

An interview management system can save you time on hybrid interview scheduling by making hybrid interview scheduling seamless and bringing everything together in one platform — interview guides, rating guides, video interviewing, and more. 

Based on pre-determined availability, some interview scheduling software can even automatically send panel participants materials like profiles, resumes, interview guides, and directions. Everyone gets exactly what they need when they need it, so they can come prepared!

How To Schedule an Interview: Best Practices

Instead of always rushing, what would happen to your outcomes if you prioritized following best practices? These practices are worth pursuing — see the results for yourself.

Best Time To Schedule Interviews

Consider interviewer focus and energy levels when it comes to interview time of day, especially since these two things can significantly impact interview outcomes.

Mid-morning hiring interview slots are ideal because they allow people to settle into their workday and avoid being lethargic after lunch. Of the CFOs surveyed by Accountemps, 61% agreed the optimal time to conduct interviews is between 9:00 and 11:00 AM.

When is the worst time to schedule an interview? Avoid booking meetings in the last hour of the day, when mental sharpness is at its lowest.

Best Day To Schedule Interviews

Even if you allow candidates to pick their interview slots, limit what days they can select if possible. Avoid Mondays and Fridays if possible, and stick to interviewing Tuesday through Thursday. That way, interviewers and interviewees have achieved momentum in the week, and everyone is more well-adjusted to perform. 

How To Handle an Interview No-Show

The only best practice to keep in mind regarding candidate no-shows is to keep your cool. It’s not personal. 

Being stood up can be frustrating, but it’s important to allow candidates to explain themselves. Let some time pass (create a cutoff between 8-24 working hours after the interview) and see if they reach out to explain or rebook after missing the interview. If they don’t, the ball is in your court.

Once the candidate has missed the time, there are a couple of options. You can follow up to ask if they are ok and offer them the opportunity to rebook, or send a rejection email and let them know you’re moving forward without them.

If they genuinely were a good candidate, and you are disappointed to reject them, you can always ask if they want you to keep their resume on file for future opportunities. Unfortunately, eliminating someone because they’ve ghosted isn’t uncommon — move on swiftly and focus on the candidates that did show up.

How To Postpone a Scheduled Interview

In a structured interview process, all candidates must interview with the same people, which means rescheduling might be required if the interviewer gets sick or something serious happens. 

You don’t need to be specific, but let the candidate know that something came up so they remain interested. Explain that the same person interviews every candidate to keep things fair, and they are now unavailable to interview at the original time. 

The rest of the message should focus on rebooking.

How Many Interviews To Schedule in One Day

Because most hiring managers are involved in hiring in addition to their regular duties, they can easily get overscheduled. Recruiters are also notoriously overscheduled. While it may keep the process moving, overscheduling can have serious drawbacks.

So, how many interviews should you schedule in a day? There is no hard and fast answer because it depends. While there isn’t a specific number to keep in mind, it’s a bad idea to book a bunch of interviews back to back (especially if they are video interviews).

Microsoft’s groundbreaking 2021 study about brain wave activity proved that back-to-back live virtual meetings are stressful. The antidote? Short breaks. 

The best way to tackle this issue is by making short breaks between meetings mandatory.

How To Follow Up After a Scheduled Interview

The best practice is to follow up right away with a concise message. Thank the candidate for attending the interview and set expectations around the next steps (for example, roughly when they can expect to find out if they are moving forward). The interviewer potentially mentioned these details in the meeting, but reiterating them never hurts.

Regardless of the interview outcome, closing the loop and sending every candidate a message is imperative.