Interview Scheduling Processes that Improve Candidate Experience
The interview scheduling process is an integral part of the hiring journey for both candidates and organisations. A candidate’s perception of the organisation is significantly impacted by this process. A well-structured and efficient interview scheduling process not only reflects an organisation’s professionalism but also contributes to a positive candidate experience.
The process of interview scheduling begins by first analysing how many candidates need to be interviewed depending on an organisation’s requirements. This is followed by the recruiting team setting up schedules for each candidate. Statistics indicate that over 40% of recruiters spend two or more weeks on the complete process from the first interview to the time an offer is made.
How to create an efficient and well-organised interview schedule
Candidates today are resourceful, savvy and quite aware of what they want. Candidate experiences are positive when the interview process flows smoothly, expectations are clearly set at the beginning and there is sufficient communication between the recruiter and the candidate throughout the process. In fact, communication is the cornerstone of any successful interview scheduling process. From the first contact to the final interview, maintaining transparent and timely communication with candidates is essential. This sets the stage for a positive candidate experience from the very beginning. Good candidates are sometimes lost because of miscommunication or inefficient scheduling.
Here are a few guidelines to create a successful and structured interview schedule:
- Schedule interviews as early as possible: If the first conversation with a candidate is good, recruiters should schedule the next conversation as quickly as possible. It helps keep the momentum going. Top talent may have more than one option and will not wait for too long.
- Schedule follow-up interviews soon: It is best to schedule follow-up interviews quickly too. Delays can cost the organisation some top talent.
- Respond quickly: Delays in the interview process do not bode well. Candidates may have requests for rescheduling or other queries. Recruitment teams must respond quickly to such questions and also display some degree of flexibility to any rescheduling requests. All aspects of the interview process count towards the candidate experience.
- Collect and collate interviewer feedback promptly: To be consistent and organised, recruitment teams must collect and subsequently collate feedback from the interviewers as quickly as possible. Delays in this process can hinder and slow down the interview process.
Enabling candidates the opportunity to provide feedback about their interview scheduling experience can shed light on areas that can be improved and the step also showcases the organisation’s commitment to continuous enhancement.
- Use interview scheduling tools: Various steps of the interview scheduling process can be made fast and accurate by using automated tools. Feedback can be collected quickly, analysed, and compiled into actionable and insightful reports.
While the convenience of using the right tools cannot be denied, there are both advantages and disadvantages to using scheduling tools.
Advantages of using interview scheduling tools
- Saves time: Tools streamline the scheduling process. Using automated interview scheduling tools can save time for both recruiters and candidates. Since the requests for interviews and responses can be automated, neither party has to spend time on back and forth phone calls or emails. Reminders can be set up too.
Offering flexible interview scheduling options, such as providing multiple time slots or accommodating virtual interviews, demonstrates an organisation’s respect for candidate’s schedules and that is sure to enhance the candidate experience.
- Tracks accurate data: The tools can accurately track all interview related information such as date, venue, time, and names making it easier to make informed decisions. The chances of errors are significantly reduced.
- Makes collaboration easier: Tools make it easier for recruiters to collaborate with multiple stakeholders regarding the interviews. Since the shared platform of a scheduling tool would have all the necessary information about candidates, including preferred interview schedules, it makes it easier for all concerned parties to plan their own schedules well.
- Generates insightful reports: Data stored on scheduling tools can be used to generate insightful and helpful reports about interview outcomes, hiring progress and recruitment trends, among other details. Recruiters can then make their decisions based on actionable insights and recommendations.
Disadvantages of using interview scheduling tools
There are a few drawbacks that recruiters must be mindful of while using scheduling tools.
- Tools may not be affordable for all organisations.
- Interviews that require personalised touches or are complex in terms of the number of decision makers involved may not always be well-suited to be handled by tools.
- The temptation to schedule many interviews by using tools can have a negative impact on the candidate experience, as they feel overwhelmed.
- Using a tool does not always translate to a successful recruitment drive unless recruiters use the tools judiciously and efficiently, keeping candidate experience in mind.
The interview scheduling process is more than just setting dates and times, it reflects an organisation’s values and commitment to a positive candidate experience. The interview process can be upgraded by utilising different interview methods and templates, ensuring the process flows in an organised way, giving all candidates an equal and fair consideration using data-driven tools to make informed hiring decisions. Attracting top talent and maintaining strong relationships with candidates goes a long way in improving the candidate experience.
HirePro offers interview support to organisations that face bandwidth crunch at certain times, are hiring for newer skills that are not available in-house or are seeking an external opinion. Our interview services eliminate interviewer biases and offer expertise at various levels.
Write to us at sales@hirepro.in for a demo.
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