Interviewing

Reduce interview no-shows with self-booking and nudges

Most no-shows start with a slow invite or a time the candidate never really chose. Invite fast, let people pick their own slot, confirm on their calendar and nudge the ones who have not booked.

6 min read · Updated · For recruiters and coordinators who schedule first-round interviews

The short version

Speed and choice are the best reminders. Invite the moment someone qualifies, let them choose the time, and make sure the invite lands on their own calendar.

Why candidates do not show up

By the time an invite arrives days later, a good candidate may have accepted something else. A time picked for them may not work. And an email without a calendar entry is easy to forget.

The usual causes

  • A long gap between applying and hearing back.
  • A time chosen by you, not by them.
  • No calendar invite, or one that went to spam.
  • No easy way to reschedule, so they just do not come.

Invite while interest is high

  1. 1

    Invites straight from the score

    Top journey scorers can be invited to the first interview stage automatically, as soon as they finish.

    In Interviews & scheduling
  2. 2

    Set expectations in the journey

    Send emails on a delay from the journey, so candidates know what comes next and when.

    In Journeys

Let them pick the time

  1. 1

    Self-booking links

    Candidates pick a time from the panel's shared open slots, and can reschedule if they need to.

    In Interviews & scheduling
  2. 2

    Real availability

    Free/busy times from connected Google or Microsoft calendars and your scheduling hours decide which slots are offered.

    In Interviews & scheduling

Confirm on their calendar, then nudge

  1. 1

    Invites and RSVPs

    Calendar invites go out automatically and accept or decline replies sync back.

    In Interviews & scheduling
  2. 2

    Automatic nudges

    If a link hasn't been used, a reminder goes out for you.

    In Interviews & scheduling

Keep the schedule in one place

  1. 1

    One interview schedule

    Every interview across your organization in one list.

    In Interviews & scheduling
  2. 2

    Update, cancel or complete

    Change or cancel an interview and mark it complete from the same place.

    In Interviews & scheduling

The products in this playbook

JourneysA short, scored pre-interview every applicant takes on their phone, ranked against your criteria.Explore JourneysInterviews & schedulingCalendar sync, self-booking links, structured scorecards and a notetaker that writes the summary.Explore Interviews & scheduling

Questions, answered

Should candidates be able to reschedule?

Yes. An easy reschedule is better than a silent no-show, and it keeps the candidate in your process.

Which calendars work?

Google and Microsoft calendars. Connect your own, or have an admin connect the whole team.

What happens if someone never books?

If a self-booking link hasn't been used, a reminder goes out automatically.

Keep reading

All playbooks
Interviewing9 min readStructured interviewing, from first answer to final scorecardWrite questions with scoring criteria, use them in the journey and the live interview, and make sure every interviewer scores the same things.Read the playbookInterviewing8 min readThe structured video interview playbookHow to replace repetitive first-round screens with a consistent interview that still gives candidates room to show how they think and communicate.Read the playbookHow it connects10 min readHow InsightHire connects: from first search to first yearFollow one hire end to end: sourcing with Scout, a scored journey, ranked review, structured interviews, the offer and onboarding, then Grow, with Vouch checks along the way.Read the playbook

Put this playbook to work.

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