Landing an interview with a sought-after employer is a big deal for both the candidate and the company. 

As an HR professional, you’ve put a great deal of work into building a strong talent pool full of qualified candidates who can get the job done. You likely understand that the interview scheduling process can make or break your ability to get your preferred candidate to say yes to the role.

Still, not all company leaders know how to create a smooth interview scheduling process that doesn’t frustrate candidates and create chaos for the HR team. Learn why it’s important to ensure candidates can easily schedule an interview and what tools HR professionals can use to achieve that goal.

Fostering a positive interview scheduling experience for candidates can pay off. Here are three major reasons it’s a worthy investment of your time and resources.

Building a positive employer brand

An employer’s reputation among candidates and the general public is easily threatened. If your company becomes notorious for a confusing interview scheduling experience, its reputation could take a big hit. Potential candidates could begin to view the company in a less-than-favourable light, and you might have a more difficult time turning new employees into brand ambassadors.

Attracting and retaining top talent

Candidates with highly sought-after skill sets have choices when it comes to employment. Consequently, they may be less likely to tolerate negative hiring experiences. If they’re having trouble scheduling an interview with your company, they’ll simply move on to the next employer, which means you’ll miss out on a great hire.

Supporting greater hiring efficiency

A solid employer brand naturally attracts desirable candidates. This means that your HR team will spend less time writing and posting job descriptions and less money on third-party recruiters. Good branding also makes it easier to get candidates to accept your offer. In turn, this can lead to a lower cost-per-hire and decreased time-to-hire.

Are you unsure about where to begin when it comes to enhancing your interview scheduling experience? Here are a few methods you can use to improve it for candidates who are currently in your pipeline.

Clear communication

Candidates appreciate receiving clear communication and upfront details directly from an HR professional. As soon as you invite a candidate for an interview, you should communicate exactly what to expect, including:

• The type of interview you will conduct
• Whether there will be a panel present
• How long the interview will take
• What the candidate should wear

If the interview is in person, make sure to give the candidate clear directions on how to get to the office, how to navigate parking, and whom to ask for when they arrive. For virtual interviews, tell the candidate the names and titles of all participants and provide clear instructions for using your chosen video conferencing platform.

Self-scheduling tools

Automating the interview scheduling process is perhaps the easiest way to ensure a quick and painless experience. You can simply link your electronic HR calendar to one of these tools and let it generate a list of open time slots. You will then send candidates a link via email or SMS so they can self-select one of those slots.

When offering interview times to remote candidates, it’s important to be mindful of their time zones so you’re not hosting interviews in the middle of the night. All candidates will likely appreciate the convenience of this method and feel that you value their time.

Timely candidate responses

Having grown up as digital natives, Gen Z expects everyone — including employers — to be easily accessible and highly communicative. 

To attract young talent, hiring managers have found it essential to provide timely answers to candidate questions before the interview and near-immediate feedback after it concludes. In fact, 17% of Gen Z job seekers expect an offer less than a week after the interview.⁽¹⁾

Resumes are the starting point of every interview invitation. Here’s how candidates and HR professionals can use them to good advantage.

Candidates need well-structured resumes

A candidate who wants to land an interview at their target company should always submit a polished resume. Often, the resume will be the main tool the candidate has to convince the HR team they are worth the interview.

Therefore, a resume must be well-structured, containing the right sections in the expected order. A nonstandard resume can impede clarity and lead to rejection. For candidates who need help creating a resume that will be well-received by many, jobseeker.com offers an easy-to-use resume builder with plenty of sleek and stylish templates.

HR professionals should review candidates’ resumes

If you’re an HR professional conducting a round of interviews for roles at your company, you should review each candidate’s resume before the interview starts. A quick refresh of the candidate’s strong points and work history can help you avoid asking unnecessary questions. 

Additionally, this step can help you make the most of the interview, going in-depth on relevant topics that truly reveal the candidate’s readiness to take on the role. When interviewers are prepared, it leads to a better experience for the candidate and leaves them with a much better impression of the employer.

Your interview scheduling process can make or break your employer brand and be the deciding factor in whether you can attract and retain top talent. As you work to improve interview scheduling, make sure that each candidate receives thorough and timely updates and is able to self-schedule their interview at a time that works for them.

Before you sit down with a candidate in person or virtually, you should have thoroughly reviewed their resume for pertinent information and chosen the points you want to discuss further. 

These strategies not only leave candidates with a great impression of your company but also help hiring teams and HR professionals become more efficient, saving time and money in the recruitment process.