Use the right technology

Streamlining the interview scheduling process can save you time during the recruitment process. Applicant tracking software can keep everything, including communications with the candidates, in one central location. You can use these programs to schedule interviews and share information about candidates. Programs that let interviewees self-schedule can save time for you and allow them to pick a time that works well for them.

The Indeed Employer Dashboard is also a useful tool for managing the interviewing process. You can set up phone and video interviews through the dashboard, and the interview invitations you send sync with a variety of calendar apps to help you keep them organized. You can also add notes to the candidate’s profile and collaborate with the hiring team.

Plan the full process

Before you can properly schedule interviews, you need a solid plan for the overall interview process. Think about the types of interviews you plan to conduct for different positions and how many rounds of interviews you’ll conduct. This can vary depending on the position. You might use group interviews if you need to fill entry-level positions quickly, while you might start with a phone screening interview followed by a panel interview for positions with more rigorous requirements.

Once you know how many rounds of interviews you’ll have for the position, you can break down how many people you’ll interview and develop a general timeline. You might decide to schedule a phone screening interview with 10 candidates followed by one-on-one interviews with your top three choices. This helps you identify days and times when you can schedule the interviews.

Prepare for the interview

It’s also helpful to have your interview questions, interview team and interview documents in place before you start scheduling interviews. You need to know who will conduct the interviews so you can get them involved in the scheduling process. Having the questions written and documents, such as interview scoring sheets, ready to go means you can start scheduling interviews quickly. Everyone is prepared and the interviews can go smoothly.

Identify ideal times for the hiring team

While you need to accommodate the candidates’ schedules, you also need to make sure your hiring team is available at the interview times. Start with the hiring manager to find ideal blocks of time when they can meet with candidates. Check in with other members of the hiring team as well to make sure those times work for them. Have them block off those times so your interview scheduler has dedicated times when they can freely schedule candidates.

Communicate with the team

Update your hiring team regularly on the interview scheduling process. Let them know when you schedule an interviewee, and keep them updated if anyone needs to reschedule their interview. Ask the team to also keep you updated if their availability changes. Having a central collaboration tool where you can keep all communications about the interviews can be an effective way to do this.

Consider the timing for candidates

The day and time of the interview can affect the candidate’s performance, so consider the time slots you offer. Everyone’s a little different, but many people are more alert in the morning than they are at the end of the day. The end of the week can also leave people feeling drained and not at their peak performance. Meanwhile, Mondays can be busy for many companies, so it might be more difficult for candidates to get away for an interview. Offering a variety of time slots at different times of the day and on different days of the week can give everyone an option that matches up with their preferences.

Find the right candidates

Limiting the number of interviews and choosing the candidates with the best match to your requirements make scheduling easier. Spend more time screening applicants to ensure they’re a good match and that the interviews you conduct are valuable. You can do this with the screening tools from Indeed, such as the job skills tests that can evaluate hundreds of skills. Use those assessments to identify candidates you’re considering, and look at their resumes closely to decide who gets an interview.

Offer flexible options

When deciding how to schedule interview time slots, offering flexibility can make the experience positive for candidates. It can also help you schedule interviews with the candidates you’re most excited to meet. One example is offering virtual interviews instead of requiring candidates to come to the office. This makes it easier for long-distance interviewees, and it can make it easier to coordinate schedules if you’re having multiple interviewers evaluate candidates. You can also offer several time slots or different in-person interview locations to make it easier for everyone involved.

Schedule quickly

Applicants with ideal qualifications will likely receive several interview offers, especially if they’re actively seeking a new position. Scheduling interviews as soon as possible helps you connect with those job seekers and sell them on your company before they find another option they like.

Give all the details on how to schedule interview times

By providing all necessary details in a clearly written email, you can cut down on the back-and-forth communication with candidates. This helps to streamline the process, so you can get interviewees scheduled faster and finish the interview process quickly.

If you send an email with information for the candidate on how to schedule interview times, make the email subject line straightforward. Include the details regarding the interview, including how they can schedule their time, the available times, the interview format and your contact information.

Respond quickly

Responding quickly throughout the process can help you build positive relationships with applicants and encourage them to want to work for you. This starts with a quick response to applications. While you want to evaluate candidates thoroughly, you also don’t want prospective employees to lose interest or find other opportunities before you can interview them.

You also need to be responsive when candidates reach out to you. Even if you provide an email with all the necessary details, your candidates might have questions, concerns or conflicts. Being available and responding quickly leaves a positive impression on applicants. It can also encourage them to continue with the interview process and reduce frustration.

Plan to go long

Even if you have a structured interview process with standard questions, you never know where the conversation will lead. That means an interview could run longer than expected. Building in a buffer to account for a longer interview means you won’t have to cut a candidate off if you’re having a good conversation. If you’re doing virtual interviews, the extra time can also account for technical issues that could delay or interrupt the interview.

Ask for feedback

You might not be a pro interview scheduler right out of the gate, but striving to improve can make your scheduling process better over time. Ask for feedback on the entire interview process from your interviewees to see where you can make improvements. You can also ask for input from the interview team to see how well you’re communicating and how convenient the process is for them. Use this feedback to adjust how you schedule interviews for future interviews.