How to reschedule an interview

How you approach rescheduling an interview determines how applicants respond to this change of plan. Providing advance notice and being conscious of their valuable time indicates that you respect the candidate and appreciate their taking the time to meet with you. Ensure they feel valued so they continue with the interview process at a new time and date rather than take their job search elsewhere. Here are a few steps for successfully rescheduling an interview. 

1. Provide as much notice as possible 

Emergencies happen, and candidates often understand when a last-minute family crisis or weather incident results in a hiring manager being unable to make it to the office on the morning of an interview. However, it’s most respectful of the applicant’s time to provide them with as much advance notice as possible so they have more time to change their plans.

As soon as you become aware that you or a hiring manager are unable to conduct an interview as scheduled, contact the candidate via their preferred channel immediately. If you have been communicating by phone and they miss your call, leave a message and send them an email so they receive the information as soon as possible. 

In this email or phone message, choose your words carefully. Avoid language such as “canceling the interview” or “canceled interview” in an email subject line. Instead, stick to saying “reschedule” to ensure the candidate doesn’t become confused and think you no longer want to interview them. Be very clear that you are seeking a new date and time to meet with them rather than simply canceling the existing meeting. 

2. Apologize for the inconvenience 

When contacting the candidate to inform them that you need to reschedule an interview, express your sincere apologies for the change of plans. You can let them know that you understand this affects their schedule and that you are sorry for any inconvenience it causes. By demonstrating regard for their time, you communicate to the applicant that their time is valuable to you. Doing this may give them a positive impression of what working for you would be like. 

3. Give a legitimate reason 

Although you or the hiring manager in question are entitled to privacy, the courteous thing to do when rescheduling an interview is to provide the candidate with a legitimate reason for doing so. When you provide a reason for the scheduling change, it eliminates doubts they may have about their qualifications or your lack of interest in them. You don’t have to give them details, but citing something generic about the situation, such as a family emergency or unexpected medical appointment, lets the applicant know they are only being asked to reschedule because of an urgent situation. 

4. Suggest a new time and date 

In the correspondence where you communicate your need to reschedule an interview, suggest an alternative date and time so the applicant is not left without information about how the process will move forward. In addition to providing a potential date for the rescheduled interview, be sure to ask them if there’s a date and time that works better for them. You can also provide a few options for times on specific dates that work for you and ask them to select the slot that works best for them. 

5. Reiterate your interest in the candidate 

Conclude your email or phone conversation by restating your excitement to sit down and chat with the candidate. Communicate that you are eager to get to know them better and discuss the possibility of them joining your team. Instilling confidence in the applicant that you are still interested and excited about interviewing them for the job helps to remove the fear that you may be rescheduling because you don’t value them. Expressing your interest in them as a potential employee helps them stay focused and enthusiastic about your meeting when it does happen. 

6. Thank them for their understanding 

Express gratitude to the applicant for their understanding and willingness to accommodate the date change. They are not obligated to agree to meet with you at another time and could simply pass on the opportunity and pursue other available positions in your industry. By thanking them, you demonstrate your awareness that they are a potential asset to your company and you recognize their value. 

7. Confirm the new date and follow up 

Avoid future confusion or missed connections by following up with the candidate to confirm the new interview date/time. Once they get back to you with the time slot that works best for them, send another email thanking them for their response that includes a confirmation of the time they selected. If this date and time are more than 24 hours away, send another email 24 hours before the interview letting them know you are still planning to meet with them at that time. 

8. Ensure the next interview moves ahead as scheduled 

In order to retain top talent from your candidate pool, avoid rescheduling an interview more than once. Once you receive a reply from the candidate and confirm a new date and time for the interview, stick to it. While applicants understand that situations beyond your control happen and interviews may need to be rescheduled on occasion, changing the date and time more than once is unprofessional. Doing so, regardless of the circumstances, may make the candidate feel like they are unimportant, their time is not valued by your company or you simply are not interested in hiring them. They may choose not to continue with the application process at this point. 

If the hiring manager is unavailable a second time, you may need to find someone else to interview the applicant on their behalf. 

Email template for rescheduling an interview 

You can use this email template as a starting point for notifying an applicant that you need to reschedule an interview. Complete the template using the steps above to provide thoughtful and timely notice to your top applicants. 

Subject Line: Interview at [Your Company Name]: Rescheduling Interview For The [Job Title] Position 

Hi [Candidate’s Name],

I hope you’re doing well. I’m writing to let you know that, unfortunately, I need to reschedule our interview currently slated for [existing interview date and time]. 

Due to [brief explanation of the reason you cannot attend the current interview time], I am unable to make it. I appreciate you taking time out of your day to meet with me and hope we can find an alternative date for our interview. 

Please let me know if any of the following dates and times work for you to reschedule the interview. If none of these times suit your schedule, let me know when you are available, and we can go from there. 

[Provide 2-3 dates and 1-2 time slots per day for the applicant to choose from.]

I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you and sincerely look forward to meeting you soon. 

[Your name]
[Signature]

How To Reschedule an Interview Templates for PDF & Word

Download these templates to help you respectfully reschedule an interview to retain the interest of your top candidates.

*Indeed provides these examples as a courtesy to users of this site. Please note that we are not your HR or legal adviser, and none of these documents reflect current labor or employment regulations.