Is setting up interview easy? Some people may say that it only takes minutes to send an email or pick up the phone to invite candidates to join interviews. But, what if you have to handle hundreds of candidates, multiple communication channels, and dozens of open vacancies?
Here is Rakuna’s list of top mistakes to avoid when you set up interview so you can ensure productive and flawless interviews with pleasant candidate experience.
Rakuna’s Top 7 Mistakes to Avoid in Interviews Set-up
Making Random Calls
Making a call to schedule an interview is always quick and convenient on the recruiters’ side as it usually leads to an immediate response. However, on the other side of the phone, some candidates may feel inconvenient. They may not be able to check their availability immediately, have enough time for consideration and re-arrangement if needed. Some applicants may also forget what they have said in a hurry, which will lead to more back-and-forth communication for both parties.
If you are planning to have phone interviews, check out our previous guide on this scheduling phone interview checklist for efficiency.
Lacking Well-structured Calls
When you receive an urgent task or have an interview that needs to be scheduled promptly, it is necessary to make a quick call. However, the stress of being in a rush often makes us forget the key talking points and leads to inefficient communication, so make sure that all important information will be discussed in one single call with prior preparation. You can list out several key points or check our recommended structure for a quick interview invitation via calls as follows: Introduction: Make sure that you introduce yourself and check whether they are available for this call. No one hopes to be disturbed during busy times. Tell them about the purpose of the call, which can be asking for further information or setting up interviews. Availability: Ask for their availability and give out your proposed time. End the call with the next steps for both parties. After making the call, recruiting coordinators should send out a text or an email to confirm the discussed points and provide further information (if any).
Sending Inadequate Information
According to Rakuna’s Student Survey, 97% of respondents suggested that email is the most preferred channel of communication, especially for setting up interviews. It allows candidates time for consideration while recruiters can provide detailed information about the interview or interview process.
A common mistake that you should keep an eye on is the lack of necessary information in the initial email, which causes confusion and more communication to ensure that all parties are on the same page.
TIP: An informative email to set up interviews should include necessary information such as topics for discussions, time & venue, interviewers’ information (if applicable), etc. For a detailed guide on how to craft interview set-up emails productively, you can check our article on Email Interview Template.
Scheduling Fixed Interview Time Beforehand
For convenience purposes, some recruiters may arrange a pre-decided interview time slot for each candidate. While some applicants will strive to schedule their time based on interview invitations, others, especially those who are currently employed or senior level candidates, may not make it. As a result, both parties will have to rearrange their schedules.
Thus, we recommend avoiding this mistake by listing out several options based on the availability of interviewers and let candidates pick from the available interview options on their own. If you are having a large pool of candidates, scheduling software with automated email communication and calendar integration may come in handy.
Being Unaware of Time Zone Differences
During this unprecedented time, remote working and the gig economy are reshaping the hiring process with the use of video interviews. Technology advancement allows video interviews to be just as productive and informative as having in-person conversations.
If you are setting up interviews for remote candidates, remember that both candidates and interviewers can be in different time zones, and your proposed time should work with the availability of both parties. In order to avoid this common mistake, modern recruiters can leverage simple solutions such as online calendars or advanced tools like Rakuna’s interview scheduling software. These tools can allow you to see other people’s calendars in their time zones and send out interview invitations to the right time zones to ensure the right information is provided to all stakeholders.
Sending Wrong Logistics Information and Missing Updates for All Stakeholders Involved
One of the worst nightmares for recruiting coordinators is to send out wrong details or forgetting to update involved stakeholders of any changes about their interviews. When having many interviews to set up and emails to send out, recruiters may distribute wrong logistics information, which includes information on the venue, time, name of interviewers, or relevant documents. Some people may also forget to send out the finalized information after multiple reschedules.
So modern recruiters, let‘s optimize your interview scheduling process with technology to keep all information in one centralized place and ensure consistency in communication. As a result, every stakeholder involved will receive a notification with the most updated information while you will have more time to work on other important tasks.
Fail to Take Care of Logistics Properly
You probably have managed to avoid all the mentioned mistakes, and your interviews are scheduled successfully. However, there may be small logistics issues that may stand between you and a smooth interview set up. Here is a quick logistics management checklist for recruiters: Have you booked a room that meets the requirements of your on-site interview sessions? Some people may mistakenly book small 1-on-1 meeting rooms for panel interviews or reserve a room that doesn’t have a projector for an interview which requires presentation. Have you checked the technology requirements of hiring managers before each interview session? If you are planning to conduct video interviews, don’t forget to conduct a technical check earlier before the interviews.
Conclusion
So, interview set up is not just about sending invitation emails or making several calls. As there are multiple stakeholders involved, scheduling and setting up smooth interviews are not as easy as most people think it would be. Latest HR technologies can help modern recruiters increase their productivity and avoid mistakes. Since the job market is constantly changing, it requires modern recruiters to be more adaptive and keep up with technologies for continual process improvement.
This blog post originally appear on Rakuna’s blog