You’ve narrowed down your applicant pool to a hand-selected group of great candidates.. Now comes the hard part: scheduling the interviews.
It sounds simple, but anyone who’s hired before knows the truth: matching calendars, chasing replies, and waiting on team availability can slow the whole process down. And that can mean losing a strong candidate because your hiring process couldn’t keep up with someone else’s.
Even research shows that 42% of candidates drop out of the hiring process when interviews aren’t scheduled quickly enough. Ouch! 😬
Hiring top talent means having your interview process nailed down to a T.
In this guide, you’ll get:
Before you send your first invite, we recommend you slow down to map out your interview process. This step will save you hours later and make the experience smoother for everyone involved.
The first step is figuring out what kind of interview process you actually need. Knowing your process matters not just for your team, but also because studies show that 28% of applicants want to understand it too.
(Source)
❓ Start by answering a few key questions:
Let’s say you’re hiring for a mid-level role. You might plan for an initial 30-minute screening call, followed by a skills-based interview with the hiring manager, and a final culture fit conversation with cross-functional teammates. Map this out early to set realistic timelines and reduce delays between stages.
You’ll also want to define how long each round should take, not just in duration (30 minutes vs. 60) but in terms of scheduling windows. For instance, you might want to complete all screening calls within one to two weeks of posting the job.
A good idea to get through as many screening calls as possible is to use round robin scheduling, as it allows multiple team members to share the load, especially at earlier stages of the interview process.
At this stage, it’s also super important to work closely with the hiring manager. Here’s what you should align on:
Once your interview process is mapped out, the next challenge is making sure your team is actually available to run it.
Depending on who’s involved at each stage, you’ll want to set up separate calendar booking links for different types of interviews, like screening calls, 1:1 conversations, and group or panel interviews. This saves you from chasing down availability every time you move a candidate to the next step. For example:
Just as important as scheduling availability is protecting focus time. Interviews are important, but they can quickly overwhelm your team if they’re scattered throughout the week. Ask your interview panelists to block out dedicated windows for candidate calls and leave other blocks untouched for deep work.
Next up, you need to prepare your calendar links. Calendar links are personalized booking pages that let candidates choose an interview time based on your team’s real-time availability. They save you from sending emails that ask, “Does Tuesday at 3 PM work for you?”
It’s important to create different calendar links for each stage of the interview process. For example:
Having the right booking pages ready for each step saves time and gives candidates a smoother experience. It also ensures that only the candidates who pass each stage can book the next interview.
“We started using YouCanBookMe for our recruiting efforts, basically for bringing people in, interviewing them. The biggest challenge for me was the manpower it took to get people scheduled, especially when they canceled or rescheduled. We were looking for a solution where they could book it themselves, reschedule themselves, get reminders. It took a whole load off of us.”
A tool like YouCanBookMe can handle it all for you (without the tech headaches). With YCBM, you can:
The easier it is to schedule with you, the faster you’ll hire.
Once you’ve set up your calendar links, it’s time to send the invitation email that puts everything in motion.
While the content of these emails might get more personalized in later stages, having a few core templates ready (you’ll find sample templates included later in this guide) will save you a ton of time throughout the hiring process. Between interview prep, follow-ups, and feedback, your plate is already full—there’s no need to reinvent the wheel every time you invite someone to schedule.
We’ve covered the logistics of scheduling an interview—now let’s talk about what separates a decent process from a great one. These best practices help improve speed, fairness, and candidate experience at every stage.
Train a broad group of staff to conduct interviews. This gives you more flexibility when scheduling and helps avoid delays. It also shows candidates that you value different perspectives.
Aim for a mix of people across departments, job roles, skill sets, locations, and experience levels. The more variety you build into your interviewer pool, the easier it is to move quickly and make the process more inclusive.
Once a candidate moves forward, don’t wait to schedule. Many expect to hear from you within a week, and delays can lead to drop-off. Remember: 42% of candidates will walk away if scheduling takes too long. Keep the momentum going by reaching out quickly and making it easy to book.
👉 See how one recruitment agency boosted candidate engagement by 115% just by switching to online scheduling.
Provide candidates with multiple mutually available time slots and accommodate their scheduling needs. Flexibility is especially important for those with current jobs or in other time zones. Offering a range of options, like early mornings, lunch breaks, or early afternoon slots, shows you understand that candidates have other commitments.
You also need to consider the most optimal time slots for the interview. Aim to schedule when both the candidate and the interviewer are likely to be focused and alert. According to YCBM’s Most Popular Meeting Times Report, the best windows are usually:
In short, avoid very early mornings (5 AM club, anyone? 🌚), late afternoons, and Fridays.
Every interview invite should set clear expectations from the start. Once the time is confirmed, send a prompt, detailed message that includes:
Providing this information helps candidates prepare for the interview, as they may want to do additional research on the interview panelists or the company and the role in general. If you’re using an interview scheduling tool like YouCanBookMe, you can automate these details into every invite to save time and stay consistent.
Speaking of candidate communications, as soon as a candidate books their interview, send a confirmation email. If you’re using an interview scheduling tool like YouCanBookMe, you can automate these confirmations to go out instantly.
Closer to the interview time, it’s also a good idea to send a meeting reminder, just in case something slips off your candidate’s radar. Again, YCBM can send them automatically for you a day or two before.
Something you shouldn't overlook is how accessible your interview process is. Ask candidates early if they need any special accommodations, and be ready to offer alternatives when needed.
This might include:
Only 13% of job seekers with a disability say they request support, like having a support person in the interview. That number is low, not because the need doesn’t exist, but because candidates often don’t feel comfortable asking. Proactively offering adjustments helps remove that hesitation and creates a more inclusive experience for everyone.
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🗣️ Want to run better remote interviews? Read our guide on the foundations of strong remote interviewing. |
Last but not least, make sure your interview panelists are actually available. Check for vacations, public holidays, or internal blackout dates ahead of time.
Pre-block time for panel interviews and set up substitution plans in case someone becomes unavailable. A bit of prep here helps you avoid last-minute rescheduling.
Once your interview times are set, it’s time to communicate clearly and efficiently with your candidates. The right email at the right time not only confirms the details but also sets the tone for a great candidate experience.
Here are three must-have email templates for smooth scheduling👇
Start your candidate journey on the right foot with a friendly interview invitation email. Make sure to include key interview details and a scheduling link if the interview is online.
Once a time is locked in, send a confirmation to avoid any confusion. This email should clearly outline who will be on the interview panel, when the interview will take place, and where—whether it’s in-person or online.
When the interview date is approaching, send a quick meeting reminder to keep it top of mind for the candidate. Here’s a sample you can use👇
Not every interview leads to a hire, but every candidate deserves a respectful close to the process. Sending a thoughtful rejection email helps protect your employer brand and leaves the door open for future opportunities. Grab this simple template👇
We hope this guide gives you a clear way to organize and run your interviews more smoothly. But at the end of the day, the biggest game-changer is using the right scheduling tool.
With YouCanBookMe, you can: