Key Takeaways 

• Lack of coordination among members of the hiring team can lead to issues with interview scheduling
• Use automation wherever necessary and personalize the rest of the process to optimize scheduling
• Stick to the hiring schedule and communicate timely with the candidates

Is scheduling an interview that big a problem? Well, scheduling one interview might not be such a big issue. But in the modern day hiring volumes, scheduling multiple interviews with multiple candidates in a single day can be something of a herculean task. So where exactly does the problem lie? Are there multiple problems an HR has to tackle while scheduling an interview with a candidate? The short and long answer is both yes. 

Let us take a closer look at these common issues that come up while scheduling an interview and also look at some of the possible solutions for the same. 

5 Common Challenges While Scheduling an Interview

Being an HR manager is not an easy job. And what makes this already hectic job even more frenzied are the roadblocks present across the candidate hiring possess. The start of the hiring journey is always a bumpy one. This is why managers face their biggest hurdles at the initial interview scheduling stage. Some problems might be expected while some can be totally surprising. 

Let us dive into some of the common challenges an HR manager comes across while scheduling an interview.

#1 Maybe you’re talking to the wrong candidate

This can be quite disheartening but it is one of the common problems all HR managers face during the hiring process. It might be difficult to gather in-depth knowledge and details of all the candidates during the initial phase of the hiring process. Because of this reason, managers might spend their time and energy on the wrong set of candidates. People who do not have a genuine interest in the position they applied for can lead to delays in scheduling an interview in time. 

#2 Planning way too many interviews a day

The hiring process can turn into a monstrously difficult task when you have to schedule multiple interviews at multiple timeframes with multiple candidates, all in a single day. You might have to schedule 5 or maybe even 10 interviews in a single day. At this point, candidate specifications begin to blur a bit here. Remembering which candidate applied to what role and the specific qualifications these candidates hold can make the interview scheduling process even longer. 

#3 Too many emails and candidates 

Email chains can keep both the sender and the receiver informed about the important set of events they discussed. But this is ideal when there are only a few such emails one has to deal with every day. Well, that is rarely the case. An HR manager has to come across, keep tabs on, and reply to tens or hundreds of such emails daily making their inbox nothing less of a mess.

#4 Your candidates are overseas or remote 

It might not be such a big issue as the others discussed above, but overseas or remote candidates do cause a fair share of trouble for the hiring manager during the interview scheduling process. With availability a challenge even in the same time zones, being in different timezones adds a new dimension to this challenge, making it much harder to find a timing convenient for the recruiters, hiring managers and the candidates.  

#5 You might sound impersonal to candidates

When you have to send a plethora of emails to a large number of candidates daily, you might not have enough time or energy to make personal introductions or customize the emails. This might end up making you sound impersonal and maybe even a bit robotic as well.

5 Ways to Streamline Interview Scheduling

Looking at the problems an HR manager faces while scheduling an interview can be exhausting. So let us now look at some of the possible solutions to these problems. What can be done differently so that HR can lead an easy life? What could make the interview scheduling process manageable and less messy? Let us look at each one of them in detail. 

#1 Automation is key

When things get overwhelming, the smart thing to do is automate whatever processes you can and personally attend to the rest. Using interview scheduling software and seeking the help of talent acquisition service providers can be the best things an HR manager could do in order to escape from the web of emails and reschedules. There are tons of services available out there, so make a strict list of the areas where you need help and match them with the availability. This will help you save a large chunk of your time which you could use to plan the actual strategic stuff. 

#2 Share your calendar

Asking the candidates when they are available and letting them know the time slots when you are free can be too much talking. Share your company calendar instead. Ask the opinion of your hiring team and then make the HR calendar available to the candidates. It solves many problems at once. The members of your hiring team can also adjust their availability with the time slots of the candidates and let things figure out themselves. 

#3 Better team cooperation and communication

It has been reported that almost 32% of issues occur in a project because of the lack of communication among the members. This is true for the interview scheduling process as well. Imagine finding the perfect slots for interviews only to find out that an important member of your team cannot appear for the interview process that day. It sets you back by days. This is why it is recommended that you ensure a good flow of information and communication among the candidates, the manager, as well as the hiring team. 

#4 Centralized tracking of applicants

An HR manager or recruiter has to deal with hundreds of candidates every day. Once you send an interview scheduling email to the candidates, they might not respond immediately. Well, some might but a majority of them won’t. To enable a candidate application tracker to let you know of the ones who have responded and the ones who haven’t yet. Using a bit of automation to give you a push here and there would do incredible things for the whole hiring process. 

#5 Personalize your emails

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, use personalization to connect with the candidates. When it comes to the hiring process, do not let automation take the driver’s seat. Always ensure that there is a human and kind touch to your emails. Professionalism is great but so is personalization. Let the candidates know that you do care about them and that this is a process that is as important to you as it is to them. 

Conclusion

Scheduling an interview is no child’s play. That is one thing that we have successfully established here. It is absolutely okay for you to seek help when things seem to get a bit out of hand. Automate tasks that are to be repeated, and personalize things whenever possible. A combination of both of these can make your interview schedule process a piece of cake. The key aspect to remember here is to choose the right automation and talent acquisition partner to pair up with. Select one that goes with your needs and ideologies. That is ought to solve all your problems hiring related. 

FAQs on Common Interview Scheduling Challenges