How Do You Handle Candidates Who Cancel Interviews Last Minute? Seeking Advice!

Despite confirming with candidates several times, many of them refuse to come at the last minute for the interview. The senior management is of the opinion that we should persuade the candidate in case such a situation arises. However, I'm of the opinion that such candidates should not be called again because if they can't keep up with an interview appointment, what kind of work commitment would they display if taken on board?

Request you to kindly provide your inputs in this regard.

Regards,
Anika Agarwal

Hi Anika,

How are you? If you need suggestions, you can reach me at +91-9885471360. I'm in the same recruiting sector and have good experience with candidates. You can speak with candidates in a pleasant manner and be a friend. Try to mingle with them, ask about their family members, and provide guidance for their careers.

Thank you.

Hi Anika,

This is the common problem faced by all the Recruiters. You can line up the interviews for the weekend as the candidates are free and more willing to come on the weekend. In our organization, we also schedule interviews in the early morning or late evening hours so the candidate does not need to take time off from his/her current organization. This method does not guarantee that every candidate scheduled for an interview will turn up, but it does reduce the chances of a candidate not turning up at all.

I have tried calling the said options, contacting candidates according to their convenient timings, but still, candidates are not responding. We don't work on weekends, but for candidates' comfort, I come in on Saturday, but still in vain. In this case, what can be done? 😕

Dear Narinder,

If this is the case, you need to analyze the type of openings you have and the source of recruitment you are using. Kindly elaborate on the same so that I can put across something.

Regards,
Ravindra

Yes, Ravinder is right. Also, the first call made to employees can make a lot of difference. Explain the job profile in detail to the candidate so he can be sure whether he is really interested in this role or not. Most candidates say yes to the interview even when the job requirements are not clear to them, and later, they don't show up. Also, do tell them about your organization, the business it is involved in, the employee strength, the benefits offered, and other information that might be relevant to the candidate. This way, the candidate can make a more informed decision on whether to proceed with the job requirement.

Don't forget to reconfirm the interview schedule with the candidate one or half a day before the interview. This allows you to identify candidates who may not be attending the interview beforehand. If a candidate is ignoring your calls or not responding, ask for their reconfirmation via SMS. If there is still no reply, the chances of that candidate showing up for the interview are close to none.

Thank you, Ravindrar,

I am in an IT company, and the openings we usually have are for .NET. When I call the candidate, I explain the requirements to him/her and also brief them about the company, emailing the same to their mail id. I also receive a confirmation email from the candidate stating that they will be available for the interview, but they don't show up on the day of the interview.

We engage in both internal and external recruitment, and we are subscribed to Naukri.

I hope I have answered your question.

Dear Narinder,

Do you use HR consultancy services that specialize in IT recruitments? This could be helpful to you. Alternatively, if the issue is significant, you might consider outsourcing your recruitments to external agencies. I hope this information addresses your query.

Regards,
RAvindra R

Hi all!

Candidates not turning up for interviews is a serious issue faced by many of us in recruitment activities.

Calling candidates prior to the interview will help if done with a little probing skills. When you call a candidate for confirmation or follow-up about the interview schedule, make sure that you don't ask direct questions and should opt for probing methods.

Also, you should try to find out if the candidate has taken care to gather some information about your company.

You can always discuss your city (if the candidate is from outstation), your office/plant location, and your canteen specialty (like, "you will enjoy tea and Masala dosa at our canteen," or something similar), any employee event that is taking place on the interview date, such as a safety audit or an employee's birthday.

We can try to be innovative and hope for the best.

Even if we get to know the level of determination the candidate has regarding attending the interview, it can help us reduce some of our anxiety and even embarrassment.

To be honest, there is no concrete solution to such issues/problems faced by recruiters.

- Hiten

How do you feel when you get a chance to blacklist such kind of attitude candidates, where the same blacklisted candidates can be viewed by all the recruiters and companies Pan India?

Please do share your opinion on the same.