Why Are Candidates Skipping Interviews Last Minute Despite Our Efforts? Seeking HR Advice

Hi All,

We face this problem very frequently in our organization. We are basically involved in IT Staffing. As per the Recruitment Procedure - we do shortlist suitable resumes and accordingly schedule interviews for the best candidates of the lot on their confirmation. We do regular and prompt follow-ups until their scheduled timing. But at the last minute, they make "No Shows". Why is this happening despite all the measures taken? I request all HR Pundits to come out with their valuable suggestions in solving this problem.

Thanks & Regards,
Swapna

Dear Swapna,

This is a problem that has taken several dimensions of late.

- Candidates have more than one option, in fact, many prefer to shop for the right job...and then hop.

- Not all think long-term career perspective.

- Most are okay with what they get as take-home.

- Brand equity, status symbol, salary, and perks are attractions that go hand in hand.

- Seriousness and commitment levels of the candidate.

- Job profile being offered versus what they currently have.

- The bargaining power a job offer in hand can make in the current scene.

- Inability to show up for genuine reasons like getting stuck, work, boss, etc.

There isn't one single reason... the only way is to have extra people. The ratio nowadays of candidates attending the interview is call 10 for show up, Mar 6 or 7 on a brighter side. This is an average, so advisable is to keep 50% extra candidates on hand. There is no way out...

I would also agree with the fact that getting so many people is not going to be easy. Let's face it, accept it, and make the best of what you can. Identify better resources for recruitment and keep options open.

Regards,

Yogesh

Hi!

There are a couple more reasons why a candidate is not interested after being shortlisted. It might just be that your firm is not marketing the jobs in the right way.

Thank you for your responses. I agree with all the points mentioned by Yogesh and Shyamali as well.

One thing I want to make clear is that ours is a leading consulting firm with a good track record. All our clients are CMM Level 5 companies with excellent pay packages and reputations. We don't find any difficulty in convincing the candidates for the company. We do keep resumes in the pipeline in case of no-shows. However, by the time we get feedback from the client and then scheduling, it consumes a lot of time.

Another issue is that even though the candidate is genuinely interested, they may still be a no-show due to unexpected reasons they give - important work, official meetings, etc. - which they don't even consider as their responsibility to inform us prior.

I request suggestions on tips that can be implemented to solve this problem as I am really frustrated by this.

Thanks & Regards,
Swapna

Hello Everyone,

Is there no solution for this problem? I request not to ignore this post as I am really in need of a suggestion. Please...

Regards,
Swapna

Hi all,

I have never faced this problem of people not showing up in large numbers. Why? The reason is that people who are already working may not necessarily have time from their routine jobs to go for an interview on a weekday. We have always conducted interviews on Saturdays and Sundays, and people do show up. It is also true that the ratio of applicants is not always 10:10; it is far less than that, so remember to call more people for the interviews. A clear job profile will surely catch attention. Try it to believe it! 😉 Cheers, Archna