Are Interview Candidates Today Struggling with Punctuality? Let's Discuss Why

Recently, while conducting an interview, I observed that if we call 5 candidates and give them the time as 10 am, only one candidate arrives before 10, i.e., at 09:30 or 09:45, which is appreciable. Some 2-3 arrive within a 1-hour duration, i.e., till 11 am, and some turn up after 1 hour, giving reasons such as traffic jams or getting lost.

In my life, whenever I attended an interview, I made it a point to be well before in time, at least half an hour early. Now, this simple punctuality is missing from this generation who refer to themselves as the YOLO SWAG generation.

What do you want to tell me about this?

Agree with your views, but why didn't you raise the same questions for those HR people who make punctual employees wait for 2-3 hours for interviews? What would you say in this context?

I agree that some people really don't bother about the value of time, but sometimes there are genuine reasons behind their lateness. Sometimes it is because they know we have to wait for long hours for our turn, so it's better to arrive late as well.

I am sorry if I have said something wrong about some of our HR professionals, but it is really true. As an employer or HR professional, we should also understand the value of an employee's time. Some employees take half-day leave for an interview, but half of their time is lost waiting for their turn. I think that's very bad.

I agree with you, Bhawna, but the huge number of non-punctual candidates is what is bothering me. Two to three being late out of ten is acceptable, but almost seven to eight being late out of ten is something to ponder about.

I am neither of the opinion that I expect all candidates to be on time, as even I understand genuine issues of employees. But it's not necessary that all eight out of ten candidates' vehicles got punctured or the bus got late.

I think it all depends on the situation. I was over two hours late to attend an interview. Usually, I am well on time to go to work (an hour before the starting time). But that day, I got caught up with road works. Luckily, I had my mobile phone with me, and I called work. The secretary told me that she had heard the news on the radio, and the boss was prepared to see me for 15 minutes only if I arrived there before noon.

In these days of technology, there is no excuse for candidates not to inform the authorities about their late arrival. Similarly, authorities should also inform candidates when the interview gets delayed for whatever reason.

The issue you raised is definitely valid in today's world.

Punctuality in Interviews

In a way, Bhawna is right—BUT... a BIG BUT... two wrongs don't make a right. Usually, this aspect [punctuality] is also taken into account for the interview ratings in a DIFFERENT way, especially for areas where it counts more than others, like Sales, etc. [typically where out-of-office interactions are involved]—not sure if you do it or not.

Handling Delays During Interviews

This is where what Simhan mentioned comes into the picture—being late, intentional or unintentional, is one aspect of the situation. But the more important aspect is HOW DID THE CANDIDATE HANDLE IT. Did he/she care to inform the HR? If he/she did, I would give a higher rating to such a candidate since getting late MAY NOT have been in his/her control, while caring for the interviewer's time is definitely in his/her control.

HR's Role in Time Management

Coming back to Bhawna's comment about HR also not sticking to time [making the candidates wait for hours]—the same would apply. I know of HRs who are very sincere in apologizing to the candidates for the delays, and also those who pay lip service, and those who just don't even care that they are wasting a candidate's time.

Hope you get the point.

Regards,
TS

You have only presented your side of the story. It would have been beneficial to include the perspective of the other side as well. Please address the following:

a) How many interviews take place in your company per month?
b) When job candidates arrive on time, how often do interviewers (managers other than yourself) conduct interviews punctually?
c) What is the average waiting period for job candidates before their interviews?
d) How often do interviewers in your company engage in company work while interviews are in progress?
e) If the "top boss" unexpectedly contacts the managers, are the managers empowered to inform their boss that they are in an interview and will follow up once the scheduled interview is completed?

I strongly oppose the tardiness of job candidates; however, the principle of punctuality equally applies to interviewers.

In India, we are all in the same boat, so it would not be fair to single out specific individuals. This forum is filled with instances of the unprofessional treatment that job candidates encounter from interviewers.

Thank you,

Dinesh V Divekar

Ravi has opened a can of worms and rightly so. I tend to agree with him because being punctual is simply not ingrained in our culture. In our country, being late is an acceptable norm, and making excuses is merely paying lip service. Both the interviewer and the interviewee belong to the same culture, showing little regard for each other's time. I know I may offend those who prioritize punctuality, but they are few and far between.

Regards

Here are my answers:

Recruitment Frequency

A. Recruitment in our sector is rare; interviews happen three times a year.

Interview Timeliness

B. All interviews happen on time, and all managers conduct interviews punctually.

Average Waiting Period

C. The average waiting period is 10-20 minutes.

Instances of Delay

D. Rarely, only 2 out of 100 instances.

E. I will respond to this question from my PC as it requires a longer paragraph. Please wait.

Dear Ravi, you have only presented your perspective. It is essential to consider the other side as well. Please provide the following information:

a) How many interviews take place in your company per month?

b) When job candidates arrive on time, how often do interviewers (excluding you) conduct interviews promptly?

c) What is the average wait time for job candidates before their interviews?

d) How often do interviewers in your company continue with their regular work while an interview is in progress?

e) If the top boss unexpectedly summons managers, do they have the authority to inform the boss that they are currently in an interview and will meet afterward?

I strongly oppose the lack of punctuality among job candidates. However, it is crucial for interviewers to adhere to punctuality as well. In India, we are all alike in this regard, so singling out specific individuals would be unfair. This forum showcases numerous instances of job candidates enduring poor treatment from interviewers.

Thank you,

Dinesh V Divekar

Punctuality in Interviews: A Two-Way Street

I think if you mention to the interviewee that being a minute late is not tolerated here, and they should please be exactly on time, this can help reduce late attendance at interviews. However, HRs who make candidates wait for a long time is once again a pathetic thing. As someone in HR, I make a serious effort to avoid candidates sitting and waiting. We must make them feel that we value their time as much as we value our own. This leaves a positive impression of the company as well.

Regards,
Reena Vashisht
Sr. Associate-Payrolling

Dear Ravi,

These are generally passive job seekers who attend the interview for the sake of attending without any preparation or planning. It does not happen with active and serious job seekers. One thing more that is noted is that for a single vacancy, HR lines up more candidates than required, and then they run short of time to interview everybody properly. This leaves a bad impression of the company on candidates who have come prepared, making them frustrated. Such mismanagement of the interview process is seen very commonly in companies.

Improving Recruitment Processes

Recruitment processes have to be taken seriously by HR, and only those candidates who have cleared the telephonic round of the interview should be called to save time on both ends. HR can also follow up with the arriving candidates and confirm their timing for the interview, which will help in reducing lateness.

Regards,
Reena Vashisht

Simply put, if candidates provide a valid reason, then it is allowable. Otherwise, simply reject those candidates who don't understand the importance of time.

Well, sometimes an HR can assess the genuineness of an explanation. If the candidate informs the HR well in advance about being late, the genuineness can also be confirmed.

Regards,
Reena Vashisht