How To Schedule An Interview

Final Interview Invitation Email

Image via Shutterstock

Emphasize your excitement when sending a final interview invitation email. At this point, candidates have been through several rounds of your interview process, and you need to keep them engaged. They have likely already received additional information regarding your office dress code and location, but include it again anyway.

Pare down the body text of your email by linking out to the pertinent information. These details can live on a hidden page of your website or a Google Doc in View Only mode.

Customize the template below to send the perfect final-round interview invitation email.

Subject Line: : Final-Round Interview Invitation

Hi ,

Thank you for your recent interview regarding the position at . We appreciate your dedication to the process and are pleased to share that you have been selected for a final interview at our office!

We believe you are an excellent candidate for the position and were excited to continue the conversation with you.

The interview will be with and will last no longer than . Below are some proposed time and date options:

To help you plan and prepare for your onsite interview, click here to view additional information about our office and nearby travel options. .

Please reply to this email with your availability. I will then confirm the date and time internally and send you a confirmation email with a calendar invitation.

If you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to reach out.

Best,

Focus On Candidates Not Calendars

Send candidates an email or SMS invitation that allows them to easily self-schedule interviews, find availability using calendar software integrations, and reschedule if needed. Dramatically reduce no-shows with interview reminders.

Set rules for each position to remove the complexity of schedule coordination: when you identify a qualified candidate, you can automatically invite them to the next step of the hiring process.

All you need to do is send invitations to event registrants so they can self-schedule interview times for virtual career fairs, virtual super days, or other virtual hiring events.

Alternate Options Have Arisen

You may need to reschedule or cancel an interview if a better opportunity becomes available. When sending a message to reschedule in this setting, tact is important. If the hiring professional inquires for further details, its best to remain as honest as possible. This is particularly important if the jobs are in the same industry, since hiring managers or interviewers at different companies may know each other. Showing respect for one party shows your professionalism to the other, and it can help you maintain your chances of getting hired at either organization.

Related:21 Job Interview Tips: How to Make a Great Impression

Recommended Reading: How To Watch The Meghan Markle Interview

Key Features To Look For In Interview Scheduling Software

• Calendar syncing: It is important that recruiters are able to check the availability of the interviewers and book a time slot accordingly. No more back and forth phone calls and emails.
• Reminders: Interviews are usually one of the many things that the panel members do in a day. Therefore, it makes sense to send them a friendly reminder a few hours before the interview so that they can be prepared.
• Interview kits: For the interviews to be efficient, it is important that interviewers know what skills should be evaluated and how. Interview kits will tell you that, provide the sample questions, and let you rate the candidates accordingly.
• Mobile access: With the world moving remote, the interviewer can be anywhere. They need to be able to access the interview kits, give feedback, and receive reminders on the mobile phones.

Past Candidate Interview Invitation Email

Image via Shutterstock

When recruiting for an open role, tap into your talent community to re-engage qualified candidates who stood out to you during past interviews. Similar to employee referrals, you have a relationship with these candidates and must include enough personal details to get their attention.

Before reaching out to a past candidate, consult your candidate persona thoroughly to verify they would be a good fit. Attach the job description so they can review the role themselves. Getting a candidate excited about a new opportunity only to pass on their candidacy again is a bad experience and a poor reflection of your external employer brand.

Use the following template to invite a past candidate to interview over email.

Subject Line: : New Opportunity

Hi ,

I hope this finds you well! I know you applied to the role at back in , and while we went in a different direction then, we kept your resume on file.

A new role just opened up on the team that I think youd be an excellent fit for.

Were currently conducting interviews for the role, and I would love to set up a time for you to talk to , the hiring manager. Are you available for a phone call sometime this week? Ive highlighted a few date and time options below, let me know if any of them work for you.

Here is a link to the job description on our website. . If you have any questions about the role, give me a call at .

Thanks, ! Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Best,

Also Check: What Can You Ask In An Interview

Have Standardized Interview Questions

Its important to create a structured interview process using standardized questions for your candidates so you can analyze feedback based on the same or similar data points. This helps reduce bias and create an apples-to-apples comparison of each candidate. Its worth the invested time spent, to create standardized interview questions prior to scheduling your phone screening and in-person interviews.

Minimize The Number Of Emails You Exchange With Candidates

To promote good candidate experiences and avoid answering an avalanche of clarifying questions, include all necessary information in your initial email to candidates. Use this checklist to guide you:

Email templates can help you ensure that your email is complete. Use a customizable template to invite candidates to interviews.

Learn more: Best way to schedule an interview time with multiple candidates and interviewers

Also Check: How To Prepare For Programming Interview

The Ease In Which A Candidate Can Reach Your Office

While video interviewing makes interviewing easier than ever before, when it comes to the in-person interview, its important to consider external factors as youre suggesting a day and time.

For example, will your candidate be fighting rush hour traffic as they try to reach your office? If so, this could make them late, which will cause them to make a negative impression on you. Additionally, their tardiness has the potential to throw your whole schedule off, forcing you to be late for all subsequent interviews.

If you have sporting events or concerts happening near your office and youre asking a job seeker to come see you close to the start time of these events, will they get trapped in that traffic? Yes, the candidate needs to prove their interest in your open position, but ultimately you want to respect their time by weighing these factors when scheduling interviews.

How To See All Interviews For A Position

You can see a calendar view of all the interviews scheduled for a position.

To open the interview calendar:

Youll see an overview of all scheduled interviews. Click on any interview to see or edit its details.

Also Check: How To Practice For A Job Interview

What To Include In An Interview Schedule Email

To ensure your candidate jumps at the chance for an interview, clearly state each and every piece of information they need to know in their interview scheduling email. Though it may seem obvious to you, the candidate might not be familiar with your location or who theyll be meeting with. Giving candidates the information they need to succeed can help them do necessary research before the interview and arrive without any undue stress.

________________________________

________________________________

Things To Consider Before You Start Scheduling Interviews

There are a seemingly endless amount of factors that come into play when conducting a job interview. Was the candidate being truthful when they described themselves on their resume? Was the job description accurate and thorough enough to attract the right batch of candidates? Are those in charge of hiring actually clear on what theyre looking for as they expand their team?

Beyond these basic components, there are a number of other factors that can impact the success of an interview. While they may seem small, they actually have the ability to shape the dynamic of a conversation. Such elements include:

Also Check: How To Have A Perfect Interview

Mistakes To Avoid When You Reply To Accept An Interview

If you read the tips above, you should know how to respond to an interview request to get an interview quickly and make a great impression at the same time.

However, there are some BIG mistakes you need to avoid while doing this, so I want to make sure you know those, too

First, dont let your interview invitation sit for too long. You should try to respond within 24-48 hours if possible. You dont need to be checking email constantly, but dont leave the company waiting for a week, either.

Also, dont respond without taking the time to indicate at least one day or time that would work for an interview. This is a great opportunity to demonstrate that you take initiative and are a great communicator. So Id recommend providing multiple days/times to help them schedule the interview.

Next, always proofread your email! Having a typo or mistake in your email probably wont cost you the interview , but it does make a poor impression.

So always check your email for mistakes before sending it! Proofread from top-to-bottom, and bottom-to-top. Thats a good trick that will help you catch more errors!

And finally the biggest mistake of all going into the interview without preparing! It takes a lot of effort to find a good position to apply to, submit your resume and paperwork, schedule an interview, etc. Right?

Be Cognizant Of Workflow

Whenever possible, try to arrange interview times on days you will be missed the least. Prepare for your absence by getting work done in advance, if feasible. Your absence will be tolerated more easily if your work is getting done.

Remember that at some point you will probably need a favorable reference from your current employer. Since a job search can take several months, you don’t want to be viewed as a slacker during this time. Work some evenings or weekends, if necessary, to maintain your image as a strong contributor.

You May Like: What Do I Need For Disability Interview

Send Candidate Interview Confirmation Email

Candidates are not included on the calendar event created through the scheduling process outlined above. Once the interview is scheduled internally, be sure to notify the candidate by sending a candidate interview confirmation email.

From the candidate’s profile, click Send Interview Confirmation under the stage where you have scheduled the interviews.

In the Availability dialog window, select the appropriate Candidate Interview Confirmation email template and make any necessary changes to the body of the email. When finished, click Send Email to send the confirmation to the candidate.

We Are Traveling Together As A Family How Do I Schedule A Family Appointment

If you are traveling as a family, you can schedule one visa appointment for the entire family.

Follow the instructions below.

1) Create just one profile/account for yourself in the appointment system. Add your family members as dependents

2) On the payment page, you will be given a single receipt number and the total visa fee amount to be paid

3) You must make the total visa fee payment for that receipt number

4) When the receipt number becomes active, you will be able to schedule a single appointment for the entire family

5) On the day of the appointment, you all have to arrive at the consulate at the scheduled time and everyone in the family will be interviewed together

Read Also: How To Get Free Lyft To Job Interview

Avoid Scheduling An Interview Early In The Morning

One factor to consider when scheduling your interview is the time of day you set it for. It can be a good idea to schedule your interview for a time when the company you are applying to has the chance to get started for the day. Avoiding times that are too early, like when the hiring manager first arrives to work, can ensure your interviewer has the opportunity to arrive at work and take care of any morning routines before settling into the interview process.

Some optimal times to consider can include mid-morning times and up to an hour before lunchâtypically between 10 and 11 a.m.

How To Schedule Us Visa Appointment

Updated:

After completing your DS-160, the next step in your visa application is to schedule US visa appointment. This requires paying the visa fee and selecting the location and date for your visa interview. Some countries require an additional appointment for biometrics at a Visa Application Center.

The US visa appointment available dates vary from country to country and location to location. You can check the current wait times for visa appointments at the Bureau of Consular Affairs website.

You can schedule US visa appointment anywhere in the world. If you are traveling and would need to schedule your US visa interview appointment in a third country, you can very well do so.

It is not mandatory to schedule your appointment in the same location as in your DS-160. You are expected to schedule your appointment at the same location. But if you have to attend your visa interview at a different location, you are still allowed to do so.

IMPORTANTYou must complete the DS-160 form prior to scheduling your US visa appointment. If you havent yet, follow this detailed step-by-step guide on how to fill DS-160 form online for US visa.

You May Like: How To Get Ready For A Job Interview

What To Do If You Are Sick

Showing up for a job interview when you are sick is going to worry the interviewer, not impress them. If you have any respiratory or flu-like symptomsincluding a cough, runny nose, stuffy nose, or a sore throatdo both yourself and the hiring manager a favor and stay home.

You will be spreading unwanted germs, and will not interview well if you’re sick. Your judgment may be called into question as well. Do they really want to hire someone who is willing to put their colleagues at risk?

Contact The Interviewer At Once

The main rule is: notify the employer as soon as possible. If you know, you cannot show up for the meeting three days before it, do not delay for the eve of the interview. Canceling the meeting very close to the appointed time is rude and breaks plans of an employer. It can really cost you a job if it is not a very valid and serious emergency. So as soon as you understand that you cannot come on an appointed date notify the people.

How to do it? Tips and opinions differ on that matter. Some suggest calling the employer in office hours. The downside is that the person may be very busy and get angry at you for disrupting the workflow. This negative feeling plus interview delay may cost you a job in total. But if it is an emergency just call, no other options.

If there is a couple of days ahead, send a polite and brief email . Check your mail regularly and as soon as people respond that the interview can be rescheduled, write a thank you and mention when you are ready to arrive. You may also want to call not the employer directly but call the reception or a secretary and say that you sent a letter .

If possible, reschedule for the next day, a couple of days or even later on the same day. It means the employer will not forget you amidst other applicants.

Recommended Reading: How To Prepare For An Engineering Interview

Avoid Scheduling Interviews Just Before And After Holidays And Weekends

Scheduling your interview right before or after a holiday or long weekend may also be something to avoid. This can be because many professionals find it hard to return to peak productivity and performance after spending time away from work. Similarly, scheduling an interview right before a long break can distract the interviewer’s engagement and cognitive focus from your interview to their weekend plans.

Ultimately, it may not always be possible to schedule your interview for the best time, however, when you consider these steps toward finding the optimal interview arrangement, you can increase the chances of getting hired for the job.

How To Use This Step

There are two websites for scheduling US visa appointments. Which website to use depends on the country where you plan to schedule your visa appointment

This step-by-step guide is divided into 2 parts. PART 1 walks you through the procedure to schedule US visa appointments in Asia, Central America, parts of Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Whereas, PART 2 walks you through the procedure for North and South America, parts of Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

• PART 1: Schedule US visa appointment in Asia, Central America, parts of Europe, Africa and the Middle East
• PART 2: Schedule US visa appointment in North and South America, parts of Europe, Africa and the Middle East

I have listed out all sections and questions in this guide. For each question, there is a comment explaining what exactly needs to be entered.

Read Also: What Are The Top 10 Behavioral Questions In An Interview