How-to: Use The Interview Scheduler (Hiring Business)

The Interview Scheduler is a time-saving tool that simplifies coordinating interviews with your team and candidates. It automates the scheduling process, reducing the back-and-forth of finding a time that works for both parties, which as a result improves the candidate experience and speed up this step of the hiring process.

Here you’ll find Interview Scheduler details about:

• Key features
• User roles & permissions
• How it works (e.g., schedule, manage, track interviews, etc.)
• Advanced features

Key Features

Role-Based Access Control: Control what your team can see and do within the tool.

• HR Representative: Full control to create, manage, and cancel interviews
• Admin: Able to view and manage feature
• Job Assignee / Follower: View-only access to interview details

Candidate-Centric Scheduling: Candidates are able to select from available time slots proposed or alternatively propose a new time.

• Proposed Interviews: Multiple time slots offered to candidate to choose from.
• Scheduled Interviews: Date and time of interview has been confirmed by both parties
• Availability can be reviewed across calendars to avoid scheduling conflicts.

Custom Interview Statuses: Easily identify each interview to understand where each candidate is in the process. Each interview moves through several key statuses that reflect its current state. While status changes are automatic, HR also can manually update interview statuses if necessary.

• Proposed: Time slots have been shared with the candidate, but no selection has been made.
• Scheduled: HR and the candidate have selected and confirmed a time.
• Canceled: The interview was canceled (either by the candidate or the HR team).
• Past: The interview was conducted.
• Expired: Proposed time slots have passed without a selection.
• Archived: The job associated with the interview has been archived, and no actions can be taken on it.

Automatic Notifications: Alerts sent via email for interview confirmations, status changes, and reminders, sent to HR Representative, interviewers, and candidates.

Tracking & Reporting: Monitor and track candidate behavior for future reference (e.g., “no shows”).

User Roles and Permissions

The Interview Scheduler assigns different roles to users based on their access levels. Each role has specific permissions and access rights.

Note: Businesses with a Basic Plan can only view and manage pre-existing interviews, while businesses with an ATS Subscription can access the full features of the Interview Scheduler.

How the Interview Scheduler Works

The interview process can be broken down into the following key steps:

Step 1: Propose Available Time Slots

1. HR proposes multiple interview time slots for candidates to choose from.
2. HR ensures that the proposed slots do not overlap with existing interview schedules.
3. Time slots are valid until the interview slot has been selected or has expired.

Step 2: Candidate Selects a Time Slot

1. Candidates receive an email with the proposed interview slots.
2. The candidate can select one of the available slots OR the candidate can propose a new time if none of the proposed slots work.

Step 3: Schedule Confirmation

1. Once a candidate selects a slot, the interview status changes from Proposed to Scheduled.
2. Email notifications are sent to the HR representative, candidate, and interviewer(s).

Step 4: Interview Updates

1. HR can update the interview details, such as time, date, and interviewer, as needed.
2. Updated details are shared with all stakeholders.

Step 5: Interview Completion

• Once the interview takes place, it moves from “Scheduled” to “Past” status.
• HR can mark candidates as a “No-Show” if they do not attend.

Pro-tip: Encourage candidates to propose alternative times if the suggested slots don’t fit their schedules.

Advanced Features

Scheduling Interviews

Option 1: Propose Interview Slots

• HR can propose up to 10 time slots for each candidate.
• Slots are displayed chronologically, and candidates can select the one that works best for them.
• HR can edit or cancel proposed slots before the candidate selects.

Pro-tip:

1. Propose More Time Slots: The more slots you offer, the greater the chance the candidate will select one.
2. Avoid Last-Minute Interviews: Schedule interviews at least 48 hours in advance to reduce no-shows.
3. Track No-Shows: Track and follow up with candidates who miss interviews.

Option 2: Schedule Interviews Directly

• HR can directly schedule the interview if HR and the candidate have already agreed on a time.
• All stakeholders receive a confirmation email.

Note: Only HR Representatives and Business Admins have access to scheduling controls.

Managing Interviews 

Ways the Interview Scheduler can help manage interviews effectively:

• View Upcoming Interviews: View all interviews that are scheduled for future dates.
• Edit Interview Details: Modify the date, time, and interviewer(s) associated with the interview.
• Cancel Interviews: Cancel an interview and notify candidates and interviewers.
• Track No-Shows: Track candidate attendance and mark those who do not show up.

Pro-tip: Document key updates and candidate-related details in the “Notes” section.

Privacy & Role-Based Access 

The Interview Scheduler allows for privacy and role-based access for jobs and interviews.

• Job Privacy: Jobs can be set to “Restricted” or “Anonymous.”
• Restricted Privacy: Candidate and HR details are anonymized for the hiring team other than those assigned the HR Representative role.
• Anonymous Jobs: Full anonymization of candidate and company details.

Pro-tip: Third-party recruiters can use Anonymous Jobs to share job listings without disclosing company information.

Alerts & Notifications 

The Interview Scheduler keeps everyone informed with automated notifications, reminders, and alerts to ensure smooth interview coordination.

• Email Notifications: Sent to candidates, HR, and interviewers when interviews are proposed, scheduled, updated, or canceled.
• Reminders: Automated reminders are sent to candidates to reduce no-shows.
• System Alerts: Notifications appear in the dashboard when an interview requires HR’s attention.

Interview Logs & Tracking 

The Interview Scheduler tracks every action taken on an interview, including:

• Candidate selection of slots
• HR edits and cancellations
• Status changes (Proposed, Scheduled, Past, etc.)

 Note: All actions are visible to HR and Admins, ensuring full transparency.