We all know how recruiters feel when a candidate bails on an in-person interview. It’s a frustrating experience that wastes time and creates more work for the recruiter. But it’s important to remember there are reasons why candidates no-show, many of which can be rectified.
If no-showing is becoming an epidemic for your company, it’s time to look internally to understand some of the reasons why candidates aren’t coming to your interviews and what you can do to fix it.
Reasons An Applicant May Not Come to an In-Person Interview
There are a number of reasons why a job candidate may not show up to an interview without providing notice. One of the more common reasons is related to a low unemployment rate. Sometimes, these periods of time cause people who are already employed to apply for jobs they think may be a good fit, but upon further research about the company or the position they change their minds, so they don’t come to the interview.
It’s also possible a candidate will no-show because there are aspects of the position the person learns about later in the recruitment process and is unwilling to accept, such as salary, relocation, or travel requirements. One of your finalists may not show up if joining your company means being away from their family for long periods of time, a wage decrease, or moving across the country.
Another reason a candidate may not come to an interview is simply because they couldn’t get the time off work or fit it in their schedule. It’s likely your best candidates are the busiest people so it’s harder to get to an interview, especially if they have no connection to the company.
What can Recruiters Do Encourage Candidates to Come to Interviews?
Candidates have more job options than they ever had before. If they aren’t impressed by your company or feel like they aren’t being valued during the recruitment process, it’s easy for them to move on to another opportunity without notifying you. Here are some things you as a recruiter can do to help keep an applicant interested in your open position, decreasing the amount of no-shows that occur:
1. Form a Professional Relationship
If your candidates only hear from you to schedule an interview, it’s likely a connection won’t be formed. By taking the time to sell your candidates on the job and the company, they’ll be more interested in the position and come to the interview. If they get all that information and they’re still not interested, at least it’s more likely they’ll call to cancel rather than leave you hanging. By taking these extra steps, you’ll also be able to gauge how much the candidate wants the job. Figuring this out early could mean the difference between moving on to another candidate or wasting time waiting for a no-show to arrive.
2. Be Flexible
Little things like offering to perform the interview outside of working hours or at a location closer to where the candidate currently lives or works can make a huge difference to a someone on the fence about going to the interview. While it may seem like a hassle to the recruiter, doing so will show the candidate you care and are willing to go the extra mile for them.
3. Use Modern Interviewing Software
Live video interviewing software makes it as easy to connect with an applicant. It provides the same experience as an in-person interview without the recruiter and the applicant being in the same room. This software is ideal if there are travel complications, but it could be used as a replacement for all in-person interviews. The best part is if a candidate doesn’t show up, the recruiter will be at their desk making it possible to carry on with other tasks instead of waiting in a boardroom.
4. Prepare for No-Shows
If no-showing is a major problem at your organization, recruiters should expect it and prepare appropriately. For example, if your recruiters usually book interviews with five people and it’s not uncommon for one or two candidates to bail on the interview, increase that booking number to seven. This way, the recruiter won’t have to go back into the candidate pool to ensure they interviewed enough people before making a hiring decision.
5. Learn Why Candidates are No-Showing
You can get some great insight into why candidates aren’t coming to your in-person interviews by surveying them. By finding out from the horse’s mouth why they decided not to come to the interview, you’ll be able to identify any recurring problems and find a solution so candidates are unlikely to no-show for that reason again.
At the end of the day, it’s likely every recruiter will experience the frustration a no-show causes at least a few times during the course of their career. But by utilizing some of the suggestions above you can lower the chances of candidates skipping their in-person interviews.
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