Interview no-shows happen, and sometimes more often than we’d like. Our typical response is to blame the applicant for their unprofessionalism, but could it be our fault? Now, of course, there are a few rotten eggs out there, but a lot of the time, a no-show could come from miscommunication, long wait-time, or something else. In this article, we will share three tips on how to reduce interview no-shows.
Capture More Attention with a Robust Online Presence
How engaged is your company online? You might have a company website, Facebook page, and more, but that isn’t enough. You have to keep up with your platforms! According to a survey done by CareerBuilder, “After finding a job offer, 64% of applicants said they research a company online, and 37% said they would move on to another job offer if they can’t find information on the company.” If your company has nothing to show for itself online, then you are losing out on quality candidates.
“After finding a job offer, 64% of applicants said they research a company online, and 37% said they would move on to another job offer if they can’t find information on the company” (CareerBuilder)
Don’t think that just because a candidate schedules an interview makes them committed to you. The bottom line, if you are not actively engaged online, applicants will lose interest in the job, seeking a more transparent company culture elsewhere resulting in that dreaded no-show to your interview.
It is important to consistently check all your platforms (from job boards to social media pages) for messages from customers, employees, and others. You should respond to every job board review and Facebook comment to show your applicants that you are a responsive company that cares for its employees and customers.
Streamline Interviews with Online Scheduling Tools
It is essential to know what you’re doing for the week, and also to keep times open in your calendar for potential interviews. Try to book the first interview with an applicant as soon as possible. When it comes to blue-collar jobs, the best practice is to book the interview the same day that you receive the application.
To assure a quick response, and make sure that you are meeting the availability of both you and your applicant is by texting out a Calendly link. With Calendly, you can put in the dates you’re not available, which will then allow people to choose when they can meet with you based on your availability. Texting also has about a 98% open rate (Campaign Monitor), so you know that the applicant will see your message that same day. Texting allows you to automate your scheduling process and saves you time from emailing back and forth!
Reach Applicants First with Text Messaging
If you text an applicant right after receiving their job application, they are more likely to remember your company and what job they had applied for. Reaching out before your competitors do means you can also push the candidate through your hiring process faster, meaning they are more likely to show up to the interview (and potentially no-show your competitor). According to CareerBuilder, “66% of job seekers said they would wait only two weeks for a callback after which they consider the job a lost cause and move on to other opportunities”.
“66% of job seekers said they would wait only two weeks for a callback after which they consider the job a lost cause and move on to other opportunities” (CareerBuilder)
A great way to guarantee you are getting texts out to every applicant is by automating the process. Team Engine offers an intelligent assistant that starts conversations with your applicants. You can create the messages you want to be sent out so that way when someone applies, they receive a response from you right away. You can set up the messages to ask questions and check for qualifications, so you are collecting all the data you need while you work on other projects.
→ Interview Message Templates for Job Candidates
Reducing your interview no-show rates will not only get more high-quality candidates in the door, but it will save you the time and energy of waiting around for an applicant who will never show. To learn more about optimizing your hiring process, head over to 4 Major Hiring Problems and How To Solve Them.
