5 ways to reduce the number of interview “no shows”

5 Ways you can reduce interview no-shows

Your business needs employees to grow, but finding employees can be expensive and time-consuming. While you do your best to make it possible to hire new employees, there are many times where they don’t show up to interviews.

“No Shows” are frustrating and waste your time, which is why you need to do what you can to reduce the number of interviewees that don’t show up. Here are the top five ways to reduce the number of interview “no shows”.

1. Vet interviewees thoroughly

An in-person interview should be among the last steps of your hiring process. You can go ahead and send an online test, conduct simple online searches through social media, and check for possible problems well before asking for an in-person interview. 

This due diligence early in the process can make it easier to eliminate some of the people who would no-show to a job interview.

2. Pre-screen your interviewees

If you pre-screen your interviewees with a quick phone call interview, you can weed out candidates who aren’t responsible enough to answer their phone or who otherwise wouldn’t be a good fit. 

Perhaps they want a higher salary than you can offer them. By prescreening your interviewees, you can reduce the overall number of interviews you conduct.

3. Set expectations early

One of the most important things that you can do to reduce the number of “no shows” is to set your expectations early. When you let candidates know that your company takes appointments seriously and is unable to reschedule no-show appointments, there is a more serious consequence of not showing up. They should always know what’s at stake.

4. Confirm interviews multiple times

It’s important to confirm the interview a few times before the interview. This gives the job seekers a chance to reschedule the appointment if they won’t be able to make it after all. This includes sending an email confirming the time when the interview is set and a reminder email the day before and/or day of. There are some HR management software programs that can help with this, like Homebase.

5. Build relationships before interviewing

Hiring managers should try to build relationships with possible new hires before the scheduled interview. If someone walks into your retail shop or restaurant to ask about potential job openings, ask them open-ended questions to get to know them better. They’ll be more invested in not blowing off their interview when they’ve established a relationship with the person hiring them.

Interview “no shows” can be frustrating, but there are plenty of people out there looking for jobs. Use these tips to minimize the “no shows” and focus on the people that do show up on time.

How to reduce interview no-shows FAQs

What is the most common reason why interviewees don’t show up?

This depends on the candidate. The interview process can be daunting to some, or perhaps they got another job offer and took it. “Ghosting” an interview could simply be the candidate being unclear on the time and date of the interview, which is partially the business’s fault. That is why emphasizing the scheduled interview and emphasizing the importance of punctuality within the company can help reduce interview no-shows.

What is the best way to approach a candidate who has not shown up for an interview?

Hopefully, this won’t be the case in the first place, but a follow-up phone call or email in an attempt to check-in and possibly reschedule could help move the process forward, especially with the best candidates.

What are the costs associated with no-shows?

The recruitment process is long and costly, and hiring, training, and onboarding new employees is a major expense and gamble for companies, especially small businesses. When interviewees don’t show up it wastes the resources that went to recruiting and scheduling that candidate.