Reclaim Your Time: End the No-Show Nightmare Now

Jul 19, 2024 | Working with Candidates | 0 comments

QUESTION: How do you avoid candidate interview no-shows? I had 2 out of 3 no-shows for a new client, and it is making me look bad.

Setting Rigid Expectations with Candidates

Based on that question, are you setting rigid expectations with that candidate from the very start of the interview? Generally, I go through a whole candidate assessment in really rudimentary steps. I determine if they are interested. They appear to be interested. I go through an entire series of expectations.

Establishing Candidate Commitment

It is okay to say no until you say yes. You can say that I am not interested in the company right now, Mike. No harm, no foul. You can say, Mike, no, I do not want to go on the interview. If I call you in a couple of days, you can say no, I do not want to go to the second interview. No, I do not want to go to the final, or no, I do not want to take the offer.

Until you say yes to a step, if you say yes – and I know stuff happens – can we agree that we are in integrity and that you will go to the interview and the second? You might hear things in the first interview and go, no, I do not want to go to the second. Totally okay. Just be straight with me. You might hear things in the final interview and go, no, I am not even going to entertain that offer, I do not want to work there. Or maybe you get to the offer and they make you a bad offer. You can say, no, I do not want the offer.

You can say no until you say yes to that step. Can we agree on that? Can we agree?

Handling Common Excuses for No-Shows

I know stuff happens. I’ve been a recruiter for a long time. It’s amazing how many flat tires there were, especially when we were doing face-to-face interviews. I have heard every reason after the fact why a candidate couldn’t show up to an interview, whether the internet was down that day, your phone was dead, or you had the wrong number. Just be straight with me. Based on our conversation today about this opportunity and where you want to go, I see alignment here.

If I get it set up, (1) not only will you agree to go, and feel free to come up with more questions after we get off the phone, and (2) as a courtesy to the employer, that you show up. If stuff happens, here is the easiest way to get a hold of me, whatever it is for you as a recruiter. Promise me you will let me know if you will not attend.

Prepping Candidates for Success

For every candidate we set up, we would have a 5 to 15-minute prep the day before. It was always about – especially if it was a client I had worked with – here are the personalities you are going to meet with, here is what each person’s agenda is, here are some of the things they are going to ask you, just to be ready with the parts of your background that are ready.

The interview is tomorrow at 1 o’clock. It is going to be over Zoom with one individual, Joe Blow. Joe Blow’s agenda is this. I want to ensure you are good for tomorrow at 1:00. It usually takes an hour. I would plan an hour and 15 minutes on my calendar to be safe for that first meeting. Again, I constantly ask, have I got your commitment that you will be there?

That took minimal effort compared to explaining to the client why your candidate never showed up. Does everything work 100%? Of course not. No employer will ever hold it against you if they are a good client of yours and you have ten openings over a couple of years, and you have 1 or 2 no-shows over all those interviews. But if it is like this, 2 out of 3, it is generally an expectation problem.

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