How to ask HR to schedule interview: Your hard work on your resume has finally paid off – you have an interview scheduled with an organization you love – but what if something changes and you need to reschedule?
Restate your intention clearly; being direct will show them you respect their time.
Give Them a Date and Time
Once an interviewer sets a time and date for you, it’s essential that you respond immediately. This gives them time to confirm the information and prevents miscommunication which could force a reschedule of an appointment. While sending out quick replies with dates and times may work fine, also write something more in-depth if something gets miscommunicated between conversations.
If you can’t make the interview at its scheduled time, don’t be intimidated to request another time and date. Reassure your interviewer that you still wish to meet them; simply that your current employment may prevent this meeting from taking place at that particular moment in time. It is also important to convey that while they would love for you to meet, but need a way around scheduling conflicts.
Also read: Take An Insight Into How Long do job interviews last: 3 Helpful Tips for You.
Work obligations arise, flat tires pop, and unexpected events arise; therefore it may be necessary to reschedule interviews for another day or time if at all possible. Rescheduling can show that your job search remains top priority; apologize and stay in contact when making arrangements; the interviewer will appreciate this gesture of good faith!
Let Them Know That You’re Available
Sometimes interviewers ask for times that simply do not fit with your schedule. Be it family events or school commitments, these conflicts are understandable by hiring managers; just make sure that when asking to reschedule the interview you do so in an honest and polite manner.
As soon as you send an email notifying the interviewer of your inability to attend at their chosen time, include several alternative times that work better with your schedule and can keep things moving smoothly. Doing this can give them an accurate picture of when you can be free, helping move along the process efficiently.
Be sure to provide any pertinent details that can help them understand why you won’t be attending their interview, such as meeting others or discussing specifics during an interview. In your email, be sure to include this information so they understand why they need not attend as planned. This could include things such as listing any additional individuals that will also be attending as well as what discussions may occur at your interview.
An important step during an interview is thanking your interviewer for taking an interest in you and scheduling an appointment for you. Doing this will set the stage for future interactions and demonstrate that you’re an polite and professional candidate.
Explain Why You’re Available
Respond to an interview invitation mail within 24 hours or the next business day; this will demonstrate to your interviewer that you’re serious about taking on the position, possess good etiquette, and won’t miss your invitation.
If you cannot attend an interview at its requested date and time, it is essential that you politely decline it. Provide an explanation as to why this appointment cannot take place at that date and time so the interviewer understands why you are declining the interview.
Many interviewers will understand if you need to reschedule for reasons such as family emergencies or unexpected commitments that arise, which are all valid reasons to change an appointment date and time.
Ensure your interview goes well by arriving prepared, dressed professionally and understanding the company culture – these elements of any successful interview can set you apart from other candidates and increase your chance of landing the job!
Ask if They’d Like You to Bring a Friend.
After working hard on your resume and cover letter, you’ve finally managed to land an interview at an organization which seems ideal for you. In order to secure the position though, HR and the hiring team need to meet you first – before scheduling a time with them you’ll have to arrange it yourself.
As it’s essential that everyone involved finds an appointment time that fits with their schedules, it is vital that you arrange an interview at an ideal time and date that works with everyone’s. For example, if one of your interviewers has an important meeting scheduled at that time slot, try to schedule the interview at another time so they aren’t interrupted in their daily activities by attending.
Ask the company how long each interview should last to get a sense of how much time to set aside for interviews and prepare accordingly.
Once you’ve agreed upon an ideal time and date for all interviewers, send out an invitation via email. Interviewers have the power to accept, decline or reschedule with just the click of a button; Workable automatically creates an event page and adds this interview date into their calendars.
If your interviewers do not already have Workable accounts, you can create them and sync their calendars at the candidate profile level. Once this has happened, they can select their availability and view your schedule in mirror image on the event page as though it were Google Calendar.
