Interview Time Slot Sheet

  

On Friday afternoon I received an email telling me I’ve been invited to interview for a programme which I’m hoping might actually change my life! Perhaps it’s ironic that somebody who spends his life giving interview and recruitment advice to others should be a little apprehensive about such a daunting prospect, but then being nervous will ensure that I take it seriously, and plan and research accordingly.

Looking to save time with the interview process? Sign up for our 15-day free trial of Workable’s end-to-end recruiting software and start hiring better people, faster. Interview availability email template. Subject line: Invitation to interview – Companyname / Interview with Companyname for the Jobtitle position. Since everyone wants afternoon drive, it is very difficult to book. And music stations are extremely tough to get on in this time slot because they don’t want to interrupt the music flow. Morning (or AM) drive (6 a.m. This is the number-one period for listeners; everyone is heading to school and to work. Most interviewers prefer a break between candidates, so when you hit the 2-3PM slot you’ll likely be the last candidate interviews that day. Pulling It All Together. Aim for 2-3PM interview start times on Tuesdays through Thursdays, and as close to the end of the selection time schedule as possible.

The thing that concerns me most is not the interview itself, simply that I will be sent my interview time and date, and I won’t have a chance to pick the time which suits me best. Indeed, when it comes to scheduling interviews, we don’t always get much of a choice. Even if we’re given a blank calendar, modern life intervenes, and we might have limited availability, but should you have the luxury of choice, what time should you pick? if you’re actually asked when you’d like to interview, here are some things for you to consider…

Plan to your strengths.

If like me, you’re a lark, then an early slot will suit you best. I’ve often been accused of having too much energy in the mornings, but that would work to my advantage in an interview situation, since if I’m fully prepared, my positive energy would demonstrate how much I want the role.

Similarly, if you’re a night owl, and not even a treble expresso can get the synapses firing until the early afternoon, try to pick a time when you know you’ll be at your best. Avoid the slot immediately after lunch, unless you happen to be particularly dynamic, because the body takes a while to digest the food, and most interviewers dread going back into interviews immediately after lunch. There’s a similar school of thought to avoiding the last slot immediately before lunch, since interviewers might be desperate to get away, and interviews can often be cut short – but I’m not convinced (more later…)

Avoid certain times.

Even if you’re a lark, don’t aim for first thing on a Monday morning (and remember that for some interviewers, ‘first thing’ could well stretch past 11 am), and similarly, don’t aim for last thing on a Friday, since you’ll end up being the candidate who prevents the interview panel from getting away for the weekend!

Interviewers are people too (I know that’s hard to believe sometimes, when you’re sitting nervously on the other side of the table…) and they may also be owls rather than larks, so even if you’re an early riser, you might find that you’re playing to an unsympathetic audience at 9 am. You can try to find out the interviewers’ routines by asking what hours they usually work; an innocent-sounding question which should demonstrate your willingness to fit in with the panel – but it also gives you all the information you need to choose the optimum interview time!

What order should you go in?

There has been so much research on the ‘perfect’ interview time, and none of it is definitive! Most research agrees that there are key slots which should be avoided but part of the reason why most experts disagree about time slots is because there probably isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to interview times. If the panel are larks, then they’ll be ready at the crack of dawn, but if your interview panel is a mix of larks and owls, or mostly owls, the chances are that they’ll take a little longer to get into the stride of things.

Best

Another consideration is the number of interviews which are taking place. If you are one of two interviewees, then I don’t think that going first or second is likely to make much of a difference. You’ll either set the standard for the second candidate by going first, or be able to eclipse the first candidate if you go last! If you’re one of three candidates, again, the above more or less applies, with slightly less certain odds!

However, things start to get a little more interesting with 5 or 6 (or more!) candidates. This is when you have to get more strategic, and work out how many candidates they’re seeing in the morning and the afternoon. You need to try to choose the slot which works best for you whilst also weakening the competition – all’s fair in love and war, and this is most certainly war!

There is still no definitive ‘optimal’ interview time, but the following will give you an insight into the mind of a devious interviewee (aka yours truly!), to show you which interview slot I would plump for, given a choice of six slots throughout a whole day’s interviews:

09.00 NO – too early. Let the panel warm up on someone else. (6 choice)

10.00 Not my first choice. I’m likely to be forgotten by the end of the day. (4 choice)

Time

11.00 Maybe. Let the panel remember me as they go for lunch! (Joint 2 choice)

Lunch

13.00 Never. The panel just want to sleep off their lunch. (5 choice)

14.00 Definitely! The panel are awake again, and likely to remember me. (1 choice)

Interview Time Slot Sheets

15.00 Yes if it’s an early enough finish, and I bring energy to the table. (Joint 2 choice)

In reality, I’d prefer the 5 interview slot, but I’d be happy as long as I didn’t get either the first slot of the day or the first slot after lunch…

Coping with the ‘wrong’ interview time.

If you end up with an early interview but you’re not a lark, then part of your planning should be around a temporary change in your body clock. If it takes a couple of hours to get you going in the morning, don’t try to wake up fifteen minutes earlier on the day itself, start several days ahead. Set the alarm for an hour earlier, and try to go to bed earlier, so that your whole body clock shifts forwards. After a few days, your body really won’t mind, and your 10 am interview will actually feel like it is taking place at a more ‘respectable’ 11 am!

After all, if you do end up securing the job, you may have to change your routine permanently, especially if you’ll be working a different pattern, or travelling further to get to the office…but as an owl, you need to think carefully about whether or not you’re willing to make a permanent change to your established routines!

Slot

Finally, if you’ve secured an interview through a recruitment agency, talk to them about the best possible slot for you, and see if they can rearrange the interviews to suit you. Whenever I have to arrange several interviews, I ask my candidates for their first and second preferences to try my best to accommodate as many of them as possible; it might take longer, but I want my candidates to perform at their best…

If you're struggling to get to the interview stage, you may be interested in our upcoming event, 'How to get a job you love: book launch & evening seminar with leading careers author, John Lees!' The evening will include insider secrets from John’s new book and every delegate attending will receive a free signed copy. The new, 2015/16 edition includes many new features which John will be sharing in his ideas-packed presentation: for more information, click here.

Use this interview availability email template to schedule job interviews. Send candidates what days and times work for you, before setting the final details.

When you invite candidates to interviews, your emails should clarify all important details, like date and time of the interview and estimated duration. Whether it’s an in-person, phone or Skype interview, offer candidates two or three scheduling options and let them choose one that’s most convenient for them.

Send an initial email to inform candidates you’d like to interview them. Settle the details with a second email (once they’ve confirmed they’re still interested in the position.) To avoid confusion, once candidates agree to an interview, send a confirmation email summarizing interview details.

Whatever your approach, customize this template with times and days that work for you. Also, make sure that your subject line clearly states that this email is a first or second interview invitation.

Looking to save time with the interview process? Sign up for our 15-day free trial of Workable’s end-to-end recruiting software and start hiring better people, faster.

Interview availability email template

Subject line: Invitation to interview – [Company_name] / Interview with [Company_name] for the [Job_title] position

Hi [Candidate_Name] / Dear [Candidate_Name],

Thank you for applying to [Company_name].

Your application for the [Job_title] position stood out to us and we would like to invite you for an interview [at our offices / via phone / via Skype] to discuss the role and get to know you a bit better.

You will meet with [Department_name] department manager [Manager_name]. The interview will last about [X] minutes and you’ll have the chance to discuss the [Job_title] position and learn more about our company. [If applicable, let candidates know what they might need to bring to the interview, like an ID to get past security/reception, a resume or a portfolio.]

Please let me know which of the following options you prefer. I will send you a calendar invitation once I receive your reply.

Interview Time Slot Schedule

[Monday 6/1, 3 p.m.]
[Tuesday 6/2, 11 a.m.]
[Tuesday 6/2, 2 p.m.]

If none of these time slots work for you, please let me know of your availability next week, so we can find a convenient time.

Time Slot Sign Up Sheet

Looking forward to hearing from you,

All the best / Kind regards,

[Your name]
[Signature]

Interview

Interview Slots Template

Need a single platform to manage the hiring process?

Workable is all-in-one recruiting software. Source and evaluate candidates, track applicants and collaborate with your hiring teams.

Get started

Let's grow together

Interview Time Slot Template Printable

Schedule

Printable Time Slot Sheet

Start hiring now with a 15-day free trial. Or talk to us about your hiring plans and
discover how Workable can help you find and hire great people.