Interview No-Show Email Template

One of the challenging tasks for a company is finding the right candidate for a vacant position. 🙂‍↕️

Besides, it can be frustrating if the candidate did not show up for the interview after mutual communication. Therefore, how to handle an interviewer's no-show is a topic that every organization should know.

This content includes three interview no-show email templates after learning the important parts of an interview no-show email.

What Is an Interview No-Show?

Companies read many resumes, communicate with several potential candidates, and reschedule interviews to fill a new position with the best talent. However, if a candidate does not attend the interview after accepting an interview email or saying yes to an interview invitation, this indicates an interview no-show. This situation is a waste of time in addition to being annoying in the hiring process.

A candidate who did not show up for their interview has frequently changed their mind about the position. They probably just decided not to get in touch with you to cancel.

Nevertheless, that candidate may have valid reasons such as healthcare and childcare, even though not attending an interview is accepted as unprofessional behavior.

Although anger and disappointment are normal human emotions, it is professional to evaluate the situation well and give the candidate another chance before giving up.

Of course, not reaching out to the candidate again is a decision that may vary from company to company, but it should be remembered that this carries the risk of missing out on a perfect candidate.

Why Do Candidates Not Show up For Interviews?

Although it is essential to maintain professionalism at work, there can be many unforeseen or overlooked situations. This situation (sometimes even in cases where both parties want it) can lead to not showing up for the interview. Here are some of the reasons for not attending the interview:

1. Unforeseen Circumstances and Emergencies

Sometimes, last-minute emergencies arise. Therefore, even if the candidate has completed all their preparations for the interview in advance, they are unable to participate in the interview. In some cases, it is also not possible to inform the interviewer by sending a short message before the interview.

2. Unclear Communication and Tech Mixups

There is probably unclear communication regarding the interview's time, date, and place. For instance, a meeting invite might have ended up in the applicant’s spam folder, or there might be confusion about the time difference between companies and candidates communicating from different geographies.

3. Very Slow Recruitment Process

Emergencies and tech mix-ups can happen, but the organization’s recruitment process can also be much slower than usual. For example, the company may have spent a lot of time scheduling the interview or rescheduling the interview multiple times. These disruptions can also cause good candidates to give up joining the meeting because they are often busy.

4. Competitive Business World

The best candidates are often in demand from more than one place. It makes sense for these companies to convince the candidate they think is a good fit to work with them before they sign with another competitor.

Otherwise, it may be too late when the candidate learns new information about the company, sees something that does not suit them, or signs with another company that offers a more attractive offer.

How to Handle an Interviewer No-Show?

Yes, all reasons for a no-show cannot be controlled. On the other hand, if the candidate did not show up for the interview when the interview time came, it would be crucial to manage that process correctly. Here are some tips to handle candidates not showing up for a job interview:

1. Keep Calm

By human nature, HR professionals sometimes may feel angry and sad because of a candidate's no-show for an interview. However, it is highly valuable to stay calm to continue the hiring process and find good employees. For this reason, it can be a good idea to wait one day to reach out to that candidate to act constructively.

2. Take Employees' Potential Into Account

It is unpleasant that the candidate missed the interview. Nevertheless, if that individual has many job experiences and seems suitable for the position, recruiters should consider sending a rescheduled interview email. In this way, a talented candidate who could not attend the interview due to setbacks can be ensured to work for the company.

3. Be Tolerant and Understanding

Missing an interview is undesirable for the candidates too. Unless the candidate in question has knowingly acted irresponsibly, not attending interview reasons sometimes may be excused.

A candidate who has completed the previous stages or has a bright resume might have problems such as illness and childcare. Companies that show tolerance to these problems improve the candidate experience of the potential employee which helps to enhance the employer branding.

4. Skip Other Candidates

Apart from these, companies have a right to skip other potential employees by acknowledging that that candidate is not suitable. This decision, which may vary from organization to organization, may also help organizations find other, more responsible candidates.

How to Prevent Interview No-Shows?

Although there are many different ways to avoid interview no-shows, here are some tips to prevent them easily:

• Write clear job descriptions to avoid misunderstandings about job roles.
• Use the pre-employment screening tests reduces the number of candidates interviewed.
• Interview candidates quickly to stay connected with candidates.
• Use a flexible scheduling tool to help manage the hiring process most accurately.
• Avoid postponing interviews as soon as possible to prevent candidates from losing interest.
• Prepare for the interview by having several engagement touchpoints to build a strong candidate communication strategy.
• Confirm the appointment and send reminders to all candidates with detailed information (e.g., correct timezone), to avoid confusion.
• Facilitate the participation of candidates with detailed explanations, depending on the type of interview to be held. For instance, if it is a video interview, give all the details required for the candidate to join, such as the software you have to download. Hirex's candidate video interviews feature is also very useful for easily scheduling video interviews.
• Ask candidates who did not attend the interview to provide feedback on why they did not join the interview.

#1 Interview No-Show Email Template

#2 Interview No-Show Email Template (Providing Rescheduling Link)

#3 Interview No-Show Email Template (Proceeding with Other Candidates)