Don’t Leave Recruiters Hanging, Call to Cancel

In a world where communication is so easy, to not message, text, call, email (to name but a few of the options available to you ) to say you can't or won't make it is surely inexcusable...

The amount of horror stories we have heard about interview no-shows over the years is appalling. Candidates go to the effort of going through the recruitment process, to then drop everything on the day of their interview. No phone call or email, just the recruiter and interviewer/hiring manager left hanging.

Yes, your no-show may be unavoidable or for a good reason, but not contacting anyone about it is surely just plain rude. And what is just as bad is that you also lower your reputation and risk losing out on other opportunities as the recruiter might not recommend you to other companies or accept you for different roles in the future.

It only takes a few minutes to make a call or a few seconds to send a text message or email, so why not get in touch?

The only thing you are achieving by not getting in touch is wasting time - the recruiter's and the hiring company’s. They could be spending this time interviewing someone who actually wants the job instead of delaying the process waiting for a no-show.

Whether it’s fear of embarrassment, low self-esteem or simply underestimating the consequences, you’ll be doing yourself a favour by getting in touch. You might not remember your no-show in three years’ time, the recruiter themselves may not remember in three years’ time and the interviewer might not remember in three years’ time. But, we know that people do remember. We’re sure that you don’t want to run the risk of missing out on your perfect career move because the hiring managers remember you letting them down for a previous position - and you can rely on it being noted down on their ATS.

Don’t be that person, get in touch using these simple steps:

1. Ensure you have a valid reason

If you are cancelling your interview, then it should be backed up with a good reason. ‘I can’t be bothered’ or ‘I want to go out with friends instead’ is not going to cut it. We would recommend that you should only be cancelling or rearranging your interview for a genuine, can’t go reason, and we can only assume it is something that you can’t get out of hence why you are getting in touch. The hiring manager may not be happy about this, but they’ll feel a lot better knowing your reasons why and should have no problem moving things around for you if you approach the situation correctly.

2. Inform them as soon as possible

Letting all parties know what’s going on as soon as possible is far more handy than you think, especially if they are busy and have hundreds of candidates to deal with. So, as soon as you have found out that you cannot attend let them know, and if it happens to be out of hours, send them an email and follow up with a phone call if they do not respond before the scheduled interview time to double check they are aware.

3. Be polite, friendly and apologetic

Being polite and friendly is always important, but even more so in this situation. Treat them with respect and understand that what you are doing may not be the best situation for them. It is also important to show them that you are apologetic, they’ll appreciate it.

Phrases like “I’m ever so sorry, but something has come up can I please rearrange/cancel the interview?” should do the trick.

4. Thank them

Thanking people is a big must. You want to show appreciation for them moving their schedule around for you, and if you have contacted to cancel, ensure you let them know that you appreciate the opportunity. You want to leave all parties with a good opinion of you, and they may even keep you on record with a positive recommendation. Something as simple as “I’ve found something else but thank you for this opportunity, I really appreciate it” would work perfectly.

5. Be open & honest and more confident

We reckon that a large number of no-shows are because people get interview nerves, or start doubting that they’re up to the job. So many times we hear conversations that begin with “I don’t think I am going to get this job”, “I can’t see the point in going to this interview” or “I’ve been thinking… I’m not sure this job is right for me”.

These are all reasonable thoughts and doubts of most people... but talk to the recruiter if you have doubts or concerns and give them a chance to disagree (or agree) with you. At Wright Solutions we promise to listen to those doubts and be honest when we reply to you.

For example, if you’re now unsure about the job because, on reflection, the travel will be too much for you and you’re right then we’ll tell you not to waste your time, we’ll give the client fair warning, and everyone leaves with their reputation and integrity intact.

However, if you are unsure because you’re assuming that the other candidates are more experienced, and you’ve only got an interview because we twisted the interviewer's arm then first of all you probably overestimate our powers and secondly, don’t you want to know if the interviewer is excited beyond belief at your CV and expects you to be the benchmark individual?

If you need further advice and guidance on how to approach this situation, would like to learn how to deal with it or want to contact a recruitment consultant, contact Wright Solutions today on 0121 222 5599 or email to info@wrightsolutionsltd.com.