The evolution of interview scheduling

5 mins, 41 secs read time

In today’s competitive hiring landscape, efficiency is critical. And the truth is that scheduling interviews, one of the most time-consuming parts of the recruitment process, often takes up far more resources than it should.

More than 150,000 interviews are scheduled in Greenhouse every month and with scheduling activities that include candidate communication, calendar review and planning tasks estimated to account for upwards of 20% of recruiting time, that’s up to 400 hours per person each year!

At Greenhouse, we recognize the critical need for innovation in this space. Our scheduling solution is evolving in step with the changing demands of recruitment. We think about scheduling in three distinct modes rather than as a monolith: recruiter-led, candidate-led and AI agent-led. Each of these modes has a place in the modern scheduling landscape, which is why we’ll continue to invest in each as part of our commitment to enabling more efficient, strategic hiring practices. With the rise of AI on everyone’s minds, we’ll also show you the roadmap for how we’ll automate the busywork – empowering your teams to focus on what truly matters: finding and nurturing top talent.

Let’s dive into how each mode fits into this journey and what it means for your hiring process.

Recruiter-led scheduling

Often the first and still one of the most common modes, recruiter-led scheduling relies on manually coordinating between candidates, hiring managers and interviewers. While this approach gives recruiters full control and enables great, high-touch candidate experiences, it can also introduce bottlenecks, especially when trying to manage complex interview loops or large volumes of candidates. It can start to feel like a never-ending game of “calendar Tetris” where each move requires navigating through packed schedules, last-minute changes and endless email chains.

This method, while still appropriate in some cases such as high-level executive interviews that require a personal touch, can feel onerous and cumbersome when fielding large application volumes or trying to coordinate across larger teams.

Candidate-led scheduling

When speed and convenience are at a premium, candidate-led scheduling is an ideal solution and the predominant mode for many roles across organizations. In this model, recruiters still set the boundaries – such as potential time slots and interview windows – but candidates are empowered to select the times that work best for them, reducing the need for back-and-forth communication.

This approach is a game-changer for both candidates and recruiters. For candidates, it provides a sense of control over their interview process, leading to a more positive overall experience. For recruiters, it significantly reduces the manual work involved in scheduling, allowing them to focus on more intentional, high-leverage activities. It’s especially effective in high-volume scenarios such as hiring for entry-level or seasonal positions where speed and efficiency are paramount.

But there’s more. Candidate-led scheduling also offers a valuable branding opportunity. By integrating personalized, branded communications into this process, organizations can make a strong impression at a critical stage of the candidate journey. The ease and fluidity of self-scheduling reflect well on your company, reinforcing the idea that you are a modern, forward-thinking employer that values the candidate experience.

AI agent-led scheduling

As we look ahead, the future of interview scheduling lies in AI agent-led scheduling. This cutting-edge approach leverages artificial intelligence to fully automate the scheduling process, freeing recruiters from the burdens of manual coordination altogether.

Let’s take a closer look at how this could play out in a real-world scenario. Suppose you’re trying to schedule a complex interview loop with multiple stakeholders across different time zones. Rather than manually checking each person’s availability and juggling their preferences, an AI agent can handle the entire process. It will analyze interviewers’ calendars, taking into account availability, workload, time zone and even personal preferences like preferred meeting times or breaks between interviews. AI then coordinates everything, ensuring there are no conflicts like back-to-back meetings or interviews during off-hours. A seasoned coordinator may want to review the schedule, but they’ll still be saving dozens of hours of manual work every month.

The benefits of AI don’t stop at logistics. You can imagine AI-driven scheduling optimizing the entire interview process by matching interviewers to candidates based on skills, availability and past performance. For example, suppose the candidate needs to be evaluated on a specific technical skill. In that case, the AI agent will ensure the interviewer assigned to that interview has the required expertise, keeping track of how many interviews each person on the hiring team has conducted and ensuring no one is overloaded. Newer team members can participate in training and shadowing and be promoted automatically based on their status. With fully automated rescheduling capabilities, cancellations and substitutions are handled seamlessly in real-time, with notifications sent automatically to all relevant parties.

For AI-led scheduling to work at its full potential, the adoption of all relevant features is crucial. The more data you provide the AI – such as skills, availability and preferences – the more accurate and efficient its scheduling will be. This requires transparency and a commitment to data quality from the entire hiring team, but the payoff is significant: faster processes, better interviewer-candidate matches and a more streamlined experience for everyone involved.

The impact of AI agent-led scheduling is transformative. It shifts the focus from manual administrative tasks to more strategic and relationship-driven work, allowing recruiting teams to concentrate on connecting with top candidates and guiding them through a high-quality hiring experience. Of those 150,000+ interviews we mentioned, we estimate that greater than 80% – or more than 120,000 interviews a month – can be easily and effectively handled via AI agents with very high confidence.

Unlock next-level scheduling with Greenhouse

We’re launching powerful new features that are ready to transform the way you hire in 2024 and beyond.

In our upcoming releases you will find a number of scheduling innovations: Interviewer Pools, which will make it easy to group experts by skill set and automatically swap in replacements when someone is overbooked or unable to make an interview. Customizable Interview Preferences, so your interviewers can set availability that aligns with their work styles – putting an end to scheduling headaches. And with the ability to mark events on your calendar as “free,” it’ll be easier and faster for recruiters to coordinate interview times across teams with Interviewer Availability. What’s more, our Suggest a Time feature will speed up scheduling and reduce manual errors by suggesting free time across calendars.

These features are just the beginning. With each new launch, we’re committed to reducing manual tasks, boosting efficiency and ensuring every candidate interaction reflects the best of your brand.

Ready to see these innovations in action? Speak with a Greenhouse representative today to discover how we can streamline your hiring process and help you focus on what matters most – connecting and engaging with top talent.

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