Let candidates choose an interview time from the slots you make available, without the need for back-and-forth emails. You can propose several available times directly from Factorial, and the candidate can book the option that works best for them.
Once the candidate confirms a time, Factorial automatically creates the interview, calendar event, and conferencing link.
Overview
The Let the candidate pick the time option allows recruiters to propose multiple interview slots and let candidates choose one from a dedicated booking page.
The proposed times are checked against the availability of all interviewers, so candidates only see slots that are still available. Once a candidate books a slot, the interview and related calendar details are created automatically.
When and why it should be used
Use this functionality when:
- You want to reduce back-and-forth communication with candidates
- Multiple interviewers need to be available for the same interview
- You want candidates to choose a time that works for them
- You want the ATS pipeline and calendars to stay synchronised automatically
- You want to avoid creating calendar events and conferencing links manually
How to use
Send interview time options to a candidate
- In your sidebar, go to Recruitment
- Open the relevant candidate's application
- Start the Schedule interview process
- In date and time, select Let the candidate pick
- Select the interview slots you want to offer from the availability grid
- Select the required interview details, such as:
- Interview duration
- Interview type
- Location
- Interviewers or attendees
- Continue to the message step and review the invitation
- Send the invitation to the candidate
- The candidate receives a Pick a time option and can select one of the available slots
- Once the candidate confirms a time, Factorial creates the interview and calendar event automatically
The interviewers are invited to the calendar event, and the conferencing link is added when applicable.
Manage a pending scheduling request
While the candidate has not selected a time yet, a pending request is shown on the candidate's application.
From the pending request, you can:
- Copy the scheduling link
- Resend the invitation
- Cancel the scheduling request
- Schedule the interview manually instead
When a candidate books a time
After the candidate confirms a slot:
- The interview is created in the ATS
- The calendar event is created and the interviewers are invited
- The conferencing link is added when applicable
- The candidate receives a confirmation with the event attached
- The recruiter receives an in-app notification
- The candidate's application is updated with the scheduled interview
Interview availability is checked in real time. If another event is added to an interviewer's calendar after the scheduling request is sent, the affected slot may no longer be available.
If the candidate has not booked an interview yet, check the pending scheduling request on the candidate's application. You can copy or resend the scheduling link if needed.
If the scheduling request has expired, the candidate can no longer use an expired link. You can send a new scheduling request or schedule the interview manually.
Tips and best practices
- Offer several suitable time slots to give candidates flexibility
- Check that the interviewers' calendars are correctly connected before sending the request
- Avoid offering slots that are likely to become unavailable shortly after sending the invitation
- If you need to arrange the interview immediately, use Schedule manually instead
- Use the pending request on the candidate's application to check the status of an outstanding scheduling request
FAQ
-
Can candidates see all of the interviewer's calendar availability?
No. Candidates only see the interview slots proposed by the recruiter that are still available for all required interviewers.
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What happens if a proposed slot is booked by someone else?
The availability is checked in real time, so a slot that is no longer available is removed from the candidate's available options.
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Does the recruiter need to create the calendar event manually?
No. When the candidate confirms a time, the calendar event is created automatically and the interviewers are invited.
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Is the conferencing link created automatically?
Yes, when conferencing is configured for the interview, the conferencing link is created as part of the booking process.
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What happens if the candidate does not choose a time?
The scheduling request remains pending until it expires or is cancelled. The recruiter can also resend the request or schedule the interview manually.
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Can I schedule the interview manually instead?
Yes. The pending scheduling request includes an option to schedule the interview manually.
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Does cancelling the request invalidate the candidate's link?
Yes. Cancelled scheduling links are automatically disabled.