Why Do Candidates No-Show for Their Interviews?

Written By

City Personnel

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While there can be any number of reasons why a candidate might no-show for an interview, there are a few key reasons why this often happens—and a few things you can do to prevent it. 

Why do candidates no-show to interviews?

Candidates may have already received another job offer.

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The most common reason candidates no-show for their interviews is that they’ve landed another job in the meantime and simply forgot to let you know. While this is admittedly not the most considerate thing for a candidate to do, it’s understandable given the fast-paced nature of this job market. 

Never Interested In The Position

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Many times when candidates are on the job search, they hopelessly apply to every position online and sometimes apply to job openings they aren't interested in. In this case, a quick phone interview is the best way to weed out candidates who may not be interested in your job opening.

What happens when they Google you?

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Another common reason for candidates to no-show and interview is that they’ve decided the position isn’t a good fit for them.  Perhaps they did some additional research on the company and realized it’s not aligned with their values (or saw some bad reviews), or maybe they had a conversation with someone who works at the company and got a sense that it wouldn’t be a good fit.

Sometimes you can blame the no-show on a mistake.

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Finally, sometimes candidates will no-show simply because they forgot or got their dates mixed up. To avoid having a candidate forget about their interview entirely, send out a reminder email or text message the day before and include all pertinent information such as the date, time, and location of the interview.

So, why do candidates no-show?

Candidates’ no-showing for their interviews is something all hiring managers have to deal with. However, by being upfront about your timeline and being more selective in who you reach out to, you can help reduce the chances of a no-show. The last resort is always asking candidates if they want to reschedule their interview.