Try to schedule job interviews on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, between the hours of 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM or 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM.
Our recommendations for choosing the best time to schedule an interview are both based on our own observations and on solid research. In fact we've written on this topic before in our article "Is There Really A Best Time To Schedule An Interview?".
The pandemic pushed us to make the switch from in-person meetings to offering virtual meetings. Today we know that the change wasn’t short-term thing. Remote, on-screen interviews are here to stay. For many employers and candidates alike, that has presented some challenges in finding the best time for that at-home, on-screen interview. In fact, you may want to review our tips on how to ace your video job interview. These can be helpful tips for the interviewer and interviewee alike.
Here are two things to consider when choosing the best time to schedule job interviews:
Avoid scheduling job interviews on Mondays. Tuesday-Thursday is best.
Most hiring managers face greater demands on their time and attention at the start and end of the week. Every task and issue that got tabled the prior week, along with every emergency that bubbled up over the weekend, gets top billing on Monday. By the time Friday comes along, you are likely to be equally pre-occupied. You want candidate interviews to receive your full attention. To increase your chances of giving each candidate the focus they deserve, aim for Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
Schedule your job interview during the mid-morning.
Research and our own experiences have stayed remarkably consistent on this over the years. There are two optimal, time frames to interview: between 9:30-11:00 am Why? Human nature. Earlier in the morning, you might be pre-occupied with getting organized for the day. Pre- or post-lunch spots create the risk of a hungry interviewing team or a sluggish one. As the day drags on, the interviewer becomes exhausted, which could effect focus and decision making.
If it’s not possible to snag the morning spot, all is not lost. Try for between 2:00-4:00 pm. Starting any later than 4:00 PM and you are encroaching on the time of day when both you and the candidate start to wrap up the day and get ready to transition to at-home life, especially if the interview is a remote interview where one or more parties is signing in from a home office.
Do you have an opening that you're trying to fill? A SkyWater recruiter can help you start with your Short List™ and assist in choosing the best time to schedule interviews. Just start by sending us your job description.
