SkyWater Blog

As a candidate, you want to perform to the best of your ability when invited to an interview. As the employment market becomes more buoyant you may find yourself involved in a number of interviews in a short space of time. Naturally, you’ll want to ensure you are the preferred candidate on each occasion but what exactly is the optimum timing to achieve this?

We know the typical weekly schedules of hiring managers, being the Minneapolis and Chicago executive recruiters that we are, and we are here with some advice for you to help you choose the best time to schedule a job interview.

A recruiting strategy is never just about filling roles; it's about building a bench of talent capable of sustaining a brand’s competitive advantage. When your talent acquisition strategy works, it's a game changer, empowering your organization to achieve business priorities and exceed growth goals. When it doesn't, it slows performance, frustrates senior leadership, and forces current team members to work around the gaps left by each vacant position. A few things can torpedo morale or breed employee mistrust, such as working in an understaffed department.

Reveal a Job Candidate’s True Capabilities

What happens when your number one job candidate turns down your best offer?  Here’s what happens:  you’re suddenly breaking all speed records to reach back out to Finalists Two and Three (and maybe Four).  But if they were so great, they may no longer be available.  And if they’re no longer interested, you’re starting all over again, re-working your network for the same job. The repeat calls, emails, postings, conversations and negotiations cost you time, money and credibility.

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?".

And Why Eliminating Them Might Be Even Worse

A few years ago, a number of large, highly respected employers, including Cargill, Microsoft, and The Gap made headlines when they decided to do away with their annual employee performance reviews and ratings.  Since then, a growing number of organizations have followed suit. 

Overcome Candidate Objections Before They’re Raised

After an extensive search and a round of interviews, your client agrees with you: you’ve found the perfect candidate and it’s time to write that offer. You’d be celebrating right now…

5 Ghost Busting Tricks to Eliminate No-Shows

You’re under pressure. After sorting through a small stack of fair-to-excellent resumes and sitting through hours of (mostly lackluster) interviews, you’re beginning to wonder if, in this ever tightening job market, the right candidate will ever come along. 

Finding qualified, available IT candidates in today’s competitive Minnesota jobs market is a challenge facing many employers but is it your company’s attitude towards hiring that’s impacting your ability to source talent?

According to recent research, around 60% of hiring managers have caught applicants lying on their resumes. During the recession, numbers rose as competition became for jobs became so fierce yet it still continues today. The impact of hiring a candidate who has deliberately misled the hiring manager on their resume can be destructive.