Candidates not turning up for interviews

[Dahu371]

I work in a service industry with relatively high turnover of staff. Consequently we spend a lot of time recruiting. We find that when we advertise the lower-paid jobs we will get 100's of applications. Many seem strong candidates. We'll arrange to interview 10, but on average less than half will turn up. Very rarely do they give us a reason.

I'm wondering if others experience the same frustration with this. Some seem to think this is to do with benefits and having to prove that you're looking for work. Is this still the case? If so why don't they have to prove they attended interviews instead

 

[Newchodge]

It's even worse now. Those on benefits have to apply for x number of jobs every day/week. Whether they have the slightest interest in the role or not. There are so many, applying for so many jobs, that the Job Centre cannot possibly chase up whether they were offered and attended interviews, or even if they turned up and made it abundantly clear that they were not suitable for the job. I think you just have to try to have an application process that allows you to identify those who are genuinely interested in your role.

 

[STDFR33]

You also run the risk of the 'strong' candidates getting something better than a 'lower-paid' job before your company gets around to interviewing.

 

[Paul Norman]

Broadly though, for the reasons above and more, this is normal, and we just factor it in. It no longer agitates me! I must be calming down with old age!

 

[The Byre]

A guy I know runs a restaurant and like so many restaurant owners, is fairly clueless and mean, so the good candidates get better offers before the interview takes place.

It's that whole peanuts and monkeys routine!

 

[myfairworld]

There are additional factors operating. Someone trying to find work may tend to focus initially on getting the application in. Only afterwards do they really start doing the sums. What will it cost them in petrol or fares to get to the place of work? Do the buses run at the right time or is the family car available at the right time or will a late shift mean paying for a taxi? If having the job means paying for some child care - even just for someone else to collect the kids from school - does the job still work out financially and what will you do in the school holidays?

Add to the above the bizarre antics of the Job Centre (which are not in the best interests of those looking for work and not in the best interests of employers either) and you start to see the reason for your problem. The keenest to get work - any work - will be applying to anything which comes up and the keenest are, as others have said, the most likely to land something better between applying for your job and being interviewed.

 

[The Byre]

The keenest to get work - any work - will be applying to anything which comes up and the keenest are, as others have said, the most likely to land something better between applying for your job and being interviewed.

This.

Let's take the example of a chef. He or she applies for a job at £20k. The more mean and clueless restaurant owners actually think they can offer that sum for a chef. The offer to interview goes out and the candidate agrees, but them others come in at more realistic rates. If the candidate really can cook, then £35k would be the right price. The chef-to-be realises that £20k is an insult and just does not turn up.

Trust me - you offer a good job and they ALL turn up!

 

[Talay]

I've interviewed about 40 in the last two weeks from about 300 enquiries, email pre selection with around 150, down to 50 or so for interview and about 80% of those showed up. Of the missing 20%, half did email or phone to say they would not be coming and some others got other jobs. Only a few disappeared off the face of the earth, including one who was offered a job, accpeted and then sent a cryptic email.

My theory is that you rarely find someone who has just started applying. You mostly find them in the middle of their recruitment process and many nearer the end, where they have already interviewed elsewhere and are waiting for offers.

Money is important bu nowhere near as important as being in work and many people simply take the first job they are offered, irrespective of pending interviews.

 

[godoit]

We have just decided to group interviews with apprentices for this reason. Another one missed recently. For the more senior positons we are still going to do 1 on 1.

 

[Matt.WD]

I imagine a 50% no show rate is very annoying! The last place I worked for (service industry, similar process) had probably 20-30% no show rate. Still very disappointing. I don't understand the mindset of people who do this!

 

[godoit]

This morning had a group interview, 20 applicants - 8 invites - 4 confirmed and 1 that actually shows up.

 

[Nathan Jefferson]

How do you engage your candidates after they apply?

 

[godoit]

We email the candidate with all the details then if there is no reply we phone to ensure it didn't go to spam. For apprentice positions we tend to text as well just in case they have no credit

 

[Anne Ha]

Make sure you have enough incentives to attract applicants!

 

[godoit]

Other than a competitive wage what incentive for an entry level position do you suggest.

 

[myfairworld]

Other than a competitive wage what incentive for an entry level position do you suggest.

Different people are motivated by different things but often very small 'incentives' are highly valued and make a difference to how people feel about a job. It depends also on the setting but to give one example limitless free tea/coffee/squash is often hugely valued by employees, the cost to employers is actually quite small and in some settings there is a saving to the employer of the time which gets taken up in many work settings of collecting money to provide milk/coffee/tea/sugar etc. Free uniform which is laundered for you can be an incentive - it is certainly a disincentive if you have to wear uniform but carry the cost and effort of washing it yourself. Knowing you'll have somewhere clean and pleasant to spend your lunch time and breaks will be an incentive to some people. The possibility of progressing beyond an entry level role is an incentive as is the possibility of training to improve your position in the organisation.

One thing which has not been discussed here is the issue mentioned by the OP of the high turnover of staff in their service industry. So really isn't the issue to work out how to keep staff in the first place? If an organisation can hang on to the staff it already has then the issue of why people don't turn up for interviews becomes much less important. The guess would be that people don't turn up for interviews for the same reason that those already employed don't stay?

 

[godoit]

employee stories today,
1 got a text to say they were getting off the bus (bus stop is about 30 seconds away)
2nd one was actually offered the job, went radio silent then said they weren't coming due to unforeseen circumstances.
3rd, asking for referances, nothing appeared then 2 weeks later the prospective employee sent through some email address. 1 month later no references, chased and deadline given, email back with "culd u tel me what is happenning"

 

[AnneLou]

I also work in the service industry and for certain kinds of jobs, this happens quite a lot. I find that if I advertise and recruit using the Job Centre themselves (I have even held interviews in the Job Centre offices) the turnout is high! Surprise, surprise! If I use sites like Indeed, I get battered with applications and many don't even list correct phone numbers or email addresses.

Chefs. Oh dear, or dear! We cater to their every whim these days. They are our highest paid employees and we regularly bung them bonuses just for staying in situ and turning up regularly! We no longer advertise a wage - just pay them what they want! Anyway, they are leaving permanent employment posts in droves, to work for agencies where they get little stress and work shorter weeks and can take unexpected days off without repercussions.

In hospitality, its not always just about the wages. We sometimes lose our staff to a nearby larger competitor (big blue chip company) who have a swanky look and super-glossy company handbook. In more cases than I can remember, some of those staff come creeping back when they realise that the other company is so "rule-driven" and has no flexibility. So when the students want time off for music festivals or weekends with friends, the answer is a firm no. Not so with us, we try (sometimes too much!!) to offer a more flexible approach.

 

[Mr D]

An unusual approach that I have come across a few times is negotiating interview dates and times.
Rather than simply imposing what may turn out to be time the person is unavailable that day.

 

[Talay]

An unusual approach that I have come across a few times is negotiating interview dates and times.
Rather than simply imposing what may turn out to be time the person is unavailable that day.

I always give flexible dates and times but obviously try to add a 3pm to an already pencilled in 2pm and 4pm etc.

I have however been caught out by this softly softly approach when a really good candidate pushed the date out over a week into the future and then, on the day of the interview, sent an SMS to say they had taken another job, it being the first one offered !

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

It is a pain, but I would be looking at why I had a high turnover of staff. The cost of managing this could be reduced by making some simple changes
Increase salary
Time scale bonus
Training
Incentives
Etc.

Most people would just look at this as a pure cost without seeing what the savings and positive impact could be.

 

[godoit]

@consultant What would you recommend for those entry level positions, retail, beauty, bar work and childcare? staged incentives has worked well but anything a bit more creative would be great.

I'm interviewing on Friday and went for a group approach, 10 invite's with 4 confirmations so far. I bet a fiver on 2/3 showing up

 

[Gecko001]

Just a thought here. Do the candidates who turn up know about the ones who have not turned up? If I went to an interview and realised that half the people who had been asked to an interview did not turn up, I would not get a good impression of the firm I was applying to for a job. Also, if candidates were seeing this casual attitude by other candidates then they would be more likely to ignore interview etiquette themselves in the future.

Is there any way of preventing candidates knowing that not everybody is turning up at interviews to prevent this culture from getting hold?

 

[godoit]

Just a thought here. Do the candidates who turn up know about the ones who have not turned up?

I don't say numbers in the invite, the only way would be if they new them outside of the application and I imagine it would be small numbers if that was the case.
My invites state a small group interview with an introduction, idea's round and Q&A section.

 

[Gecko001]

I don't say numbers in the invite, the only way would be if they new them outside of the application and I imagine it would be small numbers if that was the case.
My invites state a small group interview with an introduction, idea's round and Q&A section.

Are you sure that candidates don't equate a group interview to something less important than "an interview" and treat it as such.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Let's be honest, a lot of your issues will be based on a low/basic pay level.

If you look at John Lewis, they have people queuing to work for them and they stay for a long time. Why? Better rates of pay, they become partners so get a bonus based on overall performance, they get other benefits etc.

The basic one is pay more! Where you are based, minimum wage is everywhere and those jobs are seen as 'disposable' - if I don't like this poor payer, i'll just go to the next poor payer.

Work out how long they stay for, on average, and incentivise them to stay past that time scale and in regular intervals. Give them other tangible benefits that are real savings in their life.

 

[godoit]

Let's be honest, a lot of your issues will be based on a low/basic pay level.

The basic one is pay more! Where you are based, minimum wage is everywhere and those jobs are seen as 'disposable' - if I don't like this poor payer, i'll just go to the next poor payer.
/QUOTE]
We pay more than all of our competitors bar 1 and lowest is £8.25 other than apprentices. I know I could pay more but when does it stop. The other incentives are more when they are on board rather than the interview I guess. I dont know if prospective employees care about the other stuff until they have been there a little while.

 

[HazelC]

Maybe consider group interviews instead so you are not sat around waiting for people to come to their half hour interviews (etc) - also call the day before or on the day to check they are still coming?

Just two little tips from a background as a restaurant manager

 

[Root 66 Woodshop]

There are just some companies that cannot afford to pay experienced staff members the right amount that they are due... for instance, in the security industry there are engineers that are earning up to £35,000 a year... they start on £22,000 as they grow with their experience and knowledge they have to move on to larger companies that can accommodate them... it's the norm.