How to Enable Candidate Self-Scheduling

SmoothHiring's self-scheduling feature lets you propose multiple interview time slots to a candidate and have them choose the one that works best. This eliminates the back-and-forth of coordinating schedules over email, speeds up your hiring process, and provides a professional, candidate-friendly experience.

Overview

Self-scheduling (also called "Request Time Slots") is one of two scheduling methods available when you create an interview in SmoothHiring:

When you use self-scheduling, the interview starts in a Requested status. Once the candidate selects a slot, it moves to Accepted. You then finalize it to Scheduled.

How Self-Scheduling Works: End-to-End Flow

1. Employer Creates Interview Request

As the employer, you open the Schedule Interview dialog from a candidate's profile and follow the stepper:

Step 1: Setup

• Choose the interview type: Video, Phone, or In-person
• For video interviews, select meeting software (Zoom, Google Meet, or Other)
• Under Scheduling Method, select Request Time Slots
• A caption reads: "Candidate picks from options"

Step 2: Date & Time

• Add one or more proposed time slots
• Each time slot includes:
  • Date — The proposed interview date
  • Start time — When the interview would begin
  • End time — When the interview would end
  • Timezone — The timezone for the proposed times
• Click Add Time Slot to propose additional options
• You can remove any slot you've added

Tip: Offering 3–5 time slots across different days and times gives candidates the most flexibility and increases the chances of a quick response.

Steps 3–6: Continue with attendees, notes, preview, and finalize as normal.

2. Candidate Receives Scheduling Link

When you submit the interview request, SmoothHiring:

1. Creates the interview with a status of Requested
2. Generates a unique scheduling link (a secure, tokenized URL)
3. Sets a link expiration time based on your system configuration
4. Sends an email to the candidate with:
   • Subject: "Interview Request: [Job Title] at [Company Name]"
   • The scheduling link to select their preferred time
   • Job and company information
5. Saves the email to the candidate's inbox in their applicant profile

3. Candidate Selects a Time Slot

When the candidate clicks the scheduling link, they arrive at a candidate-facing scheduling page that shows:

• Job details panel — Information about the position
• Candidate name — Confirming who the interview is for
• Interview type — Video, Phone, or In-person, with a chip and icon
• Address or meeting info — For in-person interviews, the location is displayed
• Available time slots — Each proposed slot is displayed as a selectable card showing:
  • Date (formatted)
  • Time range in 12-hour format (e.g., "2:00 PM - 3:00 PM")
  • Timezone
  • A green highlight and checkmark when selected

The candidate clicks on their preferred time slot. Only one slot can be selected.

Requesting Alternative Times

If none of the proposed times work, the candidate can click Request Alternative Times to suggest their own availability:

• A form appears where they can add one or more alternative time slots
• Each slot includes date, start time, end time, and timezone
• The duration is locked to match the original proposed duration

Note: If the candidate selects both an employer-proposed slot AND adds alternative times, a confirmation dialog appears asking them to either go back and fix the conflict or stick with the selected slot.

Once ready, the candidate clicks Confirm Selection to submit their choice.

4. System Processes the Response

When the candidate confirms their selection:

1. The interview status changes from Requested to Accepted
2. The accepted time slot is stored on the interview record
3. An acceptance notification email is sent to:
   • The hiring manager (primary recipient)
   • All additional attendees (CC)
   • Subject: "Interview Time Accepted - [Candidate Name] for [Job Title]"
4. The email includes the selected time slot details and a link to the employer's interview dashboard to finalize the scheduling

If the candidate submitted alternative times instead, those are stored as candidate-requested time slots on the interview record.

5. Employer Finalizes the Interview

Once a candidate has accepted a time slot, the interview appears in the Accepted Interviews tab on the Interviews page.

Click the Schedule (briefcase icon) button on the accepted interview to open the Schedule Accepted Interview dialog:

Step 1: Interview Details

• Interview type — Pre-filled from the original request; can be changed
• Meeting software — Select Zoom, Google Meet, or Other (for video interviews)
  • Zoom: Enter agenda and optional password; Zoom creates the meeting automatically
  • Google Meet: Auto-generates a link if Google Calendar is connected
  • Other: Paste a manual video link
• Date & Time — Pre-filled with the candidate's accepted slot; can be adjusted
• Additional Attendees — Add or modify interviewers (your email is auto-included)
• Notes — Add any additional instructions or preparation tips

Step 2: Preview & Confirm

• Review all details in a summary view
• Click Schedule Interview to finalize

Upon confirmation:

• The interview status changes from Accepted to Scheduled
• An invitation email with an .ics calendar attachment is sent to the candidate
• The hiring manager and attendees are CC'd
• A Zoom meeting is created (if Zoom is selected and connected)
• A Google Calendar event is created (if connected)
• The hiring manager receives an in-app notification
• If a scorecard template was attached, scorecards are assigned to all attendees

Link Expiration and Re-requesting

Self-scheduling links have a configurable expiration time. If the link expires before the candidate responds:

What the Candidate Sees

When a candidate clicks an expired link, they see:

• A clear "Link Expired" message
• A message stating "The requested interview schedule link expired"
• If eligible, a "Request new interview link" button

Requesting a New Link

If the candidate is eligible for a new link (based on the maximum request count setting), they can click Request new interview link. This:

1. Changes the interview status to RequestedByCandidate
2. Increments the candidate's request counter
3. Sends an email to the hiring manager with the subject: "Interview request by candidate - [Candidate Name]"
4. Notifies the hiring manager via in-app notification
5. The employer can then send updated time slots to the candidate

Note: There is a system-configured limit on how many times a candidate can request a new link. Once they reach this limit, the "Request new interview link" button is no longer available.

Invalid Links

If a candidate accesses a link that doesn't exist or has been tampered with, they see an "Invalid Link" error message.

Editing an Interview Request

Before the candidate responds, you can edit a pending interview request:

1. Go to the Requested Interviews tab on the Interviews page
2. Click the Edit (pencil icon) button on the interview
3. Update the time slots, interview type, or meeting details
4. Save the changes

When you edit a request:

• A new scheduling link is generated (the old one is invalidated)
• The link expiration is reset
• A new invitation email is sent to the candidate with the updated options
• The interview status remains Requested

Candidate-Requested Time Slots

When a candidate uses the Request Alternative Times feature, their proposed time slots are stored separately from the employer's original slots. You can view these in the interview details.

If the candidate submitted alternative times, the interview will show the candidate's proposed slots. You can then:

1. Accept one of the candidate's proposed slots — Choose from their suggestions
2. Send new time slots — Edit the request and propose different times
3. Cancel the interview — If scheduling cannot be reconciled

Self-Scheduling Status Flow

The complete lifecycle of a self-scheduled interview follows this path:

Requested → Accepted → Scheduled → Completed
                ↓                       ↓
           Cancelled              Cancelled

With the candidate re-request branch:

Requested → (link expires) → RequestedByCandidate → Requested (new slots sent)

Viewing Self-Scheduled Interviews

Interviews Page

On the Interviews page, self-scheduled interviews in the Requested tab show:

• All proposed time slots listed under the Interview Time column
• Each slot displays the time range and date
• The Edit and Cancel actions are available

In the Accepted tab:

• The accepted time slot is highlighted
• The Schedule action is available to finalize the interview

Interview Details Dialog

Click View on a requested interview to see:

• Candidate name and job title
• Interview status with a color-coded chip
• Interview type (Video, Phone, In-person)
• All requested time slots with date, time, and timezone for each
• Any notes or location details

Best Practices for Self-Scheduling

1. Offer 3–5 time slots — Give candidates enough flexibility without overwhelming them. Spread slots across 2–3 different days when possible.

2. Vary time-of-day options — Include morning, afternoon, and (if applicable) evening slots to accommodate different schedules.

3. Set appropriate durations — Make sure each slot's duration matches the expected interview length. All proposed slots should have the same duration.

4. Include timezone information — Always select the correct timezone for your slots. Candidates see the timezone displayed alongside each option.

5. Respond quickly to acceptances — When a candidate accepts a slot, finalize the interview promptly. The interview appears in your Accepted tab — don't leave it there too long.

6. Monitor for expired links — Check the Requested tab regularly. If a candidate's link expires, they may request a new one, which appears in your RequestedByCandidate items.

7. Use with video integrations — Combine self-scheduling with Zoom or Google Meet to automatically generate meeting links when you finalize the interview.

8. Review the candidate inbox — All scheduling emails are saved to the candidate's inbox in their profile, creating a full audit trail of scheduling communications.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the candidate select more than one time slot? No. Candidates can only select one preferred slot from the options you provide.

What happens if I edit the request after the candidate already received the link? The old link is invalidated and a new scheduling link is generated and sent to the candidate.

Can the candidate change their selection after confirming? No. Once a candidate confirms their selection, the interview moves to Accepted status. If changes are needed, you can cancel and create a new request.

Do candidates need a SmoothHiring account to self-schedule? No. The scheduling link is a public page that doesn't require authentication. The link contains a secure, unique token that identifies the specific interview request.

How long does the scheduling link last? The link expiration is configured by the system administrator. After expiration, candidates see a clear message and may request a new link.

Can I use self-scheduling for in-person interviews? Yes. Self-scheduling works with all interview types — Video, Phone, and In-person. For in-person interviews, the location/address is displayed on the candidate's scheduling page.

Related Pages

• Manage Interviews — Complete guide to scheduling and managing interviews
• Interview Reminders — Automatic reminder notifications
• Zoom Integration — Setting up Zoom for automatic meeting creation
• Calendar — Viewing interviews on your calendar
• Email Templates — Customizing interview invitation emails