How to cancel or reschedule an interview
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18/01/2022
When you are involved in a hiring process, there are on occasions times when things happen that may mean you have to cancel or reschedule a job interview. It is important to remain professional and reach out to the company and the interviewer by giving them a call or sending an email. There are important steps to follow to ensure you are polite and following basic business etiquette. When you cancel an interview, ask if it is possible to reschedule but this will depend on whether you are still interested in the job, you may have decided you want to cancel completely.
WHY DO YOU NEED TO CANCEL AN INTERVIEW?
There may be many legitimate reasons to have to cancel an interview. If you are actively interviewing, you may have received another job offer or you have given the job some thought and decided it is not right for you.
HOW TO CANCEL AN INTERVIEW?
No matter what your reason, it is important to let the employer know as soon as possible, do not leave till the last minute. You want to remain on good terms if you want to reschedule so be courteous as you may want to apply for a job with the company in the future.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU DON’T WANT TO RESCHEDULE?
Be sure you want to decline and cancel completely. You may have decided the job is not the right opportunity for you anymore, but it is still common courtesy to let the employer know.
CALL OR EMAIL THE HIRING MANAGER
If you have decided to withdraw your application, you must call or email the interviewer to let them know that you will not attend the interview. Provide as much notice as possible and give your reason, ensuring you are clear that you are withdrawing completely and thank them for considering you. It is best to try and call in the first instance and send a follow-up email, this highlights you are thoughtful and responsible and can go a long way to ensuring you secure a second opportunity for an interview.
WHEN YOU WANT TO RESCHEDULE THE INTERVIEW
If you are still interested in the job and unable to make the scheduled day and time, call or email the interviewer as soon as possible. If you send an email and do not get a response, make a follow-up call to ensure that the interviewer gets the message. You do not have to go into a great amount of detail as to why you cannot make it, most employers will be understanding that events can happen unexpectedly, so it is a good idea to mention your availability so you can secure a rescheduled interview.
GIVE PLENTY OF NOTICE
Whether you want to reschedule the interview or not, it is important to give as much notice as possible. You need to be considerate of the interviewer’s valuable time, even if you are no longer interested in the job. Ensure you apologise for the inconvenience and be truthful and sincere, your reason to need to reschedule must be a good one that the interviewer can relate to.
In conclusion, having to cancel an interview can be awkward and is not ideal but it is okay to cancel if you have changed your mind about the job. Rescheduling an interview is not ideal either but it is not necessarily unprofessional depending on your situation. Just like when you want to cancel an interview, be sure to follow basic decency and professionalism so you do not burn any bridges.
