I agree with you that if a candidate is late and didn't call before to let you know they were running late that they should not interview.
I have run recently run into a situation that I have unfortunately had no shows. It is always crazy to me when someone that needs a job doesn't even show up to the interview. I even go over the salary range on the call before I set the interview in hopes that the set interview will be more solid, but I still have several NS every time I conduct interviews. Is there a question that you can suggest to ask in the pre-interview phone call that could help to solidify that the candidate is serious and will actually show to the interview?
Lynne,
You are on target with your response. The only additional point that I would make is that the hiring manager needs to address the tardiness of the candidate so that person knows the company's expectations should he/she be offered the position. Failure to do so condones the behavior and will only need to be dealt with more explicitly later.
Dr. Patricia Kapper
A candidate should allow enough time to be on-time. I will still interview them but take into consideration that they were late and did not properly prepare. With that said, they might be late for work as well; therefore need to allow ample time to arrive at work as well.
Wendy,
If a candidate arrives late for the interview, do you still conduct the interview? There are those in this class who have said that they would not. To be late for an important appointment like an interview says something about the candidate which might not be acceptable for the position being filled. Are there times, though, where being late is acceptable? For example, if the candidate is tardy because of an unavoidable traffic problem, does that justify tardiness. I, too, value punctuality but want to be fair to the candidate as well.
Dr. Patricia Kapper
Our location can be a little hard to find. I make sure candidates are comfortable with directions and have the front desk contact info should they run into trouble finding us. That said, I strongly value punctuality and pay attention to whether or not the candidate is pro-active about making sure he/she knows how to get here on time before offering my information.
Jason,
That is a fair position to take. You are establishing a culture of punctuality and yet being understanding if there have been circumstances beyond the candidate's control.
Dr. Patricia Kapper
Generally speaking, if a candidate is late for an interview, I do not interview them. I am a very punctual person and hold employees to the same standards. If you can not show up on time for the interview, then I do not want you on my team. why would i add a potentially weak link?
That being said, if a candidate calls ahead and has a valid reason for being late, such as some type of emergency, they are ill, or anything beyond their control, then I will still conduct the interview if time permits. If not, then I will gladly give them another shot and reschedule.
Heidi,
If my time permitted, I would still do the interview.I would expect an explanation from the candidate regarding the reason for his/her tardiness and that would be an indication of whether this is a pattern of behavior. I might even throw in a question during our conversation to determine if it is a pattern. One question might be "When was the last time that you were late for a meeting? How did you handle that situation? How have you changed your behavior to prevent that from happening again?" Or "You have an appointment with the CEO to discuss a new project. Your bus is running late. What do you do?" Now if the candidate's attitude indicates that he/she really doesn't think this is a big problem, I would do the interview but would not consider him/her for the position.
Dr. Patricia Kapper
