My local CrossFit gym handles fifty group sessions a day without breaking a sweat. Three trainers, rotating equipment stations, varying class sizes, and last-minute participant swaps – all managed through a specialized booking system that makes everything look effortless. Yet here I was, a recruiting manager at a growing tech company, still battling with interview scheduling tool Google Calendar to coordinate just a handful of interviews each day.
The irony hit me during my evening workout. While doing burpees, I watched the seamless transition between classes – one group finishing their cool-down as another warmed up, equipment instantly reorganized, new participants filling no-show spots within minutes. Meanwhile, my work day had been derailed by three rescheduled interviews and a double-booked conference room.
Why Google Calendar Falls Short
Our hiring challenges weren’t unique – a fast-growing startup with global aspirations and distributed teams. But what made our situation particularly frustrating was how long we’d convinced ourselves that Google Calendar was enough. We were using sophisticated tools for everything else: AI-powered job descriptions, advanced coding assessment platforms, and automated reference checks.
Yet our interview scheduling process remained stubbornly analog in a digital world.
The turning point arrived during a team capacity planning session. Looking at our quarterly metrics, we discovered something startling: it was taking us longer to schedule interviews than to evaluate candidates. Each hour-long interview required roughly 45 minutes of coordination time. The math was clear – we were spending almost as much time on scheduling as on actual candidate assessments.
The Real Impact of Poor Interview Scheduling
Just as a single jump rope won’t suffice for a full CrossFit workout, Google Calendar proved inadequate for our complex interview scheduling needs. The limitations became painfully clear:
Time zone confusion led to missed interviews. When coordinating between our offices in different regions, what looked right in one calendar view was wrong for others.
Double bookings became common. Without real-time calendar updates across team members, we’d often discover conflicts at the last minute.
Candidate experience suffered. The constant back-and-forth emails and rescheduling made us appear disorganized, potentially costing us top talent.
Interview Scheduling Tools: Finding a Better Way to Schedule Interviews
After researching available interview scheduling tools, I focused on solutions that could actually solve our coordination challenges without adding complexity. Here’s what I discovered:
Calendly
Think of it as a basic fitness tracker – great for personal use but limited for team coordination. While it offers clean calendar management and easy time slot selection, it lacks recruitment-specific features needed for scaling hiring efforts.
GoodTime
This platform is like a premium gym management system – comprehensive but potentially overwhelming for smaller teams. It offers robust features for high-volume recruiting but comes with a steeper price tag and learning curve.
Tacitbase
A promising solution that focuses on streamlining the interview scheduling process through an intuitive interface. While newer to the market, Tacitbase stands out with its user-friendly design, seamless ATS integration, and skillful interviewer-matching capabilities. It’s particularly well-suited for growing teams who need core scheduling functionality without overwhelming complexity.
Our Journey to Better Interview Scheduling
Implementing a new interview scheduling tool doesn’t have to be complicated. Here’s our straightforward path to success:
We began with a simple approach—one recruiting coordinator using the tool for a week of technical interviews. No complicated rollout or lengthy training is needed.
The results were immediate. Interview scheduling time dropped from 45 minutes to under 5 minutes per interview. The improvement was so noticeable that other team members naturally became curious about the tool.
Within two weeks, our entire recruiting team had switched to the new system – not because they had to, but because it genuinely made their work easier.
The Real Results
Our shift to a dedicated interview scheduling tool delivered clear improvements:
Our scheduling time decreased by 90%. What used to take 45 minutes now takes 5 minutes or less.
Interview no-show rates dropped significantly. Clear scheduling communications and automated reminders kept everyone on track.
Candidate feedback improved. Professional scheduling experience enhanced our employer brand.
Is It Time for You to Switch?
If your hiring process feels like doing burpees with ankle weights, it’s time to consider a dedicated interview scheduling tool. Here’s how to get started:
- Track your current scheduling time for one week. Include all emails, calendar checks, and coordination efforts.
- Calculate the cost of your current process. Multiply the hours spent by your team’s hourly rate.
- Try a specialized tool with one recruiter or one hiring team first. Start small and let the results speak for themselves.
Remember, just as you wouldn’t run a CrossFit box with just a stopwatch and a whiteboard, you shouldn’t manage modern hiring processes with basic calendar tools. The right interview scheduling solution isn’t just about managing time slots – it’s about creating an experience that reflects your company’s professionalism and respect for everyone’s time.
The competition for talent is fierce. Don’t let outdated scheduling processes be the reason you lose great candidates. Take the first step toward better interview scheduling today.
P.S. That CrossFit gym I mentioned? They’ve since expanded to three locations, all running smoothly with their scheduling system. Meanwhile, companies still struggling with basic calendar tools continue to face the same coordination challenges they had years ago. Which side of this evolution do you want to be on?