How to Answer: What would you do if you had two hiring managers who wanted to jointly interview a candidate, but they did not have any combined availability on their calendars?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Talent Acquisition Specialist job interview.
20. What would you do if you had two hiring managers who wanted to jointly interview a candidate, but they did not have any combined availability on their calendars?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Scheduling interviews is an administrative task that often falls to Talent Acquisition Specialists. The interviewer wants to see how you would handle a tough scheduling situation.
Written by Tiffany McPherson on May 27th, 2022
How to Answer
This is an opportunity to showcase your problem-solving skills. You might want to mention creative solutions such as virtual interviews or collaborating with the managers to see if other meetings on their calendars can be moved.
Written by Tiffany McPherson on May 27th, 2022
Answer Example
"It is always tricky to schedule an interview with more than one interviewer. If I am not able to find a time on their calendars when both are available in the near future, I'll try to be creative to find a solution since making a candidate wait too long for an interview can result in them moving on to a different opportunity. If one of the managers is traveling, I might see if they are comfortable participating virtually in the interview. I have also had managers in the past recommend a proxy to fill in for them - perhaps someone else from their department or even their manager. Sometimes the only option is to see if something else on their calendars can be rescheduled to create an opening for the interview. For the right candidate, you do whatever it takes to get them in front of the hiring managers."
Written by Tiffany McPherson on May 27th, 2022