Liz Cohen is a former LinkedIn manager and the Founder & Head Coach of Next Step Careers. She regularly authors publications on job searching and is the creator of an award-winning online job search program, Land Your Dream Job. She has helped thousands of job seekers land more interviews and offers without the stress, heartache and radio silence that characterizes most job searches today.
First, I have to say: I am so sorry your interviewer didn’t show up. Your frustration is 100% warranted.
Sadly, this does happen a lot today (this article is in the top-10 most-viewed articles on my site). And even among my clients who diligently confirm every interview in advance, about 20-30% of their phone interviews get rescheduled. The numbers for missed or postponed informational interviews are even higher.
Every time it happens, it kills me.
I know (and teach) what it takes to prepare exceptionally for an interview. I’m guessing you invested hours if not days preparing -- and likely losing some sleep -- in anticipation of what could be a career-altering conversation. You put your heart and sweat into making sure you showed up on time and as your best self.
And you do deserve to be treated better.
One day soon, you’ll be on the other side. And when you’re the interviewer, I have a feeling you’ll resolve not to do this to others.
But while you’re still in the job seeker’s seat, here are my top 5 tips for navigating this sticky situation:
1. Respond proactively
If your interviewer doesn’t show, the first thing you want to do is email your interviewer (or the recruiter who scheduled it) 5-10 minutes after your designated start time.
A quick no-blame message will maintain your positive rapport, and ideally allow you to start the interview (albeit a little late) or reschedule as promptly as possible.
“Just checking in to make sure you’re still available for our 2pm ET interview today. I hope everything is okay on your end and if you need to reschedule, just let me know a few alternative windows that work for you this week. Thank you!”
Or if you’re emailing a recruiter:
“Just checking in as I haven’t yet heard from [name] for our 2pm ET interview today. I hope everything is okay on her end; if we need to reschedule, just let me know a few alternative windows that work this week. Thank you!”
Once you’ve taken care of logistics, you’ll have time to think and feel through the situation and chart your next steps.
2. Assess whether this could be a company worth avoiding
While you want to give your interviewers the benefit of the doubt, it’s important to observe whether their behavior indicates something problematic about the team and/or company you’re considering joining.
Ask yourself:
Did other people from the company miss or reschedule conversations with you?
Have they been responsive to your emails and requests?
Have you noticed any other signs of a culture that overworks or undervalues its employees?
How have your other interactions with team members made you feel?
At the end of the day, you want to assess if this was a one-off negative experience, or a recruiting issue (which won’t affect you once you join the company), or a red flag about the individuals or teams you would actually be working with on a day-to-day basis.
3. Do your best to prevent this from happening in the future
The more personal connection you have with your interviewer, the more likely they are to show up for your meeting.
So when you confirm your interview the day before you’re scheduled to meet, include a personal note about how much you’re looking forward to the conversation, and why meeting this person specifically is exciting to you.
If you have an internal connection at the company, ask that person if they feel comfortable pinging your interviewer to mention their support of your candidacy and that they’re looking forward to hearing how the conversation goes.
Not only will these steps make your interviewer more likely to show, they’ll also set you up for a strong conversation.
4. Recognize that it says nothing about you
There are numerous reasons why your interviewer might behave in this way.
It’s possible they’re dealing with a fire drill in the office (or at home), or that they’re experiencing connectivity issues, or that there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation behind their behavior.
For many of the professionals I’ve spoken with, it comes down to priorities. Recruiting is essential to team and company success, and yet very rarely is it someone's first priority on the job. Hence, interviews can become one the easiest meetings to ditch or delay when we’re feeling overwhelmed at work.
This doesn’t excuse that behavior (and the negative impact it has on job seekers). But as devastated or annoyed as you are, you want to recognize that this is your interviewer’s failure -- not yours -- and that there is no reason to take the experience personally. Chances are you’ll be rescheduled and back on the calendar within a few days.
5. Remind yourself of the value you bring to the table
Although this experience can make you feel worthless, there is so much evidence of your worth to keep in mind:
You landed this interview! That means you were qualified enough to surpass tens if not hundreds of other applicants to get on the interview docket.
Look at your resume - and all of the skills and competencies that you could bring to this organization.
Look at the recommendations you have on paper or on your LinkedIn profile.
Think about how much energy and hard work you’ve put into this application process, and what that energy and work ethic could do for your new company.
That’s a lot of value.
So don’t let someone else’s mismanagement of their calendar keep you from believing in yourself and what you have to offer.
You are a talented individual who wants to contribute your greatness to a worthy organization. You and that organization will find each other -- and I know once that happens, you’re never going to stand up an interviewee ;)
With love,
Liz
P.S. If you want my best guidance on how to ace your next interview, and land more interviews and offers, check out my Land Your Dream Job program! I’d love to help you find greater success and happiness in your search.
*Last updated Mar 23, 2021*