How to Calculate Time-to-Schedule to Drive More Efficient Interviews

Efficient hiring hinges on every stage of the recruitment process, and Time-to-Schedule (TTS) plays an important role. Here at ModernLoop, we know how key having accurate Time-to-Schedule metrics help optimize your recruiting process. We’re here to show you how to calculate TTS, why it matters, and actionable strategies to optimize it for faster, more efficient hiring.  

Example: 

If an interview request is sent on Monday at 10:00 AM and confirmed by Tuesday at 3:00 PM, the TTS is 29 hours. The TTS metric also includes overnight hours in its calculation.

To calculate the average Time-to-Schedule:

1. Add the total scheduling times for all interviews.
2. Divide the sum by the number of interviews scheduled.
3. Now you have your average time-to-schedule

TTS is an essential component of the recruitment process, which also influences the candidate experience.

Why does Time-to-Schedule matter? 

Recruiting teams view Time-to-Schedule as an important KPI. Decreasing Time-to-Schedule is indicative of a more productive hiring process. Here are a few reasons why it matters:

• Reduces Overall Time-to-Hire: By scheduling faster, it reduces your overall time-to-hire, making it easier to hire top talent before your competition

• Enhanced Candidate Experience: Time lags in scheduling interviews can  frustrate candidates. They slow down the  recruiting process and reduce candidate engagement. 
• Focusing on Time-to-Schedule requires increased team coordination: Streamlined scheduling fosters better collaboration and productivity among the recruiting team. It also contributes to better hiring outcomes. 

Optimizing TTS is a key way to improve recruitment efficiency and hire more employees, faster. 

Factors that affect Time-to-Schedule 

Several variables influence Time-to-Schedule, including:

• Number of Stakeholders: More decision-makers can create bottlenecks in scheduling.
• Candidate and Interviewer Availability: Scheduling conflicts often arise from unaligned calendars.
• Interview Complexity: Panel interviews and multi-round processes add to coordination challenges.
• Scheduling Tools: Manual processes or outdated software slow down the process.
• Communication Delays: Inefficient communication channels lead to unnecessary back-and-forth.

Tips for Reducing Time-to-Schedule:

• Use an Interview Scheduling Tool: For example, ModernLoop’s advanced scheduling tools automate interview coordination, sync real-time availability, and integrate with ATS platforms like Workday, Greenhouse and Lever.  With ModernLoop, you can reduce your time-to-scheduling by up to 80%!
• Set Clear Availability Guidelines: By setting predefined interviewer availability in a scheduling tool, you can minimize back-and-forth scheduling communication that slows the recruiting process. Encourage your team to block dedicated time slots for interviews.
• Automate Your Communication With Candidates: Use tools that send automated reminders and updates. This reduces email exchanges and keeps  candidates informed throughout the process.
• Establish a Central Scheduling Coordinator: Having a dedicated coordinator to oversee scheduling helps maintain  communication and reduces errors or delays in the process.