The problem
Carer applicants often apply in the evening and are working elsewhere during the day, so arranging interviews turns into phone tag. Inviting 25 applicants a month at 12 minutes of calls each is 5 hours, and 8 no-shows at 30 minutes each waste another 4 hours.
What the AI does
Calendly's Standard plan lets the registered manager or recruiter publish interview slots from their own calendar. The agency sends a booking link in its reply to every suitable applicant, and the applicant picks a time that suits them, including early or late slots if you offer them. Calendly's pricing page lists reminders and workflows on Standard; the Free plan has one event type and no reminders. Safer recruitment checks, references and DBS checks carry on as now.
A worked example
A home care agency in Northampton invites about 25 carer applicants to interview each month. The registered manager sets two interview windows a week in Calendly and sends the link to every shortlisted applicant.
Before
25 applicants at 12 minutes of phone tag and 8 no-shows at 30 minutes: about 9 hours a month
After
25 bookings at 2 minutes to check and 5 no-shows at 30 minutes: about 3.3 hours a month
What it's worth
About $120£90€107A$173C$169 a month of manager time saved (5.7 hours at $21£16€19A$31C$30 an hour), against about $11£8€10A$15C$15 to $12£9€11A$17C$17 for one Calendly Standard seat. The no-show figure assumes reminders cut no-shows from 8 to 5 a month, an assumption to check against your own numbers.
How to set it up
- Sign up for Calendly Standard and connect the calendar you use for interviews.
- Create an interview event with set windows, a buffer between interviews and the office address.
- Turn on the reminder emails Standard includes and read what the applicant receives.
- Add the link to your shortlisting reply, with a line on what to bring, such as ID for right-to-work checks.
- Each month, count bookings, no-shows and hires, and adjust the slots offered.
What goes wrong
- Don't ask for health details, criminal records or right-to-work documents in the booking questions. Collect those through your normal safer recruitment process.
- The Free plan has one event type and no reminders, so it won't cut no-shows.
- A booking link makes it easy to book and easy to ignore. Keep a quick confirmation call for applicants you are keen on.
- Each extra interviewer needs their own seat, about $11£8€10A$15C$15 to $12£9€11A$17C$17 a month each.