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There is nothing more frustrating for recruiters than when candidates don't show up for their interviews, and these frustrations are becoming more and more commonplace as there is evidence of increasing numbers of candidate no-shows on both sides of the Atlantic. This has become an important strategic issue for recruiters across the globe because it raises many important questions. Exactly why are candidates deciding not to show up for their interview? Is it part of a global trend, a specific labour market trend, or is it a reflection on our organisation and the way we do business? What are the long-term consequences for our organisation if the trend continues? What can we do to increase interview attendance in the future?

Many recruiters plant the blame for interview no-shows squarely and firmly at the feet on the candidates. The fault is all theirs. After all, in this modern day world of electronic communication what excuse is there for a candidate not to inform the employer that he or she will not be attending? Surely it's just discourteous and lazy not to do so. In fact, some employers will actually look upon interview no-shows as a blessing in disguise. At the end of the day, do you actually want to employ someone who is so inconsiderate?

Although in the past there may be an element of justification for this point of view, in labour markets of relatively low unemployment it is also fair to say that such a point of view today is somewhat naive and narrow minded. In such sectors, employers are in competition with each other for the best people, and if the best people are choosing not to attend your interviews in favour of going elsewhere, then rather than criticising the candidates this should be area of concern. In order to address the issue it is necessary to try and understand why interview no-shows occur in such high numbers even if this means coming to terms with some harsh truths about your own organisation.

There is no one primary underlying cause for the increasing trend of interview non-attendance. The trend is caused by a combination of different factors and these may be different for each organisation depending upon the market and geographical location within which they operate. Obviously sickness and unavoidable emergencies contribute to the problem, but essentially this increasing trend is partly indicative of how society and behaviour has evolved over the last two or three decades, and partly indicative of whether candidates view an organisation

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