Scheduling interviews using Autopilot

With Autopilot's automated interview scheduling, you can contact applicants faster, schedule more interviews than ever, and hire the best talent for your team. No more spending hours coordinating schedules, chasing applicants, or dealing with no-shows — make a few quick selections, and let Autopilot do the rest!

In this article:

Scheduling interviews using Autopilot

1. Navigate to your Applicants page.

Dashboard (2.25.25) (Applicants arrow)

2. Locate the employee you want to schedule an interview with and click the Begin Autopilot button (in the Actions column).

Applicants Page (2.25.25) (Begin Autopilot arrow)

3. In the Begin Autopilot drawer, select the type of interview: In Person, Phone, or Video.

4. Enter In Person, Phone, or Video details in the field below: a physical address, a phone number, or a video link.

Begin Autopilot Drawer (Top) (Interview Type highlights)

5. Select how long the Interview will last for from the drop-down menu.

We recommend choosing an interview length with more time than you need to prevent applicants from scheduling back-to-back interviews that leave you with little or no time to prepare in between. For example, if you're planning for a 15-minute phone screen, select 30 minutes instead.

Begin Autopilot Drawer (Top) (Interview length arrow)

6. Select the Interviewer(s) from the drop-down menu, clicking the checkbox next to any users you want to be involved in the interview.

Interviewers are the users whose calendars will be used to determine interview availability for the applicant and who will receive all notifications about the interview. Applicants will see only available times when all team members are free.

Begin Autopilot Drawer (Mid) (Interviewer arrow)

Begin Autopilot Drawer (Mid) (Interviewer drop-down) (selection highlights) (cropped)

If an interviewer you want to select is not listed, advise them to connect their calendar to CareerPlug.

7. Set the expiration date for the interview link – or how long the applicant will have to schedule the interview using the link provided – using the Can be scheduled up to drop-down menu.

8. Once you’re done reviewing Autopilot details, click the Launch button in the bottom right corner of the drawer.

Begin Autopilot Drawer (Bottom) (Scheduling and Launch arrows)

Before you start Autopilot, you can click Show preview message to preview templates for the initial message, 1st and 2nd reminder, and the confirmation message – as well as the dynamic fields that will automatically populate before messages are sent to your applicant – each ready to use without you needing to even press a key.

Begin Autopilot Drawer (Bottom) (Preview Message expanded) (highlight)

Autopilot's standardized messages — which cannot be customized — have been crafted to capture the attention of applicants and help you efficiently schedule interviews. Standardized messages provide a prewritten introduction to you, your company, and the position, saving time that you can spend focusing on conducting interviews instead of coordinating them.

What happens after I launch Autopilot?

Applicants who have opted in to text messaging will receive an automated text message and email inviting them to the interview. After selecting a time slot, the applicant will receive a calendar invite and, later, an automated interview reminder via text and email.

Applicants who don't schedule an interview within 24 hours will receive a text and email reminder to select a time. If still unresponsive after 48 hours, applicants will receive another reminder via text and email.

If an applicant opts out of text messaging, Autopilot will send all messages via email.

Begin Autopilot Drawer (Bottom) (Texting Disabled)-1

Any user(s) selected as Interviewer (including you) will receive a scheduled confirmation email and be added to the calendar event. However, the user who begins Autopilot will not receive any notification.

Now you can get back to running your business instead of coordinating interviews!

How to create an Autopilot Default while launching Autopilot

If you want to save your current Autopilot configuration as an Autopilot Default — allowing you to use these Autopilot options for all future applicants who apply for this job — turn on the toggle in the bottom left corner of the Begin Autopilot drawer.

Begin Autopilot Drawer (Bottom) (AP Default toggle on) (highlight)

Viewing and stopping Autopilot

1. To view your Autopilot process, navigate to your Applicants page.

2. Locate the applicant’s name and click the View Autopilot button to the right (in the Actions column).

Applicants Page (2.25.25) (View Autopilot) (highlights)

In the Autopilot drawer, you can review the details of the interview, as well as a preview of all messages that will be sent to your applicant as part of the Autopilot process.

3. Click the Stop Autopilot button to cancel any further messages from being sent to the applicant and prevent them from being able to schedule an interview. You can always begin Autopilot for this applicant again in the future, but you will be starting the process over.

View Autopilot (Stop AP highlights)-1

Using Autopilot Schedule Now

With Autopilot Schedule Now, you can directly schedule an interview with an applicant you're in contact with instead of initiating another Autopilot process and waiting for them to select an interview time.

1. Navigate to your Applicants page.

Dashboard (2.25.25) (Applicants arrow)

2. Find the employee you want to schedule an interview with, click the Begin Autopilot drop-down arrow, and select Schedule Now from the drop-down menu.

Applicants Page (2.25.25) (Schedule Now drop-down) (highlights)

3. In the Schedule Now drawer, select the type of interview: In Person, Phone, or Video.

4. Enter In Person, Phone, or Video details in the field below: a physical address, a phone number, or a video link.

5. Select how long the Interview will last for from the drop-down menu.

Schedule Now Pop-Up (Top) (highlights)

6. Select the Interviewer(s) from the drop-down menu, clicking the checkbox next to any users you want to be involved in the interview.

Schedule Now Pop-Up (Interview drop-down) (highlights)

7. On the calendar at the bottom of the drawer, click one of the available (green) blocks to select a time slot for the interview.

8. Click the block again to Confirm your selection and schedule the interview.

Schedule Now Pop-Up (Bottom) (arrow)

You can see your scheduled interview in the Upcoming Interviews section on your Dashboard.

Dashboard (2.25.25) (Interview Sched) (highlight)

You can also view details for the scheduled interview on your Applicants page.

Applicants Page (2.25.25) (Interview Sched) (highlight)

View Autopilot - Schedule Now

Even after you begin Autopilot, you can always use Autopilot Schedule Now to directly schedule an interview with an applicant you're already in contact with who may be unable to schedule it themselves for any reason.

Navigate to your Applicants page, find the applicant, click the View Autopilot drop-down arrow, and select Schedule Now from the drop-down menu. Follow the same process shown above to schedule the interview now.

Applicants Page (2.25.25) (View Autopilot drop-down) (highlights)

Rescheduling Autopilot interviews

Only selected Interviewers can reschedule or cancel an Autopilot interview. You cannot change the selected Interviewer(s) after Autopilot has been launched, even when rescheduling an interview.

Quickly reschedule interviews from your Dashboard, Applicants page, or within an applicant's profile.

Rescheduling interviews from the Dashboard

1. On your Dashboard, locate the applicant’s name in the Upcoming Interviews section.

2. Click the three-dots icon to the right of their name and select Reschedule.

Dashboard (2.25.25) (Interview Sched) (Three Dot menu) (Upc Int+Reschedule highlights)

3. In the Reschedule drawer, click one of the available (green) blocks on the calendar to select a new time slot for the interview.

4. Click the block again to Confirm your selection.

Reschedule Autopilot (Time selected) (highlights)

You rescheduled the interview!

The candidate will receive an automated text, email, and updated calendar invite to inform them about the rescheduled interview.

Any user(s) selected as Interviewer (including you) will receive a rescheduled notification email. The calendar event will automatically be updated to the new time slot for all users, and "Rescheduled" will be added to the name of the event.

(27) Rescheduled Calendar Event

Rescheduling interviews from the Applicants page

Reschedule interviews from your Applicants page by clicking the Reschedule link in the Actions column.

Applicants Page (2.25.25) (Interview Sched) (Reschedule arrow)

Rescheduling interviews from within an applicant's profile

Reschedule interviews from the applicant's profile page by clicking the Reschedule button within the Autopilot, Phone Screen, or Interview hiring steps.

Applicant Profile (Interview Sched) (Reschedule arrow)

Canceling Autopilot Interviews

CareerPlug will automatically cancel any associated Autopilot-scheduled interviews when you deactivate an applicant.

Easily cancel interviews from your Dashboard.

1. On your Dashboard, locate the applicant’s name in the Upcoming Interviews section.

2. Click the three-dots icon to the right of their name and select Cancel from the drop-down menu.

Dashboard (2.25.25) (Interview Sched) (Three Dot menu) (Upc Int+Cancel highlights)

3. Enter a reason for canceling the interview if you'd like. This comment will not be visible to the candidate.

4. After you enter a cancelation reason (or opt not to), click the Yes, cancel interview button.

Cancel Interview Pop-Up (arrow)

The candidate will receive an automated text and email to inform them about the canceled interview, and the calendar invite will automatically be removed from their calendar.

Any user(s) selected as Interviewer (including you) will receive a cancelation notification email. The calendar event will automatically be removed for all users.

A note stating that you canceled the interview — and your interview cancelation reason, if provided — will be added to the Applicant Activity tab of the applicant's profile.

Applicant Profile (All Activity) (canceled interview) (highlights)

Once you cancel an applicant's interview, they will return to the start of the Autopilot process. You can begin the process again by navigating to your Applicants page and clicking the Begin Autopilot button.

Applicants Page (2.25.25) (Begin Autopilot arrow+Applicants highlight)

How applicants reschedule or cancel Autopilot interviews

Applicants have the option to reschedule or cancel an Autopilot interview directly from their interview confirmation text message.

(35) AP Reschedule + Cancel Options Text (link highlights) (no phone #) (cropped)

Applicant reschedules interview

Clicking the reschedule link will take an applicant back through the interview scheduling process, allowing them to choose a different time slot for their interview.

Applicants can reschedule interviews as many times as they need to.

(36) AP Reschedule - Select Day (no phone #) (cropped)

Once they select a new time slot, the applicant will receive an automated text, email, and updated calendar invite to inform them about the rescheduled interview.

(37) AP Reschedule Successful Text (highlights) (no phone #) (cropped)

Any user(s) selected as Interviewer (including you) will receive a rescheduled notification email. The calendar event will automatically be updated to the new time slot for all users, and "Rescheduled" will be added to the name of the event.

(38) Rescheduled Calendar Event

Applicant cancels interview

Clicking the cancel link will serve applicants with a cancelation confirmation page, as well as send an automated text and email, and remove the invite from their calendar.

Any user(s) selected as Interviewer (including you) will receive a cancelation notification email, and the event will automatically be removed from their calendar.

(39) AP Cancel - Applicant Notification (cropped)

(40) AP Cancel Successful Text (highlight)

If the candidate does reach out to let you know they are still interested in the position, you can easily Begin Autopilot again from your Applicants page.

Applicants Page (2.25.25) (Begin Autopilot arrow+Applicants highlight)