How to Set Up Your First Automated Interview Scheduling Workflow Using Make.com

In today’s competitive talent landscape, efficiency in recruitment isn’t just a luxury—it’s a necessity. Manual interview scheduling is a significant bottleneck, consuming valuable recruiter time and introducing potential for errors. This guide from 4Spot Consulting provides a clear, step-by-step pathway to leveraging Make.com to automate your interview scheduling workflow, freeing your team to focus on strategic talent acquisition rather than administrative tasks. By implementing this system, you’ll reduce time-to-hire, enhance candidate experience, and streamline your recruitment operations, saving precious hours that can be reinvested into growth.

Step 1: Define Your Workflow Objectives and Tools

Before diving into Make.com, clearly outline the exact sequence of events and desired outcomes for your automated scheduling. Consider what triggers the process (e.g., a candidate reaching a specific stage in your ATS, a form submission), what information needs to be collected, and which calendar system (Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar) and video conferencing tool (Zoom, Google Meet) you’ll integrate. Identify your Applicant Tracking System (ATS) or CRM where candidate data resides. A well-defined objective ensures your automation serves a precise business need, preventing scope creep and ensuring a successful implementation that truly saves time and eliminates bottlenecks in your hiring process. This foundational step is critical for building a robust and effective automation.

Step 2: Initiate Your Scenario in Make.com with a Trigger

Log into your Make.com account and create a new scenario. The first module you’ll add is your “Trigger.” This trigger will be the starting point for your automated workflow. Common triggers for interview scheduling include a “Watch Records” module from your ATS (e.g., Greenhouse, Workable, or a custom CRM like Keap) when a candidate’s status changes to “Interview Stage,” or a “Webhook” if you’re using a system that can send custom notifications upon an event. Carefully configure this trigger to listen for the specific event that should initiate the interview scheduling process. Ensure the trigger is set up to capture all necessary candidate details, such as name, email, and the specific job they’re applying for, as this data will flow through your entire workflow.

Step 3: Integrate Your Calendar and Scheduling Preferences

With your trigger established, the next step is to connect your calendar system. Add a module for your preferred calendar (e.g., “Google Calendar – Search Events” or “Microsoft 365 Outlook Calendar – Find Event Times”). This module will be used to identify available time slots for the interviewer(s). You’ll need to specify parameters such as the interviewer’s calendar ID, desired meeting duration, and any buffer times. For more sophisticated scheduling, you might introduce a router to allow for different interviewers or types of interviews. The goal here is to dynamically find open slots that align with your team’s availability, eliminating the back-and-forth email exchanges that typically plague manual scheduling efforts.

Step 4: Generate a Custom Scheduling Link

After identifying available times, you need to present these options to the candidate in an accessible way. While Make.com doesn’t directly create full-fledged scheduling pages like Calendly, you can integrate with tools that do, or construct a dynamic link. A common approach is to use a calendar tool like Calendly or Acuity Scheduling, and have Make.com generate a unique, pre-filled scheduling link using data from your ATS. Alternatively, you can use Make.com’s “Text Parser” or “Webhooks” to construct a link that points to a simple form or a pre-filtered calendar view. This link will be unique to the candidate and their interview type, ensuring they select from the correct available slots.

Step 5: Send Automated Interview Invitation to Candidate

Once the dynamic scheduling link is ready, use an email module (e.g., “Gmail – Send an Email” or “SendGrid – Send an Email”) to send a personalized invitation to the candidate. In the email body, include the custom scheduling link, clear instructions on how to book their interview, and any relevant details such as the interviewer’s name or the interview format. Ensure the email is branded with your company’s logo and uses a professional, welcoming tone. Make.com allows you to pull candidate names and job titles directly from your trigger, personalizing each email and enhancing the candidate experience. This automated outreach ensures prompt communication and reduces the chances of candidates dropping out due to delays.

Step 6: Confirm Booking and Update Your ATS

The final critical steps involve confirming the candidate’s selection and updating your internal systems. Once the candidate books an interview via the scheduling link, your calendar system (or integrated scheduling tool) will register the appointment. Make.com can then be configured to “Watch Events” on that calendar. When a new event (the booked interview) is detected, you can trigger another module to update the candidate’s status in your ATS (e.g., “Interview Scheduled”) and potentially send a confirmation email to both the candidate and the interviewer with all event details, including the video conference link. This ensures all stakeholders are informed and your ATS remains the single source of truth for recruitment progress.

If you would like to read more, we recommend this article: The Automated Recruiter’s 2025 Verdict: Make.com vs Zapier for Hyper-Automation