# Candidate availability: distinguish interview times from start dates

Separate interview availability, notice expectations, and a possible start date in candidate notes.

Canonical source: https://recruitrecap.com/blog/candidate-availability-start-date-notes
Author: Recruit Recap editorial team
Published: 2026-10-06T13:45:00+11:00

Separate interview availability, notice expectations, and a possible start date in candidate notes. They answer different questions. “Available next week” might mean a candidate can interview, not that they can begin employment.

## Use a timeline with dependencies

| Item | Fictional statement | What to confirm |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Interview availability | Tuesday afternoon, Eastern Time | Exact date and time window |
| Notice expectation | Candidate expects to give two weeks | When that period would begin |
| Earliest possible start | After notice and an existing commitment | Specific date once conditions are known |

These are fictional scheduling details, not universal notice rules. Do not convert a candidate's estimate into a guaranteed start date. Keep the conditions visible when the client asks how quickly someone can join.

## Replace relative dates before sharing

“Next Friday” becomes ambiguous after a note is forwarded. Confirm the calendar date and time zone, then record both. A US recruiting team working across time zones should not assume a candidate's local afternoon is the client's afternoon.

For daylight-saving transitions, confirm the named zone and the intended local time in the scheduling tool. Do not rely on a permanently fixed offset in a reusable template. The note should help a coordinator send the correct invitation, not make them interpret a shorthand phrase.

## Handle changed availability

If the candidate updates a date, preserve the earlier note and add a dated correction in the agency's agreed system. Tell the person arranging interviews or managing the submittal which value is current. A corrected local document is insufficient if the client already has an older version.

A useful update reads: “Candidate confirmed October 20 at 2 p.m. Eastern for the client interview; earlier October 19 option withdrawn.” That sentence describes a fictional example of a scheduling change. It does not imply a product sends updates automatically.

## Build a closing question into the screen

Before ending, ask the candidate to restate the next agreed step and its timing. Read back any conditions that affect a potential start. If no date was agreed, use “to confirm” and assign a follow-up owner.

The [screening notes template](/blog/candidate-screening-notes-template) provides the broader record. Pair it with [candidate follow-up notes](/blog/candidate-follow-up-action-items) when several people share coordination. Recruit Recap produces reviewable notes from supported selected meetings; treat dates and names as fields to verify before using the write-up to coordinate a real appointment.