Fountain allows you to schedule time with applicants directly through the platform using a Scheduler Stage. Scheduler Stages can be used to book time to speak with an applicant for interviews, orientations, or more informal Q&As.
Adding a Scheduler Stage to a Workflow
Access the Workflow Editor
For a new Opening, you will access the Workflow Editor screen after choosing to create a new Opening, clone an existing Opening, or linking to an existing Opening.
For existing Openings, click the Settings icon on the Applicant Table then Edit Workflow OR from the Jobs screen, click the 3 dots button to the left of the Opening and then Edit Workflow.
Click the Add Stage button in the top left corner of the Workflow Editor screen and select Create New Stage.
Enter a title for the stage, such as In-Person Interview. Select Scheduler in the Stage Type dropdown and choose a placement for the stage.
Click Add Stage.
Scheduler Stage Settings
Review the image numbers below and the corresponding descriptions:
Enable Scheduler Bot will only be visible in your settings if you have Fountain AI enabled on your account.
Toggling Web Widget, SMS/WhatsApp, or Text to Apply enables the Fountain AI bot to schedule applicants for this Scheduler stage within these methods of communication.
See Fountain AI in the Help Center for more information.
Move Applicant to the Next Stage will automatically move the applicant forward to the next stage in your workflow once they book a session.
This is useful for Scheduler Stages created with the purpose of scheduling orientations, wherein the applicant will then be prompted to an information screen about what to expect on their first day.
Most users should not toggle this on if they are creating a Scheduler stage for an interview, as they will want to meet with the applicant prior to moving them forward in the Workflow.
Send Session Reminders Even if Applicants Have Moved to a Different Stage will send applicants reminders about their session regardless of what stage they are in. Fountain recommends toggling this on to ensure applicants do not miss their booked session.
If an applicant has a scheduled session and sends an SMS with the word "No" after a Reminder Message is sent out, the system will cancel their session. even if the [SMS_RSVP_YES] or [SMS_RSVP_NO] merge keys are not in use
See Scheduler Stage Messages in the Help Center for more information.
Show Stage in Applicant Portal will show the stage to the applicant in their portal tracker, located on the left side of their screen.
Show One Session per Timeframe will only show applicants one session to select from for each timeframe, even if there are multiple sessions to choose from.
For example, if there are three slots to choose from at 12:00 p.m., the applicant will only be able to see and select one 12:00 p.m. timeslot.
Limit Future Sessions will prevent applicants from booking sessions too far into the future. Select the number of days out you would like applicants to be able to choose from and enter that number into the box.
Last Minute Bookings prevents applicants from booking a session that is within the next two hours of today’s date.
This setting is ignored if you have Instant Interview enabled on your account. Instant Interview allows applicants to request an immediate phone interview with a recruiter as soon as they land on a Scheduler stage.
See Instant Interview in the Help Center for more information.
Max Reschedules prevents applicants from rescheduling too many times. Enter the maximum number of allowable reschedules in the box.
Last Minute Rescheduling prevents applicants from rescheduling their sessions within a certain number of hours. Enter the maximum allowable number of hours in the box.
Enable Live Video provides applicants with a link to a live video call for the day and time selected once they have scheduled a session in the calendar. Live video calls are hosted on Whereby.
See Live Video in the Help Center for more information.
Onsite Address allows you to enter an address for an onsite interview. If all interviews will be held virtually, this does not need to be completed.
Idle Move Rule creates a rule to automatically move idle applicants to a target stage after a certain number of days.
Message Options allow you to create initial messages, confirmation messages, cancellation messages, and reminder messages for applicants for events such as scheduling interviews, reminding them of interviews, or details upon canceling interviews. Select how you would like your message to be delivered (email, SMS, or email + SMS).
See the Message Applicants Section of the Help Center for more information
Applicant Scheduler Experience
Once an applicant has been brought to a Scheduler stage, they will have the option to select a location, event name (such as Interview or Orientation), and choose the timeslot that best works for them. Once these options are selected, the Book slot button will turn blue and both the applicant and the calendar owner will receive a notification confirming the appointment.
For more information on calendar integrations, see Connecting Your External Calendar and Add Availability to the Fountain Calendar in the Help Center.
Additional Resources
Click the tile below to launch the Scheduler Stage Setup microcourse in a new browser tab.
