# Setting availability for interview scheduling Set your calendar availability in a few simple steps and enable real time availability. Learn how to set your Cronofy account up. ## Availability Options In Cronofy, **availability settings** allow you to define the times you're open for meetings and events. Each option lets you tailor your availability based on different needs, **maximizing** scheduling flexibility. With **three** **main** options to suit different scenarios: ## With three main options to suit different scenarios: **Working Hours - Interview Times** Share any available slots with candidates, bypassing the wait or block during specific times using Interview Times. **Custom Hours** Share pre-selected blocks if interviewers have agreed upon specific times. Optionally override existing calendar items. **Specific Slots** Share exact times that you are available and ignore all other availability settings. In addition to the options above, availability is also influenced by **buffers** and **minimum notice.** Make sure to set those on Preferences. ## Working Hours By **default**, your availability is set to "Working Hours," defined as 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. This default provides candidates with the **best experience** by offering the most time slots to choose from, helping to streamline the hiring process and reduce **time-to-hire** by eliminating wait times for interviewer availability. The booking form will automatically show available slots (excluding '**tentative**' or '**busy**' times) within the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. window in the interviewer’s **time zone**. If needed, you can adjust these settings on [behalf of the interviewer. ](https://www.cronofy.com/guides/user-onboarding/user-management-new) ## Interview Times **Interview Times** is a powerful availability option in Cronofy that creates automatic **placeholders*** in interviewers' calendars that can be shared as available slots with a candidate. Interviewers can move, delete, and modify these placeholders, with changes reflecting immediately in Cronofy and for the candidate. Setup: - Go to your **Members** section (to set up for someone else) or **Your Preferences** (for yourself). - Select the Member for which you want to add the times. - Select your OU under** Interview Times** - Set up the times - Use the **+** sign to add times in the calendar and finalize by clicking **Enable Specific Availability.** If you schedule for **multiple people**, we will take Interview Times into account for those that have this set up. For the rest we will take working hours into account. *These placeholders appear as '**tentative**' in Microsoft calendars and '**busy**' with the title '**Held for interviews**' in other calendar systems, providing real-time availability to candidates. ## Custom Hours Use this option when you have pre-agreed **time blocks** from interviewers to share with a candidate. To select these blocks, simply **click or drag** over the desired time slots, as shown on the right. If hosts have other events scheduled during these pre-agreed times, you can override their availability by selecting the "**Offer slots during selected times**" options: **Only when I'm free:** Cronofy will only book free slots in you calendar. **Whether I'm busy or not:** we will book over busy slots in your calendar, except other Cronofy created events. Cronofy will automatically respect any buffer times and minimum notice periods set in the interviewers' preferences. ## Specific slots Use this option when interviewers have **specific** **times** available for a candidate. Select a time from the **dropdown or type it directly**. You can schedule slots up to 6 months in advance, offering a maximum range of **35** days within this period. Note that Cronofy settings like minimum notice and buffer times will be **overridden**, setting only a default minimum notice period of one hour. You can also override any **busy times** in their calendar by selecting the “**Whether busy or not**” option from the **Offer slots during selected times.** **Only when I'm free:** Cronofy will only book free slots in you calendar. **Whether I'm busy or not:** we will book over busy slots in your calendar, except other Cronofy created events. [< Back to Guides](/guides) ## FAQ **Q: Will the availability always be real-time regardless of what type of availability I'm sharing?** A: Yes, any time a change happens in the interviewers' calendar this will be reflected in the booking form that the candidate uses to choose their time. Please keep in mind if you selected to [override](https://www.loom.com/share/fbfc2ec9c15f479b94ae7c6a3bbb7103) or [ignore availability](https://www.loom.com/share/fbb070ffb5f246df821c86a797487561), the calendar changes will not be taken into account. **Q: I changed my hours but it is not reflected in the scheduler, what now?** A: Ensure the 'save' button at the bottom of the preferences page is clicked (sometimes you need to scroll down to see it). If that didn't solve it, please contact our support team @support@cronofy.com. **Q: Can the interviewer also create a placeholder in the calendar that will be picked up by Cronofy for the interviewer?** A: No. This is currently not possible. **Q: What kind of edits can an interviewer make to the placeholders from Cronofy in their calendar?** A: They can move them to another time, adjust the duration of the placeholders, and remove them entirely. **Q: Will Cronofy automatically pick up any updated placeholder for existing and new requests scheduled with ‘Interview Times’ instead of ‘Working Hours’ or ‘Specific Slots’? ** A: Yes. **Q: Can an interviewer also set this up for themselves? ** A: They can only do this if they have ‘Scheduler admin’ or ‘Owner’ rights to go into the Members section in Cronofy.