Interview scheduling dilemma

First of all, I know this is more of a ‘happy’ problem to have, so I’m not complaining, but I’m struggling with it right now…

So far I’ve made it through the 1st and 2nd interviews at a couple of places I’m really interested in, and out of nowhere another company (which I am also very interested in!) contacted me to schedule an interview. The problem is, the interview will be scheduled a little while from now due to some traveling policy, and I’m afraid that by that time I might be put in the position to either take or leave the offer at either of the two places I’ve interviewed with, depending on their flexibility.

The question is, should I let the third company know about this before finalizing the interview schedule? That there is a chance I may be forced to make a decision to cancel the interview (not to mention the flights and hotels reservations as well)? I really do want to let them know about this out of respect, but I don’t want to risk them changing their mind about me, because what if I don’t even get any offers from the first two places?

What do you think would be the best way to approach this?

Like Mark Twain said, “if you never lie, you never have to remember anything”.
First of all congratulations on making it through two rounds.
I would be tactful yet open with the third company - HR and hiring managers usually like to know if you are talking with other places, not as a ploy to get more compensation but simply so they know to move things along in a timely manner. If they want you enough to fly you around they are prepared for the travel expenses to be a total wash. Being open shows some courtesy.
If on the other hand you are skilled at working people and timelines then be as opaque and self-serving as possible.

Always be honest. Your reputation is one of your most important assets in this business.

Also, there is a saying, often a girl with a date to the dance is more attractive than a girl on her own. Being open that you have offers on the table will likely expedite the situation.

Thank you for the advice, both of you.

I decided to do the right thing and let them know about what’s going on on my end. After all, if I were them, I would want my candidates to tell me about these things… I hope they will understand.

And just to be clear, I asked this question because the third company never asked me whether I’m talking with other places or not. If they asked, I would have definitely let them know! :slight_smile:

I think you should definitely let the third company know, if only to help them speed things up. As a hiring manager, it has definitely been helpful on both sides of the equation. Nothing helps more than to know if a candidate is under time pressure which can be used to help speed HR up, and nothing is worse than waiting for someone you made an offer to who needs additional time. You have to remember, they likely have a close number two candidate who they have to notify one way or the other.

I got a response from the hiring manager of the third company, thanking me for letting them know and that they will schedule the interview anyways and see what happens :smiley:

Everything went better than expected.