A candidate who doesn't respond isn't necessarily a lost candidate. How you handle the silence matters — both for filling the role and for protecting the candidate experience.

Clara AI's WhatsApp flow has explicit logic for every non-response scenario. Here's what happens at each stage.

When a candidate doesn't book after receiving an invite

Once a recruiter shortlists a candidate, Clara automatically sends a booking invite. The candidate receives a WhatsApp message with a link to choose their interview slot.

If they don't book, their status stays as pending invite and the booking link remains valid.

The slot isn't lost. The link doesn't expire. The recruiter can see the pending status in the dashboard and decide whether to follow up or move on.

When a candidate doesn't reply to the 24h confirmation

The 24-hour WhatsApp reminder includes Yes / No quick-reply buttons. If the candidate doesn't respond to either, the system treats the booking as still on.

The 1-hour reminder fires as normal. The interview slot is held. No action is required from the recruiter — the booking stays in place until the session time.

This is the deliberate default: inaction from the candidate is not treated as a cancellation.

When a candidate replies No

If the candidate taps ❌ No on the 24-hour WhatsApp prompt, Clara acts immediately:

• The interview slot is freed via the calendar API

• The candidate's status moves to Declined

• The recruiter receives a notification: the candidate has confirmed they can't attend

The slot is now available for the next candidate to book. No manual step.

When a candidate's number isn't on WhatsApp

Not every candidate uses WhatsApp. Clara handles this automatically.

If the candidate's number isn't WhatsApp-enabled, Clara falls back to SMS for that candidate — same message, same timing, different channel.

The recruiter workflow doesn't change.

What recruiters see

Every candidate in the shortlist pipeline carries a live status:

• Pending invite — invite sent, not yet booked

• Scheduled — slot booked, interview confirmed in calendar

• Confirmed — candidate replied Yes to the 24h prompt

• Declined — candidate replied No, slot freed

• Cancelled — recruiter manually cancelled

The status is visible on each candidate card in the pipeline. Recruiters don't need to chase to find out where things stand.

The value of not having to chase

In a high-volume hiring operation, a recruiter chasing interview confirmations across 30 candidates is 30 messages sent, received, and actioned manually. Clara removes that entirely.

Non-responses are held without panic. Confirmations are logged without follow-up.

Cancellations free the slot without a manual calendar edit. The recruiter's time stays on the shortlist, not the inbox.

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