Overview

As we all know, Institutes/B-Schools generally deploy one or the other post-application processes like Group Exercises or Interviews, etc. One of the key aspects of conducting the Interview/Evaluation process is to manage slot booking wherein the eligible candidates are asked to choose the date, time, venue, etc. Basis the availability of the capacities.

Using the Virtual Post Application, the Institute can themselves configure its Slot Booking process in just a few easy steps. Also, enabling the Slot Booking allows the user to:

1. Either enable the candidates to book their slots.
2. Or assign respective slots to the candidate
3. Allow Candidates to Reschedule their Interview/Evaluation process and/or make another attempt.

Configuration of Slot Booking

Pre-requisite

Access to the Virtual Post Application module on Meritto's portal

Configuration of Slot Booking

Step 1: Navigate to the Post Application in the menu then click on the Virtual Post Application in the sub-menu. Else, search for the Virtual Post Application in the menu search and then click on the Virtual Post Application listing

Step 2: Select the Form name for which you wish to enable the Slot Booking. Once the form name is selected then click on the Let’s Get Started button

Step 3: Drag the Interview Slot Booking tab from the Post Application Stages list and drop it in the

Design your Post Application Process workflow window and then click on the Next Step

Step 4: Once clicked on the Next Step then in the Process details you are required to define the Process name and Process Alias name. Please make sure to input the meaningful name so that later it would be easier for you to identify the process e.g. Name could be Personal Interview and the alias could be PI. Also, whatever is defined in the Process Alias name would be visible on the Application Manager column name say PI Date, PI Time etc.

Step 5: Define the criteria according to which slots will be assigned to the candidates.

• I want to Auto-Allocate Slots: Based on certain logic defined slots would be allotted to the candidate automatically
• I want candidates to select Slot: Selecting this would allow the candidate to select their slots from the available ones by themselves from the Student Admission Portal
• I want to Manually Allocate Slots: Selecting this would allow the institute/college user to manually assign the slots to the candidate by uploading the CSV

Once the criteria are defined. Please select the Mode of the Process which could be either 'At the Center' or 'Online Proctored at Home'. Based on the Mode, the Candidates might be provided an option to Select the Venue or not.

Step 6: Define the Applicant Eligibility Criteria i.e. which all candidates will be shown the option to book their slots.

• Application Started - Those candidates who have started their application for the selected form
• Payment Approved - Those candidates who have made the payment for the selected form.
• Application Submitted - Those candidates who have successfully submitted their application.
• Application Stage/Substage - Define the application stage or sub-stage and only the candidates marked onto that stage or sub-stage will see the option to book their slot.

Step 7: Check in the checkbox(s) for the parameters that are required to get the relevant information for the slot booking process. Define the Alias name which would be visible to the applicant while booking the slot. The Alias also defines the name of the fields as will be visible to the Admin User, say for example the Institute might want to ask Date but with name as Interview Date, which could be handled by setting the respective Alias.

Step 8: Select the method through which slots would be configured. The method could be either Manually defining the slots or uploading via CSV.

If the method for defining the slots is selected as “Input manually” then define the parameters' values manually which would be available to the candidates for the selection on their dashboard (if the eligibility for the slot Allocation is selected as “I want candidates to select Slot”)

If the method of uploading the slots is selected as “Upload Offline” then upload the CSV with the relevant information and the format of the CSV should be similar to “Sample CSV Download” Then click on Save and Next button to continue further.

Here the user is also provided filters to see the status and capacities of filtered dates or slots.

Step 9: On the Additional settings page, firstly define the Start Date and Deadline date within which the candidates will be shown the Slot booking button in their Student Admission Portal.

Additionally, define the button name which would be visible on the candidates’ dashboard if the Candidates are allowed to book their slot themselves.

Step 10: Design the Slot Booking page for the candidate by defining the 

• Page heading: Heading would be visible on the Slot Booking page to the candidate once they have clicked on the Slot Booking button from the dashboard
• Instruction: If required, define the Instruction that would be visible on the Slot Booking page.
• Button text on the Slot Booking page: This will be the button visible to the Candidate on the Slot Booking page to submit his selected Venue/Date/Time.
• Success Pop-up message: Once, the candidate has booked the slots, then the configured message will be displayed over the success pop-up
• Show Slots available after: This will define the Available Slots to be shown to the Candidates for selection. Say, for example, the Institute wants to show the Slots available after 2 days, the Candidate who is eligible for the exam on 24th May will be shown Slots available from 26th May onwards.
• Dashboard Settings on Successful Slot Booking Message: Once the candidate has successfully booked their slot then the defined message will be displayed on the candidate's dashboard till the Date for the process.
• Interview Call Letter: Select the Interview Call Letter template from the dropdown list which would be displayed to the candidate on their dashboard and would be available for downloading once the candidate has booked his slot successfully. Please make sure the Interview Call letter template is configured in the Document Template to get the same in the drop-down list and click on the Save and Next button

Step 11: If required, enable the Rescheduling by clicking the Yes radio button which would allow the candidate to reschedule the selected slot till the actual slot date booked. To configure the same define:

• Button text on Candidate Dashboard: Button name which would be visible on the candidate dashboard clicking which allows the candidate to reschedule the slot
• No. of times slot can be Re-Scheduled: Number of times the candidate can Reschedule their slot. If only 1 time is defined then the candidate would be able to reschedule the slot only one time till the time the slot date booked by the Candidate.
• Start Date Is: Define the Date and Time from when the Rescheduling option will be made available to the Candidates. 
• End Date Is: Define the End date for the Rescheduling. Click on the Save and Next button
• Disallow rescheduling of the slot before X days from the main booked slot: Specify the timeframe within which the Reschedule button will be disabled for candidates from the original booked slot.
• Review or Edit slot details: You can review their configured slot details and if required maximum capacity can be changed by clicking the edit icon next to the "Review slot details" heading. Furthermore, slots can be filtered based on the configured parameters by selecting the filter icon. Additionally, slots can downloaded by clicking the download button.

Step 12: Once clicked on the Save and Next button if required configure the Email, What's app, or SMS by checking the checkbox and selecting the communication template from the dropdown which would be sent to the candidate once they have booked the slots. Please make sure to configure the Email, SMS, and what’s app template in the Manage Communication Template

Step 13: If required, enable the Retake by clicking on the Yes radio button which would allow the candidate to book slots for additional attempts. To configure the same define:

1. Applicant Eligibility Criteria: Criteria on which the Retake would be enabled for the candidate. The criteria could be Payment Approved, Application Submitted, or Application Started or Application stage.
2. Button text on Candidate Dashboard: Button name which would be displayed to the candidate to book their slot for Retake 
3. No of Times slot can be Re-Take: Number of times candidates are allowed to book their slot for the Retake 
4. Start Date Is: Define the Start time for the Retake
5. End Date is: Define the end time for the Retake
6. Disallow candidates to select the parameters which are already selected in all their previous attempts: Set up a parameter to prevent candidates from selecting a slot parameter they have chosen in a previous attempt. For instance, if there are two slots configured with parameters named A and B, and a specific parameter is enabled, then if a candidate selects the A parameter during the main attempt, they won't have the option to select an A parameter slot during a retake.
   

Step 14: Click on the Save button. Lastly, enable the toggle button to take the process to live.

Great! With this, you have successfully configured your Slot Booking process to streamline the Interview/Evaluation process.