Scheduler Job Descriptions, Average Salary, Interview Questions

What Does a Scheduler Do?

Schedulers create and maintain the schedules of individuals or teams within an organization. They balance the availability and resources against incoming requests to ensure all tasks are completed on time and adjust schedules as necessary to accommodate changes in priorities or deadlines. Schedulers work in various industries – most commonly healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, and transportation.

Success as a scheduler requires excellent organizational and time-management skills, the ability to manage competing priorities, and calmness under pressure. They must be strong communicators who are able to confidently and effectively collaborate with team members and other departments to ensure tasks and projects are completed on time.

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National Average Salary

Scheduler salaries vary by experience, industry, organization size, and geography. To explore salary ranges by local market, please visit our sister site zengig.com.

The average U.S. salary for a Scheduler is:

$38,550

Scheduler Job Descriptions

The first step when hiring a great scheduler is a well-crafted job description. Below are real-world examples to help give you the best chance of success on your recruiting journey.

Example 1

Looking for a full-time remote scheduler to work at [Your Company Name]. The scheduler will be responsible for booking clients and patients for appointments. You must have excellent communication skills as well as the ability to accurately record, manage, and oversee data. Previous experience in scheduling and calendar software is not required but is a plus. You will be in charge of answering phone calls and emails from clients and potential clients, as well as scheduling appointments for consultations and visits. If any scheduling issues occur, it will be your responsibility to resolve these issues as well. You should be hardworking and have the ability to resolve any communication issues that may occur. If the duties described seem like they would fit you perfectly, please apply for this position. [Your Company Name] looks forward to hearing from you!

Typical duties and responsibilities

  • Schedule appointments for patients
  • Call for appointment reminders
  • Answer phones and greet patients
  • Submit billing and insurance claims
  • Resolve questions and complaints
  • Handle paper and electronic files
  • Basic bookkeeping

Education and experience

Schedulers should have a high school diploma or equivalent. An associate degree in a business or medical field would be helpful, although it isn’t required. Some knowledge of health care would be a plus.

Required skills and qualifications

  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Computer skills, including Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel)
  • Experience with electronic health records (EHRs)
  • Strong interpersonal skills for dealing with patients, doctors, and staff
  • Discretion and the ability to handle confidential information
  • Organizational skills and the ability to multitask
  • Calm, professional demeanor
  • Attention to detail

Preferred qualifications

  • Completed HIPAA training
  • Experience with scheduling software and working in healthcare
  • Obtained previous medical certifications
  • Strong mechanical aptitude
  • High ethical standards and the ability to hold accountability

Example 2

Responsible for coordinating the day-to-day scheduling activities of a company operation. Maintain and expedite accurate schedules to appropriate departments. Communicate with production department, installers, and customers as necessary for scheduling dates.

Primary tasks and responsibilities

  • Coordinates production schedules with vendors, sub-contractors, and customers to establish installation timelines
  • Communicates installation date schedules to internal departments as appropriate to ensure product is delivered by established deadline
  • Interacts with external customers, vendors, and internal staff to obtain information needed to facilitate work planning, scheduling prioritization, resolution of technical issues, incorporating changes, and identification of other special requirements
  • Coordinates flow and work orders according to quality control inspections, schedule, and customer requests
  • Communicates with customer regarding scheduling, status, and technical issues
  • Maintains accurate records of all trades
  • Utilizes computerized system for tracking, information gathering, and/or troubleshooting

Education and experience

  • Must be at least eighteen years of age
  • Must pass work eligibility requirements
  • HS Diploma or GED required
  • 0-2 years of experience in area of responsibility
  • Experience using Microsoft Office Suite, Specifically Excel
  • Preferred: Material resource planning and/or production control experience with Systems Applications Processes (SAP)
  • Preferred: Experience in processes of warehouse operations and distribution programs

Physical demands

  • While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to, stand, sit, talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard reach, stoop kneel to install computer equipment
  • Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision requirements due to computer work
  • Light to moderate lifting is required

Example 3

If your dream job is heavy on mail merging, pivot tables, and presentation design, this could be the scheduler job for you!

Your responsibilities in this role

  • Back various projects for other employees
  • Navigate through word processing, filing, and faxing
  • Receive and direct visitors
  • Appointment scheduling
  • Handle telephone calls

Requirements

  • At least 1 year of Administrative Assistant experience preferred
  • Strong communication and social skills and able to receive criticism well
  • Proficiency with diverse computer applications and experience with contract database systems
  • Ability to use the internet for research
  • Deep understanding of Microsoft Word
  • Expertise in Microsoft Excel
  • Dispatching experience

Example 4

Role summary

In all of our centers, the first point of verbal contact for our patients is the Scheduler. As first impressions are lasting, our personnel must portray patience, understanding, professionalism, compassion, and accuracy.

Your key responsibilities

  • Completes initial registration information of new patients following established policies and procedures
  • Process referrals before scheduling new appointments
  • Verifies coverage under eligibility
  • Evaluate physician schedules to organize appointments
  • Monitors automatic call reminder system; making sure that cancellations are identified and reconciled with the schedule
  • Updates any changes of patient’s information in computer database and scans updated paperwork into Electronic Health Record (EHR) including documenting phone notes when appropriate
  • Navigate through a patient’s chart in the EHR to locate appropriate information
  • Verifies pharmacy information and other clinical information related to a patient’s visit
  • Documents notes in computer when appropriate
  • Other duties as assigned by supervisor

Minimum qualifications

  • High school graduate or equivalent
  • Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills
  • Superior Telephone, computer, and typing skills
  • Medical system experience & MS Office experience preferred
  • One plus year(s) experience in a medical office setting required
  • Ability to sit, stand, and communicate to patients and staff

Candidate Certifications to Look For

  • PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP). The PMI Scheduling Professional certification allows candidates who have a comprehensive knowledge of scheduling, project management, and administrative techniques to showcase their knowledge with a widely recognized certificate. This certification is offered by the Project Management Institute.
  • Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA). A certified medical administrative assistant is required to have a comprehensive understanding of administrative tasks within medical offices. This certification can be immensely beneficial to any scheduler looking to gain entry into the medical scheduling field or expand their potential job spectrum. The certificate is offered by the National Healthcareer Association.

How to Hire a Scheduler

Consider the following when hiring a scheduler:

  • Recruiting: Do you have the internal resources and tools to source and recruit for this role successfully?
  • Complexity: Do you need a senior professional, or will mid, or even junior-level skills suffice?
  • Duration: Is this a one-time project, or an indefinite need?
  • Management: Can you effectively direct the work effort?
  • Urgency: Are there any deadlines associated with this need?
  • Headcount: Do you have the budget and approval for an internal employee, or should you consider alternate options?

Answering these questions will help determine the best course of action for your current hiring need. Fortunately, various great options exist for every scenario, no matter how unique. We recommend the following options when hiring a scheduler:

1. Use 4 Corner Resources (or another professional recruiting firm)

The heavy lifting is done for you when working with a top-tier staffing company like 4 Corner Resources. We source, screen, recruit, and deliver only the most qualified candidate(s), saving you significant time and effort throughout the hiring process while you remain focused on your core business. Understanding your needs and ensuring the right candidate for the position is the key to our success.

This is the best route to take when:

  • You need to fill the position quickly
  • You want access to a vast talent pool of high-quality, prescreened candidates
  • Your position is suited for temporary hiring services, contract staffing, or contract-to-hire recruiting, and you intend to direct the work activity.
  • You are hiring an employee as a direct placement but aren’t able to recruit effectively or efficiently with your internal staff. 
  • You aren’t familiar with current salary rates, market trends, and available skill sets
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2. Advertise your opening on a top job board

Your best option may be to advertise your opening on a proven job board. There are many widely used job sites out there that draw visits from qualified candidates. If you have someone internally who can dedicate the time and energy to sort through applications and screen individuals effectively, this can be a great choice. 

We recommend using a job board when:

  • Your internal recruiting team has the knowledge and experience to assess candidate qualifications
  • You are hiring a direct employee and have time to manage the entire recruiting effort 
  • You have a process for receiving, screening, and tracking all resumes and applications
  • You are prepared to respond to all applicants

We recommend CareerBuilder when hiring a scheduler:

CareerBuilder

CareerBuilder has been a trusted source for hiring since 1995. Reach 80+ million unique, diverse U.S. job seekers annually by posting your jobs through their talent acquisition channels. Through CareerBuilder, you can engage candidates and drive them into your sourcing pipeline. We recommend using CareerBuilder for hiring when you have the internal resources and processes to review, screen, and reply to all applicants.

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3. Leverage your internal resources

You can utilize your own website, social media, and employees to assist in your search for top candidates. 

A company website posting should be the first step in notifying prospective candidates that you are hiring. Social media can also be a powerful tool for spreading the word about your new opening. As far as exposure is concerned, this option can be as good as some job boards when you have a large enough following across various platforms, like LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter.

Current employees are every organization’s greatest asset. Encourage your internal team to promote job openings to their network by offering cash and other incentives.

We recommend these options when:

  • Your brand has great name recognition
  • You can consistently monitor and respond to candidate activity through your website and social media accounts
  • You have a process in place to quickly and broadly communicate job openings and requirements
  • You have an effective employee referral program in place

If you aren’t sure which path is best, schedule a discovery call today with our seasoned recruiting professionals. The 4 Corner team is on standby to help you find the best option for your unique hiring need.

Sample Interview Questions

  • Tell me about your experience working as a scheduler and what makes the job most enjoyable for you.
  • What is your process for allocating tasks and managing competing priorities when creating a schedule?
  • Describe a time when you had to make adjustments due to changing priorities or deadlines.
  • What is your approach to making sure everyone involved in a project or task is aware of their responsibilities and deadlines?
  • Which scheduling software tools have you previously used? What were the pros and cons of each?
  • If there was a scheduling error, how would you resolve this and successfully communicate the issue to the affected parties?
  • How well would you handle a busy scheduling day, and what methods would you use to ensure that you scheduled all appointments accurately?
  • Do you have good etiquette when conversing with clients over the phone or in person?
  • How would you go about inputting relevant schedule data into the system?
  • Do you have any relevant certifications which will prove beneficial in this position?
  • Describe a time when a task or project you scheduled failed to meet its deadline. How did you handle it, and what did you learn from the experience?

About Ashley Mapelli

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