Hi folks,
Relatively new to THS. I posted a sit for April/may 2 days ago, i have one offer but really want to interview 3-4 folks. What is the right thing to do? Let them know that I want to wait to see if there 3-4 applicants? Thanks…
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Hi there,
It’s really up to you, but just know that THS policy asks members to respond to messages within 72hrs. Many sitters apply to multiple sits at once and operate a first-come-first-serve approach, and won’t wait around for hosts that are unresponsive or indecisive. It’s highly likely that if you wait, your applicant will withdraw their application or may no longer be available. I think it’s more about finding the right fit for you than having a large number of applicants - if you’re interested in their application, why not have a call - they might just end up being perfect for you. However, if you think they’re not the right fit then certainly wait for more applicants. With this program, the mindset of ‘oh, there may be someone better’ won’t help you - it’s really just about finding the right match for your needs and vice versa. Have calls, ask the right questions, communicate and see if it’s a good fit 
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We withdraw our applications if no response is received within 48 hours, since it strongly suggests that the pet parent does not recognise us as a good match and we do want to be consciously chosen.
Please remember that sitters can see when their application has been read, so to read and not respond promptly again signals disinterest.
Basically, if you read an application, check out the sitter’s profile and reviews and don’t feel compelled to get in touch and arrange to chat ASAP, there’s a good chance you will not be a good match. And that’s another thing to bear in mind; sitters will be assessing you, just as you will be assessing them, since this is an introductory service for an equitable exchange. Don’t think you wil be ‘interviewing’ sitters, much better to view it as a friendly chat where mutual assessing will be going on.
It doesn’t matter how many applications you receive or how many sitters you speak with, just go with your gut feeling (so if the first applicant ticks all your boxes, chat ASAP and confirm the sit. If not, decline and wait / hope for more).
For info, applications will automatically close once five are received, so if none seem suitable, please do decline (with a thank-you note, which is always appreciated) and un-pause your listing so that more can apply.
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Hi, if they sound like a good match, and are experienced with good reviews, get back to them quickly, speak to them, get it confirmed if you are happy.
Otherwise you risk them getting another sit or just withdrawing their application. Quite a few sitters have a policy of withdrawing if they don’t hear back in a couple of days.
It takes a while to get your head round how it all works. Remember it’s a mutual thing - sitters are also evaluating the sits and pet owners.
Its about finding a good match both ways asap.- think of it more like a dating app than a job application process. It would be very unusual to speak with many sitters. If I was told, thanks for your application but I’m going to wait to have 4 sitters to interview (and sitters hate that word by the way, it’s a 2 way chat where they also decide whether they are interested), I’d withdraw. If you are not happy enough with my profile to go ahead but want to look for better options, then it’s not a good match for me.
It’s okay to wait a day or two, but like I said, if they look good, there’s no benefit to prolonging things.
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Yes, that sums it up perfectly!
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2 days is too long to wait. We get given the go-ahead within hours usually. Also, never interview 3-4, it’s a total waste of your and their time, only video chat with the sitter/s you have a gut feel-good feeling about, they are your perfect sitters, your intuition is never wrong… and if you happen to chat and feel your gut was wrong THEN chat with another. Also, never use the word interview, you make them sound like an employee, when in reality they are sitting out of the love of it.
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Please don’t use the word “interview”, It’s not a paid job. I find that word derogatory and turns me off a homeowner that uses that term. Please use terms like “would like to chat with” or something similar.
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Welcome @runifoster
It would be best to speak to the sitter who has applied without delay . Arrange a video call . If there are things that concern you - discuss these in the video call . If they are new to THS , take into consideration that they are taking a chance on you ; as you also being new have no reviews at this stage .
If they are a good fit accept them . If they are not what you are looking for decline them .
For context - often sitters will be applying for multiple sits for the same dates - since they know that with up to 5 applications before sits are paused - only one sitter can be accepted .
Therefore if you wait around a good sitter may be snapped up by another host before you have even spoken to them .
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Do you like the look of your one applicant? If so why not arrange a video call? If you don’t act quick you may lose them. If we apply for a sit and see our application has been read but then dont receive a response we will withdraw as we think its rude not to get a reply.
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April/May is a long time off. I know some nomadic sitters fill up their schedules months in advance, but if this is a more or less normal sit without a lot of applicants, you might be better waiting a few weeks to post. I sit part time and most sits I take are between 3 months and 3 weeks away. More than a month is necessary if it involves flying and at least 3 weeks so I have enough time to get a sitter for my cats if my spouse is coming with.) You might be having trouble getting applicants because it is so far off. Then again if it’s Semana Santa in Cartagena, this would be a great time to list! It depends.
You can also get help with your listing by coming to the forum and posting your listing so people can see it and give you their opinion on how to make it more attractive to applicants.
Once you have listing as good as it can be, and timed right, you should pick up a few appicants right away. It’s best NOT to chat with anyone who is already raising any red flags. Just decline those sitters you don’t feel have sufficient experience or the right kind of pet or house experience. But if someone seems to have the right stuff, try to talk to that person as soon as you can. If it seems like a good fit, offer them the sit. By all means if there are a few people who fit the bill you can try to arrange 2, 3, or more conversations in case someone doesn’t work out, but set them up quickly so that you can decide quickly, as good sitters will be applying to other sits and may lose patience with a long process.
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What’s “right” depends on your own comfort level with applicants. You can go at any speed you want, but no one is obligated to match that pace — they can withdraw, pursue and accept other sits, make non-sit plans, etc.
With the most recent hosts who wanted to chat with other applicants out of politeness, though they thought I’d be a strong fit, I withdrew my application. I prefer to work with hosts who are decisive and respect others’ time. Once I withdrew, they expressed disappointment and said they’d actually been talking and wanted me to potentially become a repeat sitter for them. I wished them well and moved on.
That was after offering them feedback, at their request, about how to land strong sitters like me. My No. 1 tip was: Don’t waste time, because the best sitters typically have the most choices, including unsolicited offers, repeat offers and referrals, and such. They tend to be grabbed more quickly than other sitters.
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A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
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I’d think about the impression you are giving by waiting. Without any communication, a potential housesitter may think you are indecisive or possibly disorganized or looking for very specific, possibly unrealistic things.
As a housesitter, I’ll give a new HO longer to respond because I know they are still figuring it out. However, if a HO has reviews, I generally will only wait a few days and only a day or so if I know they’ve read my application.
As others have said, best thing is to minimally not read the application until you’re ready to start reviewing all applications and respond within 2 days to applications if possible.
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You have one APPLICATION, not one “offer.”
Two way conversation.
They may decide after chatting with you, that they do not want to stay in your home. You never know.
Prompt communication is always appreciated, even simply to acknowledge applications and let applicants know when you plan to work on the “project.” The best Owners, in my opinion, work through applications and get a video chat scheduled and decision made within about 3 days of posting their listing! That is how it usually works for us (as Sitters).
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You have received some good advice here from very experienced sitters. I suggest you schedule a video chat with the sitter if after reading their application you think they might be a good fit. You don’t have to go forward after that if the two of you don’t connect well. You will know. Think of it like meeting a new person for the first time in a social situation, you know if you want to keep speaking to them of if you want to move on and forget about them. The sitter-owner first time chat is like that. Terminology is very important. If I received a message from an owner wanting to set up an “interview”, I would withdraw my application immediately as that indicates the owner sees me as an employee/servant. That’s not how THS works!
Good luck with your search.
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No sitter likes to feel they are being “interviewed”, you don’t have the upper hand, we are equals on this site.
Also as others have said, don’t delay, or the sitter who may just have been perfect for you, will reject you as a time waster, and withdraw their interest, which is all it is, at this stage, They will likely have applied to other more desirable sits, which may have reviews from previous sitters.
Don’t be fooled in to thinking it’s a while away, you have already placed the advert, so you must now deal with the responses in a timely fashion.
I have an April sit which was already booked up in August.
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I have had homeowners refer to meetings as interviews, as well as them saying they’d hire me again. Awful language!
Do you feel, as a sitter in the UK, that hosts prefer sitters with cars? Are they partial to people from the UK? I’m American and have great reviews (aside from one 4 star from a really stressful sit, who I gave a very honest yet respectful review of, which wasn’t good) and can’t sort out why I have been declined for every sit I apply for, even if I"m first in the queue.
There are loads of UK sits where you don’t need a car @marshmish so that shouldn’t be it. Does your location already read somewhere in the UK? Are you mentioning how you’ll get to the sit when you apply? Are you applying in just one spot? Are you showing UK HOs evidence of a flight ticket to give them confidence you are fully committed? Brits love Americans as sitters so it’s not that, you’re more interesting than home grown ones IMHO 
I saw another thread on your app process too so hopefully that will help too. #dontgiveup
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Ahh haha, I can only hope it’s not my American-ness! What I think it is is a review 3 sits back (that I did in the States) that I responded to a little too honestly - but that’s who we are! 
I am already in the UK and have my location set as such. I have rewritten my profile so perhaps that will make up for my too-honest response, who knows! Thank you!
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