Accepting or declining a request
For shepherdsUpdated 1 Oct 2026
Read a request and what the talent shared, then accept, decline or ask a question first.
When someone books you, we email you and the request appears on Chats, under Requests. A red badge on the tab shows how many are waiting.
Auto-accept on?
With Auto-accept requests on (under Booking rules on Profile → Availability), a request that fits your hours is confirmed straight away and goes to Upcoming: you get a New coffee chat booked notice and email instead. Setting your availability
Read the request
Requests are listed with the soonest slot first (you can sort by Newest request instead). A request whose time has already passed moves below the others and is marked Slot passed. Each card shows:
- who booked you (with a Fellow shepherd label on a peer chat) and the time, in your time zone;
- the topic they chose and, in their own words, what they'd like to get out of the chat;
- a chip for each thing they shared: View CV, Growth Plan, Career Ladder or LinkedIn. Press one to open it.
Answer within a few days
Try to reply within 72 hours. Talents plan around your answer, and a quick "no" is kinder than silence.
Accept
Press Accept. The chat moves to Upcoming and we email the talent a calendar invite with your meeting details, so add your meeting link in Edit profile before you accept. In the audio call pilot, the invite points to the call on KoffeeChat and your link is the backup. Editing your shepherd profile
Decline
Press Decline. We email the talent to say you can't make that slot, so they can pick another time or another shepherd. A declined request doesn't count towards their plan's coffee chats.
Not sure yet? Ask first
- Message opens a conversation with the talent, so you can ask a question before you decide.
- Ask for CV / plan / ladder asks them to share their CV, growth plan, career ladder or LinkedIn, which they can do in one tap. Asking for and sharing a CV, growth plan, career ladder or LinkedIn
If the talent withdraws their request while it's open, it leaves your list and you get a notification.