Interview Invitation Guide with 7 Free Templates

An interview invitation email should be easy, yet many have made the same mistakes over and over. Most people do not even care about candidate experience, because to them candidates come and go and some candidates don't even show up to job interviews.

But what a candidate would love to see in their inbox, other than the interview invitation itself is how the email is composed. They will be more encouraged to attend the interview if you write the right email. 

Usually, recruiters use ultra-formal interview invitation email, but there are many ways to make the candidate experience better. With the right interview invitation email, you can tell how excited you are about the candidate and explain your company culture. An upcoming job interview can be tough for job seekers, so try to make them feel comfortable and confident.

When typing an interview invitation email, don't forget these elements: 

• Direct subject line
• Job details
• Interview format (in-person, over the phone, video call)
• Interview location
• Estimation of interview duration
• At least 3 date and time options to provide flexibility for candidates.
• Details about the interviewer
• Email signature
• Dress code (if applicable)
• Recommend travel options for candidates to reach interview location (for example, take LRT to Bangsar Station)
• List items to bring

Formal Interview Invitation

Sometimes you need to play safe, every recruiting email should reflect the company's brand voice and tone. So if your company's style is formal or you're interacting with more experienced executive candidates, you can use this template: 

Click here to download the template

Casual Interview Invitation

If your company is young and echoes of desirable startup culture, you can use this casual interview invitation template. Don't forget, each stage of the recruiting process is a chance to show off your culture and core values. Be consistent with your company brand voice and tone, from the career page to recruiting email templates.

For casual, conversational interview invitation emails, you can use this template:

Click here to download the template

Cold Candidate Interview Invitation

Sometimes you come across a very impressive potential employee when you're searching for candidates. You don't want to miss the opportunity to hire them, especially if they're in a high-demand role. You may use this template when reaching out to a job seeker for the first time to invite them for an interview:

Click here to download the template

Phone Screen Interview Invitation

After a job seeker has applied for an open position, usually we follow up with a simple phone screen interview to assess their qualifications. When you are reaching out a candidate for the first time to invite them to a phone interview, you can use this template:

Click here to download the template

Video Interview Invitation

Sometimes it's tough for job seekers to attend a job interview, especially if they are still working somewhere. You can conduct a video interview with them instead to make it easier. Make sure to send the interview invitation in advance so they can plan ahead without the unnecessary stress.

Use this template to send a video interview invitation. Once you have set the date and time, remember to include the meeting room URL and any access information they will need to join the interview. 

It's also helpful to attach some info on how to use the video conferencing platform, so they can use it without problems.

Click here to download the template

In-person Interview Invitation

An in-person or onsite interview usually happens after the phone screening, so at this point, your relationship with the job candidate should be solid. You should customise this template carefully before sending an in-person interview invitation:

Click here to download the template

Past Candidate Interview Invitation

There are times where you had a good candidate show up for an interview, but for some reason, you had to turn them down. Fast forward a few months, you heard that there's an open position that's perfect for that candidate. 

But before you reach out to them, you need to make sure if they would be a good fit for the company. You can also attach the job description so they can review the position themselves. Don't get the candidate excited about a new opportunity if you're going to end up rejecting them again. It's a bad candidate experience and a poor reflection of your employer brand.

Use this template to invite a past candidate to a job interview:

Before reaching out to a past candidate, consult your candidate persona thoroughly to verify they would be a good fit. Attach the job description so they can review the role themselves.  Getting a candidate excited about a new opportunity only to pass on their candidacy again is a bad experience and a poor reflection of your external employer brand.

Use the following template to invite a past candidate to a phone interview:

Click here to download the template

If you want to download ALL of these templates, you can click the link below:

Click here to download all the templates

Don't forget to customise and proofread these templates very carefully. Remember, an interview invitation email is the first official point of contact you have with job seekers and it's vital to make a good impression. There is no space for mistakes such as typos or placeholder text. 

Keep in mind that any candidates that you did not hire can be funnelled into your talent pool and help build your talent pipeline for future open positions.

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