6 interview invitation email templates for employers

Patrick Morrison -

Interviews can be quite lengthy to prepare – but what happens when you’ve also got to think about the email invite you send to candidates? 

At Charlie, we often use invite-to-interview templates to make sure we remain consistent in the way we communicate with candidates. 

We know that this will help emphasise how much we value their time, but also guarantee that they will actually show up for the interview. 

Have a look at our top tips to write an invite to interview email, and download or copy-paste some of our templates below. 

What to send to a candidate in an interview invitation email?

Here's a summary of how you should invite a candidate to an interview (more details later on):

  • Write an email with a clear subject line such as "Invitation to Interview"
  • The time and date of the interview, preferably in bold
  • Where the interview is going to take place, whether it's the address or a link to the meeting
  • The length of the interview for the candidate to plan around it
  • A description of the interview steps, who the candidate will meet and what will be expected of them
  • Remind them of the job role description, you can even include a PDF for this
  • Encourage them to reach out if they have any questions

What’s an interview invite email for? 

An interview invite is a way to let potential candidates know that they’ve successfully passed the first stage of the interview process called the screening call. 

Whether that’s after a telephone screening or a CV review, they’ll receive an email to be invited to the first interview, or at this point they'll receive a job rejection email.

6 email templates to invite candidates to an interview

Below, I’ll share a few of our emails to invite candidates to interviews. These are templates we’ve used at Charlie, so you can stay assured they’ll guarantee your potential candidates will reply to the invitation.  

Email template 1 - short and to the point for first-stage candidates

Subject: Next stage interview with [Name of company] 

Hi  [Candidate's Name], 

Thanks for having a phone call with me on [Date of phone call]. It was great to get to know you a little bit better. 

Following our phone screenings, you’ve made it to the shortlist of candidates who are going through to the next stage of the interview process. Congratulations! 

This email is just a way to let you know that you’ll be expected to attend the second round on  [Date of interview] at [Time of interview]. Please let us know if that doesn’t work for you.

The interview will take place at [Address of the interview]. We’ll be asking you to prepare to talk about your experience for the job, and we’ll ask you a few questions related to your skills. 

There’s no need to bring anything except yourself. Just note that the interview will last about  [Length of the process]. I’ve attached an outline of the interview process in full so you know what to fully expect. 

Hope that makes sense and let me know if you have any questions. 

Best wishes, 

[Name of person and position]

Email template 2 - friendly and detailed for first-stage interview

Subject: Invitation to Interview: Let's Chat!

Dear [Candidate's Name],

I hope this email finds you well!

I wanted to reach out and extend an invitation to interview for the [Position Name] role at [Company Name]. Your application stood out to us, and we’d love to learn more about you and your experience. 

We believe that getting to know each other better in person (or virtually) will help us explore your unique skills and background. Be ready to talk to us in length about them! 

The interview will take place on [Date] at [Time], and will be conducted [Location/Online Platform] by [Names]. We'll discuss your qualifications, experience, and how they match the role we’re hiring for. This will also be a great chance for you to ask any questions you may have about the position or the company. 

Please let us know if the scheduled time works for you, or if you would like to change it. If you need any other adjustments ahead of the interview, feel free to inform us in advance, and we'll do our best to help. 

We're looking forward to meeting you and discussing how you can become a part of our team. If you have any questions, reach out to me directly via email or phone ([Your Contact Information]).

Once again, congratulations on making it to this stage, and thank you for considering joining our team. We're excited about the opportunity to learn more about you and your potential contributions.

Best regards,

[Name of person and position]

Email template 3 – formal and detailed first-stage candidate interview

Subject: Invitation to first-stage interview with [Company name]

Dear [Candidate's Name],

I am writing to invite you to interview for the [Position Name] role at [Company Name]. We were impressed by your qualifications and experience, and we believe that you could be a valuable addition to our team.

The interview is scheduled to take place on [Date] at [Time] and will be held at [Location]. During the interview, we will discuss your professional background, skills, and suitability for the role. There will also be an opportunity for you to learn more about our company culture, values and expectations.

Please confirm your attendance by replying to this email or contacting me directly at [Phone Number]. 

We recommend familiarising yourself with our company and the responsibilities of the position before you meet with us. If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to reach out.

We look forward to meeting with you and discussing how your skills and experience align with our requirements.

Best wishes, 

[Name of person and position]

Email template 4 – formal and short for first-stage candidates

Subject: Invitation to first-stage interview with [Company name]

Dear [Candidate's Name],

I am pleased to invite you to interview for the [Position Name] role at [Company Name]. We think you could be a great fit for our team and have been impressed by your experience and qualifications. 

The interview is scheduled for [Date] at [Time] at [Location]. Please confirm your attendance or suggest an alternative time if needed.

We look forward to discussing your CV and how it aligns with our needs. If you have any questions beforehand, feel free to reach out.

Thank you for considering this opportunity. 

Kind regards,

[Name of person and position]

Email template 5 – final stage interview invitation with a friendly tone

Subject: Congratulations! Final stage interview with [Company Name]

Hi [Candidate's Name],

Hope you’ve had a good week and thank you for your patience whilst we reviewed the material from your second stage interview. 

Congratulations on reaching the final stage! We’re super delighted and have been so impressed with your experience, as well as your ability to interact with the team and answer tricky questions. We also liked the answers and quality of thought you provided for the task, and how detailed you were when running us through it. 

All in all, well done! Now the final stage will be on [Date] at [Time], either in-person at [Location] or via [Online Platform].

Let us know if that works for you. You can find more details about what this interview will be like in the document I'm attaching. 

Looking forward to meeting with you again! 

Best regards,

[Name of person and position]

Email template 6 – final stage interview invitation formal tone

Subject: Final Interview Invitation for [Position Name] at [Company Name]

Dear [Candidate's Name],

Congratulations on reaching the final stage of the interview process for the [Position Name] role at [Company Name].

We’ve been so impressed with your experience, and we're eager to further explore your fit for the role. The final interview is scheduled for [Date] at [Time], either in-person at [Location] or via [Online Platform].

Please confirm your availability for this date. If needed, let us know about any scheduling conflicts or accommodations required.

We look forward to discussing your potential contributions to our team.

Best regards,

[Name of person and position]

We hope these templates are useful, but if you'd like to have your templates saved and automated on one platform, check out our very own Applicant Tracking System, Charlie Recruit.

5 do's and dont's when writing interview invitation emails

Here are some of the 5 do's and dont's we have for small businesses when looking to attract top talent by choosing the right wording and not forgetting any essential information.

1 – Don’t forget any of the interview details

Candidates will appreciate you giving them the details of the interview beforehand. At Charlie, we’ve noticed it improves our overall candidate experience and allows them to be better prepared for the interview. 

Remember that you can’t expect people to excel in an interview process if you’ve not given them the tools to do so beforehand. 

Among these details, you should have: 

  • What to expect during the interview 
  • The time and date 
  • The location 
  • A link if needed to the call 
  • How long the interview will take 
  • Who will join the calls and their role in the company 
  • What the next stages will look like 
  • When they should expect to hear back from the hiring team

At Charlie, we like to keep things clear, so we send candidates a PDF outlining the next steps. It’s attached to the interview invitation, and while that might sound like a bit of extra work, it’s actually super easy.

We use our Charlie Recruit tool to move candidates through the hiring stages. When someone moves from a screening call to an interview, we just drag and drop their profile through our hiring pipeline, review our saved template, and send everything off with one click. Easy as that!

2 – Congratulate candidates 

Make sure that, each time candidates pass a stage, you acknowledge this. Candidates will feel appreciated if you show how impressed you are with their performance. 

It’s a great way to motivate your future team members and to show appreciation for the time and effort they’ve put into the interview. Wording still counts! Again, this is a part of the process you can half automate by setting up ready-made template in Charlie Recruit and simply customising them at the last moment.

3 – Be flexible 

Although you’ll give candidates an allotted time slot to fit everyone’s calendar, you can’t expect them to simply say yes. 

A lot of your potential candidates will still be in their current role, so they may ask for you to change it.

You should be flexible to allow time for them to arrange to take the day off, or simply to move the allotted time slot to a more suitable one. 

Most Applicant Tracking Systems aren’t very flexible when it comes to booking interviews. While many let candidates pick a time slot from a built-in calendar, they don’t usually consider your team's availability. With Charlie Recruit, the calendar syncs directly with your recruiting team's schedules, making it easier for everyone and sparing you a massive headache.

4 – Stay inclusive in your approach 

You should always remind yourself that everyone has a different set of circumstances, so whilst it may look handy to some people to attend the interview online, people who are carers or who have children, for example, may need to see you in person. If you don’t have an office and only operate remotely, it’s then your role to ensure this happens by renting a room for the interview process. 

This is just an example, and there are many other aspects of inclusivity, such as disability, gender, race, age, religion, or sexual orientation. So instead of assuming, simply ask the candidate for what they truly need from you – that's also something you can think of when running group interviews and when thinking about creating DE&I interview questions.

But you can also integrate that into your recruitment processes – our Charlie Recruit features include blind hiring, which means CVs are anonymised, and gender, race and age are all blurred out during the CV screening, making your recruitment process as inclusive and as unbiased as possible right from the start.

You can also review candidates more fairly by using scorecards. These help you assess each candidate based on specific skills, so you're focusing on their actual competencies rather than just relying on gut feeling for your hiring decisions.

5 – Be consistent and reliable

Reliability and consistency are key to being a good employer. This starts right from the interview process and the emails you send to invite people to interview. 

Don’t leave them hanging, and make sure you are reliable and respond quickly when they need an answer. This will ensure there’s no breakthrough communication – to make sure you do that, you can put together an interview preparation checklist so you don't leave any details behind.

Bonus: why interview invitation emails matter to candidates 

First impressions often last. Although candidates will already have a good idea of what your company is like from the first touchpoint, the wording you use in your emails will also have a long-lasting effect.

Candidates value genuine companies, and they will appreciate your honesty and your timeliness. 

So remember, it’s not just an email, it’s also a way to make your employer branding shine through the interview process. 

But maybe right now, you don't have time to do all of this, and that's where an applicant tracking system like Charlie Recruit can help – don't settle for bad hiring that will cost you money in the long run, and put together processes you can rely on right from the start – No more manual work, but better decisions.