If you want the best employees, you need to know how to write an interview invitation email.
But you can’t just write the first things that come to mind then hit the “send” button. You want an interview invitation email that’s effective. By effective I mean it should drive the email recipient to action. Ideally, that action should be for them to accept the interview invitation.
So, how do you write an interview invitation email then? Here are three tips to follow:
Use a Clear Subject Line
A clear subject line is critical to an interview invitation email. After all, it’s the first thing your email recipients see. If your email subject line is ordinary, expect your email to stay unopened and unread.
Make sure your subject line immediately tells job applicants what the email is about. Keep your subject line concise, too. Don’t beat around the bush.
You can mention the job title applied for and company’s name in the subject line. This will help remind candidates about the position they applied for and what your company is about. Here’s an example of how that subject line would look:
Interview opportunity for [Position name] role with [Company name]
Don’t make your subject line too long. If you exceed 60 characters, chances are, your email recipient won’t be able to read it in full from a mobile device.
Personalize
Personalizing invitation emails is key to making a good first impression. After all, it shows the email sender cared enough to do their research on the person receiving the email.
But personalizing is much more than just including the email recipient’s name in the subject line. You want to tailor your email body to the person receiving the email, too.
So, research your candidates carefully. A quick Google search might just do the trick. You can also check their social media profiles. Check where they used to work and their interests. Include those in your email for personalization, as in the example below:
When you highlight the fact that the candidate’s interests match your company values, you make them feel more connected to your company. That increases the chances they’ll say yes to an interview.
Make sure you sound like a professional in your email. Avoid emoticons and exclamation points. You don’t want the candidate thinking you’re a happy-go-lucky company that can be reckless at times.
Give All Necessary Details
Your email should provide the necessary details your candidate should know to be able to attend your interview in the first place. Picture this scenario: After reading your email, the candidate decides they’ll attend your interview. There’s a Zoom link in the email but they didn’t find a time or day for the interview.
Either one of two things happen in this case: They ask you about the details that are lacking or they decide to forgo the interview.
Either way, the situation just doesn’t reflect well on your company. It shows a lack of detail on the company’s part, after all.
So, before you hit send, make sure you read your email one more time and confirm it has:
- The position the candidates will be interviewed for
- The interview type: Is it an in-person, video interview, or phone interview?
- The interview location (with a map if possible) or the video conferencing software link
- The interview time
You may designate a time or ask your candidate to inform you of their preferred time. For this, you can send them a calendar invitation. Check out the example of a Google Meet interview invitation below:
It also helps if you include an estimated interview duration in the email. You can briefly describe the company’s interview process, too. Will it be a two-round interview? Or will it be with the hiring manager or CEO? This is so the applicant will know what to expect.
Specify, too, if you require the applicant to bring some items for the interview, if it’s in-person. For instance, you might require them to bring their portfolio, a list of references, or even a demo presentation.
Finally, always attach your signature with your business email address or phone. You want candidates to reach out to you easily if they have questions.
Here’s a great example of an interview invitation email that has many of the elements discussed above:
As a final tip, make sure you verify you have the candidate’s right email address. If you just found the candidate via social media, you can use email finder software to look for their address. This way, you can be assured your email will be received by the right person.
In Closing
Interview invitation emails are a key component of the recruitment process. You need to know how to write them effectively to get people to ultimately accept your invitation.
You learned three tips to write an interview invitation email. Use a clear subject line, personalize, and give all the necessary details.
Follow these tips and you can expect the best results. Good luck!
Authors Bio
Owen Baker is a content marketer for Voila Norbert, an online email verification tool. He has spent most of the last decade working online for a range of marketing companies. When he’s not busy writing, you can find him in the kitchen mastering new dishes.
