An interview reminder email is a brief, helpful message sent to candidates one to two days before their scheduled interview. It reiterates the key logistics, including date, time, format, location, and interviewer name, ensuring the candidate has everything they need at their fingertips.

This email serves a dual purpose: it confirms the candidate's attendance and reduces the likelihood of no-shows or late arrivals. In a competitive hiring landscape where candidates often juggle multiple interview processes simultaneously, a timely reminder keeps your organization top of mind.

According to recruiting industry data, sending a reminder email 24 hours before the interview reduces no-show rates by up to 26%. It demonstrates attention to detail and care for the candidate experience, qualities that reflect positively on your employer brand.

Recruiters managing multiple open positions may schedule dozens of interviews per week. Manually writing reminder emails for each candidate is time-consuming and error-prone. A standardised template ensures consistency and accuracy while taking less than a minute to customize.

Reminder emails also serve as a soft confirmation mechanism. If a candidate needs to reschedule, the reminder prompts them to notify you before the interviewer's time is wasted. This is especially valuable for senior roles where interviewer calendars are tightly packed.

Without reminders, candidates may forget interview details, show up at the wrong location, or fail to prepare adequately. These issues waste everyone's time and can lead to poor interview outcomes that do not reflect the candidate's true capabilities.

A consistent reminder practice also differentiates your organization. Many companies skip this step, so candidates who receive a thoughtful reminder email are more likely to view your company favourably.

This template includes all critical elements of an effective interview reminder. The opening is warm and brief, acknowledging the upcoming interview without being overbearing.

The core section recaps all interview logistics in a scannable format: date, time, format, location or meeting link, and interviewer name. Candidates can quickly reference these details without searching through older emails.

Practical tips are included based on the interview format. Virtual interview reminders suggest testing audio and video, while in-person reminders recommend arriving early and bringing identification.

A contact section provides an email address for last-minute questions or rescheduling needs. The closing is encouraging without being overly casual, striking the right balance between professionalism and warmth.

All three tones maintain the same essential information while adapting the language to suit different organizational cultures.

Send this email one business day before the scheduled interview, ideally in the morning so candidates have time to prepare or raise any concerns. Choose the tone that matches your earlier communications with the candidate for consistency.

Replace all placeholder fields with the correct details. Double-check the date, time, and location fields against the original scheduling email to ensure they match. Inconsistencies between the scheduling email and the reminder can confuse candidates.

For virtual interviews, verify that the meeting link is still active and correct. For in-person interviews, check whether there are any building access changes or construction that might affect the candidate's arrival.

If your ATS supports automated reminders, set up this template as a triggered email that sends automatically 24 hours before each scheduled interview. This ensures no candidate is missed, even during high-volume hiring periods.