Interview reminder email template

When to use this template

Send a reminder 24 hours before every scheduled interview, and a second short one two hours before if your no-show rate is high. Reminders matter most in high-volume hourly hiring, where candidates juggle several applications and phone numbers change often, but they help in professional hiring too, especially when the interview was booked a week or more in advance.

The reminder repeats the essentials from the original interview invitation so the candidate doesn't have to dig for it: date, time, time zone, link or address, and who they are meeting. It also makes rescheduling easy. A candidate who can't make it and knows how to say so will move the time. One who doesn't know how will often just not show up.

The email templates

Copy either version, replace everything in [brackets], and read it once out loud before you send it. If it doesn't sound like you, change it.

Hi [Candidate first name],

A quick reminder that your interview for the [Job title] role is tomorrow.

When: [Day, Date] at [Time] [Time zone]
Where: [Video link or street address]
With: [Interviewer name], [Title]

If something has come up and you need a different time, reply to this email or use this link to reschedule: [Rescheduling link]. We would much rather move the time than miss you.

See you tomorrow.

[Recruiter name]
[Company]

Hi [Candidate first name],

Just a reminder that your interview at [Company] [Location] is today at [Time].

Address: [Street address]
Ask for: [Manager name] at the [Front desk, service counter, or entrance]
Bring: [Photo ID or nothing extra]

Running late or can't make it? Call or text [Phone number] so we can find another time.

[Hiring manager name]
[Company]

Subject lines to try

The subject line decides whether the email is opened today or next week. Keep it specific and short enough to read on a phone.

• Reminder: your interview tomorrow at [Time]
• See you tomorrow, [Candidate first name]
• Interview details for [Day]
• Quick reminder about your [Company] interview
• Today at [Time]: your interview with [Interviewer name]

How to personalize it

• Repeat the time zone, especially for remote roles that cross time zones.
• Include a direct phone number for same-day problems.
• Keep the reminder short enough to read on a lock screen.
• If you use text reminders, send the email as well as a record.

Mistakes to avoid

• Changing details in the reminder without flagging that they changed.
• Sending the reminder from a different sender than the invitation, which looks like spam.
• Making rescheduling sound like a strike against the candidate.
• Sending more than two reminders for a single interview.

When to send it

Twenty-four hours before for most interviews. For early morning interviews, send it the previous afternoon so it doesn't arrive after the candidate has left home. Interview scheduling tools and most ATS platforms send reminders automatically once the interview is booked.

Before you hit send

Run through this quick check. It takes a minute and catches most of the mistakes that cause follow-up emails.

• The job title, pay range, and dates match what is in your applicant tracking system.
• Every placeholder in brackets has been replaced or deleted.
• Candidates who will be interviewed or assessed are told how to request an accommodation.
• Nothing in the message comments on age, family, health, or other protected characteristics.
• A real person is named as the contact, with a reply address someone checks.

Frequently asked questions