Video interview invitation emails candidates can understand
Copyable templates for a recorded interview invitation, a reminder and a next-stage update, with the details candidates need before they start.
Candidate experience
How to investigate drop-off in a recorded interview
An unfinished interview can mean a candidate lost interest. It can also mean the link looked suspicious, the task took too long or the upload failed. A completion percentage cannot tell you which one happened.
Separate the steps before changing the experience. Then fix the point where people actually get stuck.
Give each step a clear definition
| Step | Question to investigate |
|---|---|
| Invited | Did the message reach a valid address? |
| Opened | Did the candidate reach the interview page? |
| Started | Did they begin an answer? |
| Submitted | Did the full submission succeed? |
| Reviewed | Did a reviewer act on the completed interview? |
Measure completion from starts and from invitations separately. A low invitation-to-start rate needs a different investigation from a low start-to-submit rate. Keep the date window consistent so a newly invited person is not counted as a dropout before their deadline.
Check the invitation before changing the camera screen
Open the message on a phone. Can the reader identify the company, role and sender? Does it explain the task, time estimate and deadline? A third-party link without that context is easy to ignore.
Ask a colleague outside recruiting to read the invitation. Have them tell you what they expect to happen after clicking. If their expectation differs from the actual interview, rewrite the message.
Complete the actual interview on the devices candidates use
- Test camera and microphone permission with a fresh browser profile.
- Record and upload an answer using a phone as well as a laptop.
- Check what happens after an interrupted connection or an expired link.
- Read every error message and confirm that the support route works.
Use the same limits, number of questions and file requirements as the real vacancy. A successful test of a one-question demo does not prove a longer exercise will be comfortable to complete.
Remove questions that do not change the next decision
Look at which answers reviewers use when deciding who progresses. A question that repeats the CV or produces the same generic response from everyone may not justify the time it asks of applicants.
Count preparation and retries in your estimate. Tell people about retakes before they start. Offer a contact for access needs and another way to complete the step when appropriate.
Change one part and record the result
Try a clearer invitation or a shorter question set with a comparable hiring round. Record the role, invitation window and what changed. Small samples can move a lot from a few candidates, so report the counts alongside the percentages.
Hirevly includes contextual encouragement during the interview. Treat any claimed improvement from those messages as something to measure in your own process. Do not assume a particular completion uplift.
Review candidate replies as well as analytics. A person who tells you the task was unclear has given you a specific issue to fix. Thank them and close the loop.
Putting this into practice?
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