Assessment invitation email

When to send an assessment invitation

Where the assessment sits in the funnel decides how you write the email. In high-volume hiring, a short test often comes right after the application, before any human contact. A contact center might send a 20-minute typing, listening and customer-scenario test to every applicant who clears knockout questions, then only phone-screen those who pass. Here the invite must be brief, mobile-friendly and sent within minutes.

For professional roles, the assignment usually comes after a phone screen or first interview, when the candidate already knows the team. That invite can be longer and more personal because the candidate has more invested.

To set the right deadline, think about who you're testing. Two to three days works for a short online test. Take-home assignments need at least four to five days, including a weekend, because most candidates are employed.

What to include

Candidates complete assessments at higher rates when there are no surprises. Include:

• What it measures, in plain words. "Typing, reading and handling a customer complaint" is better than "a competency evaluation."
• Honest time required. If the median completion is 35 minutes, don't say 20.
• The deadline with a time zone.
• Device and browser requirements, especially if it won't run on a phone.
• Whether it's proctored or recorded, and if a webcam is needed.
• An accommodation line, telling candidates how to ask before they start.
• What happens after and roughly when they'll hear back.

For take-home work, add a time cap and a statement that you won't use their work commercially. Candidates have heard stories about unpaid work being used, and saying this up front removes a common reason people drop out.

Fairness and legal notes

Pre-employment tests are covered by Title VII and the Americans with Disabilities Act in the US. Under the federal Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures, a test that screens out a protected group at a substantially higher rate must be job-related and consistent with business necessity, so keep the test tied to the actual work. The ADA requires reasonable accommodations in testing, which is why the accommodation line belongs in every invitation, not only when someone asks.

If the assessment uses AI to score video or text answers, check local rules. New York City's Local Law 144 requires a bias audit and candidate notice for automated employment decision tools used on candidates in the city, and Illinois has its own rules for AI analysis of video interviews. Rules vary by state and country, so review with counsel before rollout.

To keep the experience consistent, set up assessments so every candidate for the same role gets the same test and scoring. Assessment flows that send the invite, reminder and next step automatically take the manual chasing out of it.

Reminders and follow-up

Expect a meaningful share of invited candidates to never start. A simple sequence helps:

1. Day 0: send the invitation by email, plus a text if the candidate opted in.
2. About 24 hours before the deadline: send the reminder template to anyone who hasn't started.
3. Deadline day: one short text for hourly roles. After that, close the application.

When results are in, move fast. Candidates who pass should get an interview invite within one to two business days. Those who don't should get a clear rejection email after the assessment, not silence. For more on test design, see our guide to skill-based assessments in recruitment.

Mistakes to avoid

• Unrealistic assignments. A take-home that needs ten hours will lose your best employed candidates first.
• Desktop-only tests with no warning. If a test won't work on a phone, say so in the first lines.
• No accommodation route. Leaving it out invites ADA problems and excludes capable candidates.
• Expired links. Make sure links last past the deadline and the reminder points to a working one.
• Silence after submission. Someone who spent two hours on your assignment deserves a response within a week.