Candidate Communications
After each step of the hiring process, applicants should expect timely updates about whether they are advancing to the next stage or not.
Examples
The following templates can be used as is, or customized further to meet the needs of your organization. The templates have been intentionally designed with a conversational approach, as this is a generally recognized best practice for communicating with candidates in modern hiring processes.
NOTE: The communications templates that you create should be saved and cataloged to efficiently manage the candidate comms throughout the process.
Resume Screening Phase: "Yes" Email
Subject: Phone Interview with [Team/Department Name]
Thank you for expressing interest in the job opening for [Role] on [Team/Department Name]. We’d like to schedule a 20-minute phone interview to discuss your experience further and answer any questions you have about the role. As a next step, please use the booking portal to choose a time that works for you.
Once you select a time, you will receive a confirmation email (if you don’t receive it, check your spam folder). I will call you from phone number xxx-xxx-xxxx at the scheduled time.
If after speaking we decide to move forward in the process, the next step will be [insert description of interview process] with [Name/Title].
If you are selected for this role, a representative from [Team/Department Name] will be in touch, and we will want to contact references. If you are not selected, we will be sure to communicate our decision in a timely manner.
Inclusive and respectful interviews are very important to our team. Could you please respond to this email to confirm your preferred name and the pronunciation of your name? (We want to make sure we are saying it right the first time!) If you’re comfortable sharing, we’d also like to know your pronouns (he/she/they/etc).
Please let me know if you have questions, or if you need any accommodations. We look forward to speaking with you soon.
Thanks again,
[Email Signature]
Resume Screening Phase: "No" Email, with encouragement to apply again
Subject: Thank you for applying to [Team/Department Name]
Thank you for your application to the [role] position with [Team/Department Name]
We appreciate your interest in serving the people of [State Name]. While we are impressed with your background and experience, we aren’t able to move forward with your application at this time.
We’d love to encourage you to continue to keep tabs on our careers page [insert link], as our team will be growing in the coming months, and we’d be happy to hear from you again if you see another opening that fits your background and skills.
Best of luck in your endeavors, and thanks again for your interest.
[Email signature]
Resume Screening Phase: "No" Email
Subject: Thank you for applying to [Team/Department Name]
Thank you for your interest in the [role] position with [Team/Department Name].
We really appreciate your eagerness to help improve the lives of the people of [State/City], unfortunately however we are not able to move forward with your application at this time.
Best of luck in your endeavors, and thanks again for your interest.
Thanks again,
[Email Signature]
Rejection email (any round)
Hi [first name],
Thanks so much for talking with me about your experience and the job openings in [role name] for [Team/Department Name].
I really enjoyed learning about you and your experience, and while you certainly have [something that went well in the interview], we had many qualified candidates and we are not able to move forward with your application at this point.
We encourage you to re-apply if and when you see another relevant opening in [Team/Department Name] or on a different government team in the future.
Best of luck in your future endeavors, and thank you again for your interest.
“Yes” email (first round)
Subject: [role] at [Team/Department Name]
Thanks again for your interest in a role with [Team/Department Name]. I enjoyed getting to learn a bit about you and your background during our phone call.
We’d like to move forward and invite you to a 60-minute interview with our team.
Here’s what to expect:
There will be 2 interviewers on the panel including:
[staff member], [pronouns / name pronunciation where warranted], [title]
[staff member], [pronouns / name pronunciation where warranted], [title]
We will ask some standard questions about your experience. We’re looking for answers based on how you’ve worked in the past, with specific examples.
You’ll also have the chance to ask questions, hear more about the role, and learn about our team.
If you have a personal website, portfolio or project, or Github repo you’d like to share, feel free to send a link over before the interview. We’d love to take a look! During the interview, you may reference it to illustrate your process and approach. No need to go and create this if you don’t already have it.
[Consider providing some interview questions in advance, which helps people with neurodiversity, and can generally reduce stress.]
Are you available at XXX on XXX?
Please let us know what works on your end, and if you have any questions or need any accommodations. Looking forward to connecting again.
Thanks,
[hiring manager]
“Yes” email (any round following first)
***Customize as needed, depending on policies and required documents.***
Congratulations, [candidate name], we would love to move forward and have you join the [Team/Department Name] team! Let’s talk more about what the rest of the process will include, and I can answer any questions you may have. Please use my booking portal to select a good time for us to meet.
In addition to the call, please also send me the following items:
[Insert background check and reference requirements]
Three professional references, ideally from former co-workers who supervised or managed you. We suggest letting them know ahead of time that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s HR office will be contacting them, and make sure that they can respond. When you send their information to me, please include each person’s full name, phone number, email address, the nature of their professional relationship to you, and (if possible) any information regarding the best time to reach them.
College or university transcripts, verification or certification of other relevant education.
Letters of employment verification from the companies you've worked at, including your name, dates of employment, employment status (full time, or part time and the number of hours worked per week), and job description. Each of these documents should be on company letterhead and signed by someone from HR or, alternately, a hiring manager employed by the firm along, as well as their contact information.
***You may also want more information on the [Team/Department Name]’s benefits for employees. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have about joining the [Team/Department Name]. I look forward to speaking with you soon!***
Interview Confirmation email
Hi xxx,
We’re looking forward to seeing you for your interview with [Team/Department Name] on [Date/Time]. Interviews usually last [1 hour].
As this interview will take place via [video conferencing tool], please make sure you have the software properly installed and accessible on your device in advance. Feel free to join 5 minutes early to make sure your camera and microphone are working properly. If you have any issues accessing the Meeting Room, please text me at xxx-xxx-xxxx.
Also, please note that our questions will be rooted in the [link to job description] for this role. When answering, we encourage you to share specific examples and references from your work history. References to your past experience and achievements are very helpful to us as we assess your suitability for the role. If you wish, you can screenshare examples of your work at a designated point in the interview—though this is not a requirement.
You will have [xxx amount of time] to ask us questions at the end.
Please let me know if you have any questions, and we look forward to talking more with you next week.
Best,
Hiring Manager
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