Second interview invitation, Transport Planner, Harbourline Freight
Interview invitation letter with the panel, the task and a reply date
An interview invitation letter confirms when and where the interview is, who will be in the room and what the candidate has to prepare, then asks for a reply by a fixed date. This one page letter from a freight company invites a shortlisted planner to a second stage interview with a set presentation task.
The document, page by page
Every page as it renders and as it prints, with nothing summarised. Read the wording before you reuse it.
Section by section
What each section is for, so you can keep the ones you need and drop the rest.
- Letterhead and addressee
- The company name and contact line, the date and the candidate's name with the email the letter was sent to.
- Subject line and opening
- The role, the reference number and the stage of the process, with thanks for the first interview.
- When and where
- Date, start time, length and room as four figures a reader finds at a glance.
- Panel table
- Three panel members with their roles and the topic each will cover.
- The task
- The presentation brief, its time limit and how the questions follow it.
- What to bring, adjustments and reply
- Right to work proof, driver licence and the presentation, an adjustments offer and the reply by date.
- Signature block
- The talent acquisition lead's name and title under the signature line.
Eight facts every invitation carries
Before the letter goes out, check it holds all eight: the role and reference number, the stage of the process, the date, the start time, how long it will run, the exact place including floor and room, who is on the panel, and the date to reply by. This letter adds two more because it is a second stage: the task brief and what to bring. A candidate should never have to email back to ask any of these. If the interview is by video, the place becomes the link, the platform and a phone number to call if the link fails.
Writing a task brief every candidate receives word for word
A presentation task is only fair if it is the same task for everyone, so write it once and paste it unchanged into every letter. Give it a time limit, a real problem from the business with one number the candidate can work from, and a statement of what happens after the presentation. Here the problem is the Sydney to Brisbane lane, where 31 percent of return kilometres run empty, and the panel asks questions for 25 minutes. Keep the brief to a paragraph. A task that needs a page of instructions is a work sample, and a long unpaid work sample puts off the strongest candidates.
How to adapt this document
Change the four figures first, then the panel table, then the task. For a first interview, drop the task paragraph and the presentation line from the list, and replace them with one sentence on the format, such as a 45 minute conversation about your experience. For a video interview, the room figure becomes the platform and the list loses the parking line. Keep the adjustments paragraph in every version. If your process includes a skills test or a site visit, add it as one more row in the figures or one more sentence in the task paragraph rather than a second page, because a one page invitation is read in full.
What makes this document work
The four logistics read first
Wednesday 14 October, 10:00 am, 90 minutes and the Level 3 boardroom sit in one strip of figures under the opening paragraph. A candidate checking the letter on a phone the night before finds the time and room without reading a sentence.
The panel is named with what each person covers
The table gives three names, three roles and the topic each panel member will ask about, from planning a week of runs to the figures in the presentation. Knowing that a fleet data analyst is in the room tells the candidate to bring numbers that hold up.
The task is written once, in fixed words
The brief states the time limit, the lane, the 31 percent empty return figure and how long questions run. The bold run in label says every candidate receives the same words, which keeps the comparison fair and gives the panel a record of what was asked.
Questions people ask
How far ahead should an interview invitation be sent?
Five to ten working days is a sensible window for a second stage interview with a task, because the candidate needs time to prepare and may need to arrange leave from a current job. This letter goes out on 1 October for a 14 October interview and asks for a reply by 9 October, which leaves time to offer the slot to someone else.
Should the interview invitation name the panel?
Yes, by name and role. It helps the candidate prepare for the right questions, it lets them flag a conflict of interest early, and it removes a surprise on the day. Naming the panel also signals that the process is organised. A short line on what each person will ask about, as in this letter, is more useful than the job titles alone.
What should an interview invitation say about adjustments?
It should offer them plainly and say how to ask, without making the candidate explain why. Examples help: extra time for a task, a ground floor room, a different start time or a written copy of the questions. In many countries employers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled candidates, so the offer protects the employer as well as the candidate.
Is an emailed interview invitation as good as a letter?
An email is fine if it carries the same facts in the same order. Many employers paste the letter into the email body and attach it as a PDF, so the candidate has one clean copy to print or forward. What matters is that the time, place, panel, task and reply date are all written down, not that it arrives on paper.
What happens if the candidate does not reply by the date?
Follow up once by phone or email the next working day, because messages go to spam and candidates travel. If there is still no answer, the letter has already set the expectation, so the slot can be offered to the next person on the shortlist. Note the follow up in the recruitment file so the record shows the candidate was given a fair chance.
Should the task be the same for every candidate?
Yes. Giving every candidate the same written brief, the same time limit and the same scoring guide is the simplest way to compare them fairly and to defend a decision if it is questioned. If one candidate needs an adjustment, such as extra time, change the conditions, not the task itself, and record the change.
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