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Recruiting template

Candidate Summary Template

A candidate summary is the short write-up a recruiter sends a hiring manager or client with each candidate: who they are, why they fit the role, what to check at interview and the practical details. Pick the version below for an agency submission, a one-page profile, a shortlist or a selection report, fill in your details and copy it.

Candidate Summary Template

Fill in your details

Every version below updates as you type. A field left empty stays as a [placeholder] in the text you copy.

Email versions open straight in your email app with the subject and text filled in. You add the recipient there.

Your company and sender details are remembered, so the next template starts with them filled in.

Note

Keep to job-related information and check the rules on sharing candidate details where you recruit. This is not legal advice.

Candidate submission email (agency to client)

When to use it: A staffing agency or external recruiter sending one candidate to a client, with the CV attached.

Subject[Role] candidate: [Candidate name], [Candidate’s current job title]

Hi [Hiring manager], I'd like to put forward [Candidate name] for the [Role] role. Their CV is attached, and they have agreed to me sending it to you. Summary [Candidate name] is a [Candidate’s current job title] at [Current employer], with [Relevant experience]. Why they fit the role 1. [First reason they fit] 2. [Second reason they fit] 3. [Third reason they fit] Worth exploring at interview [Gap or question to explore] Why they are looking [Why they are looking] The practical details Salary expectation: [Salary expectation] Notice period: [Notice period] Location: [Location and working preference] Right to work: [Right to work] Other processes: [Other interviews in progress] Available to interview: [Interview availability] Let me know if you'd like to meet [Candidate name], and I'll arrange a time. Best wishes, [Your name] [Your job title], [Your company]

One-page candidate profile

When to use it: A profile or presentation document to attach in front of the CV, so the hiring manager can read the case for the candidate in a minute.

CANDIDATE PROFILE Prepared by [Your name], [Your company] Candidate: [Candidate name] Role: [Role], [Hiring company] Current role: [Candidate’s current job title], [Current employer] Summary [Relevant experience] How they match the role - [First reason they fit] - [Second reason they fit] - [Third reason they fit] To explore at interview - [Gap or question to explore] Motivation [Why they are looking] Key details Salary expectation: [Salary expectation] Notice period: [Notice period] Location and working preference: [Location and working preference] Right to work: [Right to work] Interview availability: [Interview availability] Recruiter’s recommendation: Strongly recommend / Recommend / Recommend with reservations (delete as needed)

Internal candidate summary for the hiring manager

When to use it: An in-house recruiter passing a screened candidate to the hiring manager after a phone screen.

SubjectScreened candidate for [Role]: [Candidate name]

Hi [Hiring manager], I spoke to [Candidate name] today and think they're worth an interview for the [Role] role. Their CV is attached. Background: [Candidate’s current job title] at [Current employer], [Relevant experience]. What matched the role: - [First reason they fit] - [Second reason they fit] - [Third reason they fit] What I'd test at interview: [Gap or question to explore] Why they're looking: [Why they are looking] Salary expectation: [Salary expectation] Notice period: [Notice period] Location: [Location and working preference] Other processes: [Other interviews in progress] They're free [Interview availability]. If you'd like to go ahead, I'll send them an invitation for one of those slots. Thanks, [Your name] [Your job title]

Shortlist summary

When to use it: Several candidates sent together, so the hiring manager can compare them before deciding who to interview.

SubjectShortlist for [Role]

Hi [Hiring manager], Here is the shortlist for the [Role] role. CVs are attached, and each candidate has agreed to me sending their details. 1. [Candidate name], [Candidate’s current job title] at [Current employer] Strongest match: [First reason they fit] To explore: [Gap or question to explore] Notice period: [Notice period] Available to interview: [Interview availability] 2. [Second candidate] Strongest match: ____________________ To explore: ____________________ Notice period: ____________________ Available to interview: ____________________ 3. [Third candidate] Strongest match: ____________________ To explore: ____________________ Notice period: ____________________ Available to interview: ____________________ My recommendation: interview ____________________ first. Each candidate's availability is listed above. Could you let me know by the end of the week who you'd like to meet? Good candidates are often in other processes, so a quick decision helps. Best wishes, [Your name] [Your job title], [Your company]

Candidate selection report

When to use it: After the final interviews, a record of who was assessed, how each compared against the criteria and who the panel selected.

CANDIDATE SELECTION REPORT Role: [Role] Hiring company: [Hiring company] Hiring manager: [Hiring manager] Interview date: [Interview date] Interview panel: [Interview panel] Selection criteria 1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. ____________________ Candidates assessed Candidate | Criterion 1 | Criterion 2 | Criterion 3 | Overall [Candidate name] | ____ | ____ | ____ | ____ [Second candidate] | ____ | ____ | ____ | ____ [Third candidate] | ____ | ____ | ____ | ____ (Rate each criterion on the scale your panel agreed before the interviews.) Selected candidate: [Candidate name] Reasons for the decision, against the criteria: - [First reason they fit] - [Second reason they fit] Points to support in the first months: [Gap or question to explore] Reserve candidate: ____________________ Next steps: references, offer and start date to be agreed. Signed on behalf of the panel: ____________________ Date: ____________ Prepared by: [Your name], [Your job title]

How to use this template

  • 1Pick the version for your situation: an agency submission to a client, a profile to sit in front of the CV, an internal summary after a phone screen, a shortlist, or the selection report after final interviews.
  • 2Tie every reason to the job. "Strong communicator" says little; "presents the monthly numbers to non-finance managers" shows the match.
  • 3Name one gap or open question honestly. It gives the hiring manager something to test at interview and makes the rest of the summary more credible.
  • 4Get the candidate’s agreement before you send their details to a client, and say in the email that you have it.
  • 5Keep it short enough to read in a minute: the CV carries the full history.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Pasting the CV into the email instead of saying why this person fits this role.
  • Leaving out the practical details, such as notice period, location or salary expectation, so the hiring manager has to ask.
  • Listing only strengths, which makes a hiring manager wonder what has been left out.
  • Including personal details that have nothing to do with the job, such as age, marital status or a photo.
  • Sending a candidate to a client without their agreement, or to a company they have already applied to directly.
  • Writing the selection report after the decision from memory, instead of from the panel’s notes against the agreed criteria.

Questions

What is a candidate summary?

A short write-up a recruiter sends with a candidate’s CV. It gives the hiring manager the candidate’s background, the reasons they fit the role, anything to explore at interview, and practical details such as notice period and location.

What should a candidate submission include?

A one-line summary of the candidate, three reasons they fit the role, one gap or question to explore, why they are looking, their salary expectation, notice period, location, right to work, other processes they are in and when they can interview. Attach the CV and confirm the candidate agreed to the submission.

What is a candidate selection report?

A record written after the final interviews. It lists the selection criteria, how each candidate compared against them, who the panel selected and why, and a reserve candidate. It gives the hiring decision a written basis if it is questioned later.

What is the difference between a candidate profile and a CV?

The CV is the candidate’s own account of their history. A candidate profile is the recruiter’s summary of how that history matches a specific role, usually on one page in front of the CV.

How long should a candidate summary be?

Short enough that a hiring manager can read it in a minute or two. Keep the full history in the CV and put only the case for the role, the open questions and the practical details in the summary.

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