Silence after an assessment creates avoidable candidate anxiety. A short, predictable follow-up message can reduce drop-off and improve response quality. This template set helps recruiters communicate clearly after SHL completion. For timing expectations and operational context, see SHL test wait time for recruiters.
Why the follow-up matters
The assessment stage is where many good candidates quietly drop out of your pipeline. The reasons have less to do with the test itself than with the silence that follows it. A candidate who submits an SHL assessment and then hears nothing for a week assumes one of three things: they were rejected silently, the team is disorganized, or the process is a black box. All three damage your employer brand and push the strongest applicants toward competitors who communicate more reliably.
A good follow-up strategy does not need to be elaborate. It needs to be predictable. Candidates should always know what comes next, and when. That predictability alone is the difference between a candidate who stays engaged and one who disappears.
Principles that make follow-up work
Before you reach for templates, internalize the rules that make them effective:
- Every message has a date-bound next step. "We will update you soon" is not a plan.
- No ambiguous language. "Shortly," "in a bit," and "asap" invite follow-up questions and anxiety. Use a concrete date or window.
- Speed matters at the start. The acknowledgment email should go out within hours, not days. This one message does most of the de-risking.
- The final outcome is subject to human review. Automate acknowledgment and scheduling, but have a human own the rejection and shortlist messages.
- Personalization beats throughput where it counts. The templates are a baseline. Add the candidate's name, the role, and a specific reference to their situation where you can.
Template 1: immediate acknowledgment (same day)
Subject: Assessment received - next steps
Hi [Candidate Name],
Thanks for completing the SHL assessment for the [Role Name] position. We have received your submission successfully.
Our team is currently reviewing results, and you can expect an update by [Date/Time Window].
If we need any additional information, we will reach out directly.
Best,
[Recruiter Name]
Template 2: delay update (if review exceeds timeline)
Subject: Update on your assessment review timeline
Hi [Candidate Name],
Quick update: your assessment is still under review. We are currently finalizing feedback with the hiring panel.
Revised update window: [New Date].
Thank you for your patience. We appreciate your time and interest in the role.
Best,
[Recruiter Name]
Template 3: shortlist progression
Subject: Next step after assessment
Hi [Candidate Name],
Thanks again for completing the assessment. We would like to move you to the next stage for the [Role Name] process.
Please share your availability for [time window] so we can schedule the next interview.
Best,
[Recruiter Name]
Template 4: non-progression closeout
Subject: Update on your application
Hi [Candidate Name],
Thank you for taking the assessment and for your interest in [Company]. After review, we will not be progressing with your application for this role.
We appreciate your effort and will keep your profile in mind for relevant future roles.
Best wishes,
[Recruiter Name]
When to use each template
Your choice of template should be driven by the actual stage of the assessment pipeline, not by a fixed schedule:
- Immediately post-submission: only acknowledge. Do not hint at a verdict. This is Template 1, and it protects you from candidates inferring an outcome from the sender name or the subject line.
- As the deadline approaches: send Template 1 if the candidate is approaching the submission deadline and has not submitted. Convert the acknowledgment into a gentle deadline reminder.
- If the review runs long: deploy Template 2 only when the original window passes. Pre-send it proactively, before the candidate has to email you asking where things stand.
- Only after a decision: send Template 3 or Template 4. Never send a progression message as a placeholder hoping to buy time.
How to reduce the number of follow-ups you need
The best follow-up is the one that is not needed. Two structural choices dramatically cut the number of status emails a recruiter has to send:
- Set the expectation in the invitation. When a candidate is first invited to the assessment, tell them the result window. Then the follow-up confirms a known date rather than announcing one from nowhere.
- Shorten the review pipeline. Where the hiring panel can review results in 48 hours instead of five days, the entire anxiety window shrinks. Speed is a candidate-experience feature, not just an operational convenience.
Automating the follow-up without losing the human touch
Automation is the obvious efficiency play, but it only works when the automated sequence retains a human check at the decision gates. Automating mechanical touches frees time, but only when the coded sequences retain a human check at the decision points:
- Automate: the acknowledgment (Template 1) and deadline reminders. These have no judgment involved and should be instant and consistent.
- Semi-automate: the delay update (Template 2), triggered only when a rule (deadline passed) fires, but always drafted to include the real reason for the delay.
- Always manual: shortlist (Template 3) and rejection (Template 4). These carry the outcome and affect the candidate brand more than any other message.
A tip for senior roles: a candidate who moves to shortlist will perform in the next stage no better than their assessment suggested. Keep them warm, but let them know the next stage name and its date so they can prepare and schedule.
What to track
To know whether your follow-up process works, measure a few simple things:
- Assessment completion rate: the share of invited candidates who actually submit. Your deadline reminders directly move this.
- Response time from submission to decision: the average window candidates wait. This should trend downward as you tighten the review pipeline.
- Candidate re-engagement: whether shortlist candidates reply to your scheduling emails. A low re-engagement rate points to a communication gap at the progression stage.
- Post-assessment drop-off cost: the number of candidates who withdraw between assessment and interview. If this is high, your follow-up cadence is the likely culprit.
A quick cadence to reference
If you want a ready schedule to build around, here is a clean default that balances responsiveness with a realistic panel timeline:
- Same day (within hours): acknowledgment (Template 1).
- 48 hours before a submission deadline: gentle reminder with the deadline and the practice link.
- On a deadline that passes with no submission: a short grace message, then close the window.
- Within 24 hours of the promised result date: progress or decision message (Template 2, 3, or 4).
- If the panel is delayed: the revised-window message (Template 2) every few days until a decision is reached.
You can compress these windows for hot, time-sensitive roles where the competitive candidate market requires faster response, or extend them for slow-moving internal roles. The important thing is that the cadence is deliberate and communicated, not improvised.
Keeping the closeout respectful
The rejection message (Template 4) is the one most likely to leak onto review sites, so it deserves the most care. A clear, specific, and timely rejection reduces the chance that a candidate airs grievances publicly. Three rules:
- Be timely. A late rejection is worse than a rejection; it makes the whole process feel like an afterthought.
- Be specific but not clinical. Reference that the decision followed the assessment review, and keep the tone warm without over-promising.
- Never ghost. A candidate who hears nothing will eventually infer the outcome and will be more negative about the process than one who gets a clean, honest close.
Final note
Follow-up quality is part of candidate experience quality. Use templates as a baseline, then personalize where needed. The messaging is simple: acknowledge fast, give concrete dates, and never let the review window slip in silence. The candidates who value good communication are the same ones you want to keep engaged with the role, and reinforcing communication at every stage keeps them with you to offer.