Article Summary
📝 Show gratitude and clarity in every rejection email.
🤝 Personalize feedback to support growth and foster goodwill.
⏰ Send promptly (within a few hours/days) to respect candidates’ time.
⚙️ Use templates and automation for efficiency and consistency.
🔎 Encourage future applications to build a strong talent pool.
Key Elements of a Professional Rejection Email
A well-crafted rejection email serves multiple purposes. It informs candidates of the decision, provides valuable feedback, and leaves a positive impression of the company. The key elements of a professional rejection email include expressing gratitude, clear communication, and providing constructive feedback. These elements ensure candidates feel respected and valued throughout the hiring process.
✅ Gratitude helps soften disappointment and acknowledges candidates’ efforts in their applications. A simple “thank you” can go a long way in softening the blow of rejection and leaving a positive impression.
✅ Clear communication ensures the rejection email is understood and maintains a positive relationship with the candidate. Providing key points without unnecessary details helps candidates understand the decision and move forward.
✅ Constructive feedback helps candidates understand why they weren’t selected and encourages professional growth. Targeted suggestions for improvement aid candidates in future job search, demonstrating employer care for their growth.
⌛️ Ideal Timeline. Send rejection emails within a few days of the hiring decision. Timely communication respects the candidate’s time and helps maintain a positive candidate experience.
Automating Rejection Emails for Efficiency
Automating rejection emails streamlines the hiring process by reducing the time spent drafting messages while maintaining professional and consistent communication.
Automated email generators ensure prompt, polished responses—key to a positive candidate experience.
Using predefined templates minimizes administrative workload and guarantees that all applicants receive a uniform and respectful message.
Tailoring templates to different stages of the hiring process enhances the candidate experience, with emails suited for early-stage rejections, post-phone interview notifications, or internal applicants.
🤖 AI tools like ChatGPT allow for personalized messages despite automation, improving communication quality and overall recruitment efficiency. This is a simple and terribly effective AI recruitment use case to set up.
Example Templates for Different Scenarios
#1 Template : Early-Stage Interview Rejection Email Template [Concise version]
Subject line: Your Application for [Position] at [Company]
Dear [Candidate's First Name],
Thank you for your interest in the [Position] at [Company]. After reviewing your application, we regret to inform you that we are not moving forward at this time.
We appreciate your effort and encourage you to keep an eye on future openings at [Company]. Thank you for considering us, and we wish you the best in your job search.
Best regards,
[Your Name and Job Title]
#2 Template : Early-Stage Interview Rejection Email Template [Detailed version]
Subject line: Your Application for [Position] at [Company]
Dear [Candidate's First Name],
Thank you for taking the time to apply for the [Position] role at [Company]. We appreciate the effort and care you put into your application.
After a thorough review, we have decided not to move forward with your application at this time. We were fortunate to receive a strong pool of applicants, making our decision particularly challenging.
[Option 1: Large Candidate Pool]
Due to the significant number of applications, we’re unable to provide individual feedback at this moment. However, we encourage you to stay informed about our upcoming opportunities. Should a suitable position arise in the future, we would gladly welcome your application again.
[Option 2: Small Candidate Pool]
We were particularly impressed by [specific aspect of the candidate’s profile], and we encourage you to reconnect with us if a more suitable role becomes available later on.
If you have any thoughts on our application process, we welcome your feedback. It helps us improve and offer a better experience.
Thank you again for your interest in [Company]. We wish you the best of luck in your job search.
Best regards,
[Your Name and Job Title]
#3 Template :Post Screening Interview Rejection Email Template [Concise version]
Subject Line: Your Application for [Position] at [Company]
Dear [Candidate’s First Name],
Thank you for your time and interest in the [Position] at [Company]. After careful review, we’ve decided not to move forward with your application. This decision reflects the specific requirements of this role rather than your potential.
We appreciate your efforts throughout this process and encourage you to apply for any future opportunities at [Company]. Thank you again for your interest, and best of luck in your career search.
Sincerely,
[Your Name and Job Title]
#4 Template : Post Screening Interview Rejection Email Template [Detailed version]
Subject Line: Update Regarding Your Application for [Position] at [Company]
Dear [Candidate's First Name],
Thank you for your patience throughout our hiring process for the [Position] at [Company]. We had a remarkable pool of candidates, including you, which made our decision a challenging one.
After thorough consideration, we have chosen not to proceed with your application at this time. While we truly appreciate your background and enjoyed learning more about your experience, we have decided to continue with candidates whose current skill set and background best match the role’s requirements.
We want to emphasize that our choice is not a reflection of your overall capabilities. Your strengths in [mention specific achievements or relevant skills] will no doubt serve you well in future opportunities. We hope you will keep [Company] in mind as you continue your career search, and we’d be glad to consider you again if a suitable position becomes available.
We are genuinely grateful for the time you invested in our application and interview process. Should you have any feedback about our recruitment steps or if you have any questions, feel free to let us know.
Best regards,
[Your Name and Job Title]
#5 Template : Post Interview Rejection Email Template [Concise version]
💡 We recommend that you call the candidate by phone instead and keep this email structure orally.
Subject line: Your Application for [Position] at [Company]
Dear [Candidate’s First Name],
Thank you for your time and effort during the hiring process for the [Position] at [Company]. We admire your [skills/qualities], but due to our specific need for strong [area of expertise], we will be moving forward with another candidate.
If you would like any further feedback, please let us know. We appreciate your interest in [Company] and wish you success in your future endeavors.
Sincerely,
[Your Name and Job Title]
#6 Template : Post Interview Rejection Email Template [Detailed version]
💡 We recommend that you call the candidate by phone instead and keep this email structure orally.
Subject line: Update on Your Application for [Position] at [Company]
Dear [Candidate’s First Name],
Thank you for considering [Company] and investing your time in our application and interview process for the [Position] role. We truly appreciate the effort and preparation that went into each step.
We were especially impressed by your [skills], [specific positive aspect], and [specific positive aspect]. However, the individual we hire for this position needs strong expertise in [add area of expertise]. For this reason, we’ve opted to proceed with another candidate whose background more closely aligns with our current requirements.
We hope you find the following feedback helpful as you continue to grow professionally. If you’re looking to strengthen your knowledge in [area of expertise], we suggest [taking a relevant course/pursuing a specific certification/gaining targeted experience]. Enhancing these capabilities will make you an even stronger candidate for roles of this nature.
Should you have any questions or wish to share insights about our hiring process, we would welcome your input. Your feedback is always valued as we strive to refine our approach and provide a supportive experience for all applicants.
Thank you again for your interest in joining [Company], and we wish you every success in your ongoing career journey.
Best regards,
[Your Name and Job Title]
#7 Template : Post Final Interview Round Rejection Email Template [Concise version]
💡 We recommend that you call the candidate by phone instead and keep this email structure orally.
Subject line: Thank You for Applying to [Company]
Dear [Candidate’s First Name],
Thank you for the time and effort you put into interviewing for the [Position] at [Company]. While we were impressed by your background, we’ve selected another candidate whose profile aligns more closely with our current needs.
We appreciate your interest and invite you to let us know if you’d like to remain in our talent pool for future opportunities. If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to reach out. We wish you the very best in your job search.
Kind regards,
[Your Name and Job Title]
#8 Template : Post Final Interview Round Rejection Email Template [Detailed version]
💡 We recommend that you call the candidate by phone instead and keep this email structure orally.
Subject line: Decision on Your Application for [Position] at [Company]
Dear [Candidate’s First Name],
Thank you for your patience throughout this recruitment process and for all the thought and energy you devoted to it. We’ve truly enjoyed getting to know you during the interviews, and we were impressed by your qualifications and how you presented yourself.
After careful review, we have decided to proceed with another candidate whose experience and background are a closer match for the specific requirements of this position. We understand that this may be discouraging news, and we appreciate the time and emotional investment you put into every step of the application.
Please be assured that this decision does not reflect any lack of ability on your part. In fact, your [specific strengths, accomplishments, or contributions] made a strong impression, and we are confident that your talents will lead you to success in future roles.
If you’re comfortable with it, we would like to keep you in mind for upcoming openings that might be a more suitable fit. Let us know if you’d prefer to stay connected in our talent pool.
Should you have any questions about this decision or wish to provide feedback on your experience, we’d value hearing from you. We continuously seek to improve our processes and provide a better journey for all candidates.
Thank you again for your interest in [Company] and for the effort you put into our hiring process. We hope the experience has offered valuable insights and wish you every success moving forward.
Warm regards,
[Your Name and Job Title]
#9 Template : After the candidate has received a Rejection by Phone Email Template [Concise version]
Subject Line: Thank You for Your Interest in [Company]
Dear [Candidate’s First Name],
Thank you for speaking with us about the [Position] at [Company]. We appreciate the effort you put into the process and enjoyed learning about your [skills/experience]. After careful consideration, we’ve decided to move forward with a candidate who more closely meets our current needs.
We value your interest in joining [Company] and hope you’ll stay in touch for future opportunities. Should you have any feedback on our hiring process or if you have any questions, please let us know. Best of luck in your search and future endeavors.
Sincerely,
[Your Name and Job Title]
#10 Template : After the candidate has received a Rejection by Phone Email Template [Detailed version]
Subject Line: Following Up on Our Recent Conversation about the [Position] at [Company]
Dear [Candidate’s First Name],
I hope you’re doing well. I’d like to thank you again for the time and effort you invested in the hiring process for the [Position] at [Company]. It was a pleasure speaking with you, and our team genuinely appreciated getting to know you and learning about your [specific strengths, skills, or accomplishments].
As discussed during our last call, we truly value your interest in [Company] and the expertise you brought to the table. However, we ultimately decided to move forward with another candidate whose background and qualifications align more directly with our current needs for this role. We encourage you to watch our careers page for future opportunities, as we would be glad to consider you again when a suitable position arises.
During our conversation, we touched on [specific topics or feedback from the call], and we appreciate your willingness to receive and discuss our feedback. Your thoughts are important to us, too—if you have any observations or suggestions about our hiring process, we’d love to hear them. We constantly seek ways to enhance our candidate experience and your insights will help us do just that.
Thank you again for your time, commitment, and interest in [Company]. We wish you the very best in your job search and in all your future endeavors. If there’s anything else you need or if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.
All the best,
[Your Name and Job Title]
Final Tips for Writing Rejection Emails
Rejection emails should balance professionalism, empathy, and encouragement. Personalized rejection emails show appreciation for the candidates’ time. This highlights the effort they put into the application process. Kind rejection emails leave a lasting positive impression and enhance the company’s reputation.
Candidates appreciate feedback and closure after an interview. Review the rejection email for empathy and clarity before sending. Mentioning upcoming job listings encourages candidates to consider future opportunities. Positive relationships with candidates help build a talent pool for future openings.
Concise rejection emails prevent overwhelming or confusing candidates with excessive details. A brief and clear rejection email respects the applicant’s time. An effective early-stage rejection email should be concise and express appreciation.
Professionalism in rejection emails fosters a respectful relationship between the employer and the candidate. Professionalism helps alleviate negative feelings in the candidate. A professional tone preserves the company’s reputation and fosters goodwill, enhancing the candidate experience.
Encouraging applications for future openings fosters a relationship for potential roles. Encouraging candidates to reapply can strengthen the future applicant pool. Inviting future applications reinforces a positive employer brand, showing value for talent and growth.
FAQ
🔹 How do you inform unsuccessful candidates after interview?
It's important to inform unsuccessful candidates clearly and politely. You can say, "Thank you for your time; we've decided to move forward with another candidate, but we appreciate your qualifications and will keep your resume on file for future openings."
🔹 How do you politely reject a candidate after an interview?
To politely reject a candidate after an interview, express gratitude for their time and highlight a positive aspect of their background before clearly stating that you are moving forward with other candidates. This approach maintains professionalism while offering constructive feedback.
🔹 How soon should I send a rejection email after an interview?
It's best to send a rejection email within a few days after making the hiring decision to show respect for the candidate's time and efforts. Prompt communication reflects professionalism.
🔹 What should I include in a rejection email?
A rejection email should express gratitude for the candidate's efforts, clearly communicate the decision, and provide constructive feedback to assist them in their future applications. This approach fosters goodwill and helps the candidate improve.
🔹 How can I personalize rejection emails?
Personalizing rejection emails is effective when you include the candidate's name, the position they applied for, and specific strengths or memorable moments from their interview. This approach shows respect and acknowledges their effort, making the rejection feel less impersonal.