What is a candidate rejection email?
A candidate rejection email is an official notification that a candidate for your vacancy has been unsuccessful in their application for the role.
There are several reasons why it’s important to let candidates know that you have decided to move on to the next phase of the hiring process without them.
At the least, it ensures they do not contact you for updates, saving you time from responding to their inquiry or explaining your decision. At the most, you recognise the effort the candidate made to apply and leave them with a positive impression of your business.
If the vacancy is likely to receive numerous applications, it may become time-consuming to send a rejection email to each candidate who does not receive an interview. In this case, before advertising the role, consider setting up an auto-reply message for the recruitment email address, advising applicants that only the candidates to be interviewed will be contacted.
The further a candidate proceeds into the hiring process, the more important it becomes to send a personalised rejection email. This recognises the candidate’s time and effort and your interaction with them.
Regardless, it is best to choose your words carefully, as a poorly worded candidate rejection letter or email may confuse the candidate and give them false hope. It may also leave you open to public criticism that may leave a negative impression of your personal or your organisation’s reputation.
The recipient is unlikely to welcome the news that they have not been selected for an interview or the role, so being kind and considerate will ensure they still have a positive perception of your company.
What should I include in a rejection email?
There are five key elements that are best to include in a thorough rejection email to ensure clarity, professionalism and sensitivity to the candidate.
- A brief subject line: Reference the job title or specific position, as well as your company name. This ensures professionalism and clarity, particularly if they have applied for many roles of the same name. Avoid using negative words, such as rejection, unsuccessful or knock-back, in the subject line. This will encourage them to open and read the email, particularly if you have gone to the effort of providing encouraging and detailed feedback.
- Express gratitude: Thank the applicant for their interest in your company and for the time they spent completing an application or being interviewed. In addition to being polite, this message shows applicants that your organisation values their time.
- Personalisation: Use the applicant’s first name and the title of the position. If you have interviewed the candidate, include a note from that conversation or mention a specific positive attribute you appreciated. This shows you paid attention and greatly considered their contribution, so they understand they were not easily overlooked.If you decided not to hire the candidate based on their initial application, using their name as a minimum shows respect.
- Constructive feedback: Applicants often value input from employers they have been interviewed by because it provides insight into possible areas of improvement for them. This information may also help them consider the next steps in their job search. Constructive feedback, such as personalised advice, can help candidates with their professional growth and future applications.Internal candidates, in particular, may benefit from receiving more detailed feedback. This supports transparency and helps them understand their valuable skills and areas for improvement. External candidates who receive feedback may feel supported in their future professional endeavours. After improving their skill set, they may even apply for another role at your company in the future, and you may gain from their development.
- An invitation to apply again: If you feel a candidate might be a good fit for the company at another time, let them know you would like them to apply for other opportunities in the future. Also, encourage applicants to apply again if a future role is advertised after they have gained the skill set you require.However, if you do not feel an applicant is a good cultural or skill fit for your organisation, you may choose not to include this invitation in your email.
When crafting your message, keep it concise and avoid excessive detail. Focus on the key points that will matter most to the candidate.
For example, if hiring a receptionist, avoid mentioning you wish you could hire them, but you do not have the budget or workload for two receptionists. This will only confuse them as to why they haven’t been hired. Instead, simply encourage them to apply if the position is advertised again in the future, especially if they have gained new skills.
Job rejection email examples
These two examples of personalised rejection messages can be used as templates for creating compassionate job rejection emails. Following this wording may help you maintain professionalism and empathy while streamlining communication with applicants who are not selected for a role.
One example is for applicants who are a good cultural or skills fit for your organisation, and you would like to leave the door open for a future application from them. The other example is useful to send to candidates who do not meet your cultural fit or are not likely to gain the skills you require for the role.
Example rejection email for applicants who are a good fit
Subject: Sales manager, Wavewood Solutions
Hi Christopher,
Thank you so much for your interest in the sales manager position at Wavewood Solutions. We appreciate your taking the time to visit our offices and be interviewed by our team.
We have chosen to proceed with another candidate who has more leadership experience. However, we were impressed with your background and industry knowledge, especially your strong communication skills, which left a positive impression on our team. We feel you could be a great fit for our company in another role.
We will be posting a few sales positions in the coming weeks and hope you’ll consider applying again. We encourage you to explore future possibilities and future opportunities with Wavewood Solutions as part of your continuing professional growth and development. We wish you the best of luck in your continued job search and career endeavours. Thank you!
Kind regards,
Sherrie Nguyen
Executive Director of Sales
Wavewood Solutions
snguyen@wavewoodsolutions.com
Example rejection email for applicants who are not a good fit
Hi Christopher,
Thank you so much for your interest in the sales manager position at Wavewood Solutions. We appreciate your taking the time to visit our offices and be interviewed by our team.
While we were impressed with your skill set, after careful consideration, we have chosen to proceed with another candidate who has more leadership experience. Again, we appreciate your time and we wish you continued success in your continued job search and future professional endeavours.
Kind regards,
Sherrie Nguyen
Executive Director of Sales
Wavewood Solutions
snguyen@wavewoodsolutions.com
Sending a good rejection letter or email can ensure that unsuccessful candidates are not left wondering where they stand, and help ensure that your company retains its positive reputation. It should be treated as an integral part of the recruitment process, and included in any checklists provided to hiring managers to ensure this step is not overlooked.
Using these examples as templates can make the process of notifying applicants faster and easier.
