How to write the perfect candidate rejection email? (with 4 samples)
After several rounds of assessments and interviews, employers choose the best candidate. Sending the rejected candidates a candidate rejection email is necessary before moving forward. Rejection is difficult, thus employers should be careful when drafting a letter of rejection for a job. Informing about rejection is essential for building a positive perception of the organisation in the talent market. Even if the receiver might not like hearing this, a caring email will guarantee a favourable impression of the business. In this article, you may discover examples of how to write rejection applications and inform about it to them.
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A candidate rejection email is a document that an employer sends to the job candidates who were rejected. It is a professional courtesy from the employers to the candidates who haven’t been successful in interviews. Employers must explain their decision to reject a candidate to the applicant. Employers are constantly concerned with how to reject an application. Writing rejection letters for candidates is difficult for recruiters. Finding the right mix of a positive, honest, and professional tone is essential for drafting a decent rejection letter. A poor rejection letter might harm the recipient’s self-esteem and damage the company’s reputation.
Tips to write a candidate rejection email?
Candidates wait for as long as a month to get a response from the employer. Most of them get disappointed as they don’t get a reply. A candidate rejection email shows the candidate that the employer recognises the effort put in by them during the whole interview process. By creating a rejection email format, employers can reduce the time spent sending emails. Employers should foster a relationship with the candidates so that they remain in the talent pool.
A candidate rejection email should have:
Thank you
Employers should always thank the candidate for showing interest in the company. They should be thanked for the time spent in the interview procedure till now. Employers should be polite with their message and tone and show applicants that the company values their time.
Personalise the message
Personalise the message by using the candidate’s first name and the title of the position applied for. Appreciating some of their attributes can make the conversation positive.
Feedback
Rejected candidates want to know the reason behind the rejection. Employers should provide insights into the areas of improvement. This may help candidates to understand their weaknesses and work on them. Most of the candidates want constructive feedback about their performance in the interview. For example, if you reject a candidate in favour of someone with more experience, the applicant might decide to apply for the roles better aligned with their career level.
Invitation for future hiring
If the employers find the candidate to be a good fit, they should let them know. Some candidates may be suitable for other roles in the future. Include an invitation to apply again for future roles in the rejection emails.
Wishing them luck
We want to stress once more that just because a candidate was not chosen by one employer does not imply that they are unqualified; rather, it simply indicates that the position was not a good fit for them. Send them your best wishes for success in their future activities to end the email on a positive note.
Importance of writing a rejection letter?
Writing a rejection for an application is a kind and professional way to address the candidates. A poor rejection letter or no response to the candidates can have damaging effects.
Reason for writing a rejection letter:
Hampers Company Image
Rejected candidates with poor or no response can become very unhappy and show their resentment online. Bad reviews from them can hamper the name of the company. A bad company might make the employer lose out on potential candidates as well. Thus, it is better to keep the candidates informed.
Candidates get feedback
It is extremely difficult to wait until after an interview for a response. Waiting and overthinking by the rejected candidates makes the whole interview experience worse. The rejected may be a good fit for a future role in the company, so it is better to give them honest feedback.
Talent pool for future
Employers must keep in mind that building a relationship with prospects can aid in future hiring. The candidate you rejected might have more experience, education, and talents to offer in a year if you maintain a good relationship with them.
Candidate rejection email templates
A rejection email is not mandatory, but sending it helps to ensure that the company retains its positive reputation. Creating a rejection letter for a job can help to save time for communication. The following samples of rejection email templates can be helpful for employers.
For rejected applicants who are not a good fit
Subject: Your application for the sales role at ABC company
Hi [Candidate’s name],
ABC Company appreciates your interest in the Sales Manager role. We value the time you invested in coming to our offices and speaking with our staff.
Although we were impressed with your skill set, particularly in [insert specific talents you wowed us with], we have decided to go on with another applicant who has greater leadership experience.
Once more, thank you for your time, and good luck in all of your future professional pursuits.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Executive Director of Sales
For rejected applicants who are a good fit
Subject: Your application status for the sales role at ABC companyHi [Candidate’s name],
ABC Company appreciates your interest in the Sales Manager role. We value the time you invested in coming to our offices and speaking with our staff.
We have decided to move forward with another applicant that has more leadership experience at this time. We were impressed with your experience and industry understanding, though, and think you’d make a terrific addition to our company’s culture.
We hope you’ll think about applying again when we will post a few sales openings in the upcoming weeks. Otherwise, we wish you good luck in all of your professional efforts.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Executive Director of Sales
For rejected applicants with Feedback
Subject: Your application to [Company name]
Dear [Candidate name],
We appreciate you for taking the time to think about [Company name]. We wanted to let you know that for the [Job title] position, we have decided to move on with another applicant.
[Optionally, provide applicant evaluations from the hiring procedure for those who might be appropriate for upcoming openings:] Your abilities and successes left a lasting impression on our interview panel. [Mention something that caught your attention especially.] We believe you might be a good fit for upcoming roles and will get in touch with you once we do.
We wish you all the best in finding a job and in all of your future professional efforts.
Best regards,
[Your name]
[Your email signature]
For rejected candidates in e-interview
Subject- Your application for [Name of the role]
Dear [Candidate’s name]
It was a pleasure to e-meet you last week in the interview. We appreciate all of your time, patience, and work put forth during the interview process.
Although we were impressed by your experience, abilities, and strategy, we went with another candidate since they had a more relevant skill set. Even though you have excellent communication and self-assurance skills, you can take certain courses to expand your understanding in the area.
The interview panel praised your presentation and appreciated your thoughts, and we want to make sure you know this. Your education, experience, and credentials can undoubtedly aid you in locating a position that will enable you to accomplish your objectives.
I hope you succeed in finding a job and in your future career.
Best regards,
[Name of the hiring manager]
How soon a rejection email should be sent?
As soon as the employer knows that a candidate is not a good match for the role, a candidate rejection email should be sent. Employers should aim to send the rejection letter for a job within one week of the interview. Employers should not wait for all the rounds of the interviews to get over, as it takes a lot of time.
Naturally, rejection emails make the candidates unhappy. Employers may make sure that these candidate rejection emails aren’t humiliating or disparaging. A candidate shouldn’t feel devalued because that can make them depressed. The employers can compose a rejection email with a few feedback points in no more than a few lines. A well-written rejection email aids the applicant in comprehending the grounds for rejection. Additionally, it helps organisations to keep a talent pool of active candidates. Employers only need to keep these points in mind to write a constructive rejection letter. Employers can utilise candidate rejection email samples to save time and communicate simultaneously.
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