Why you should send job rejection emails to unsuccessful candidates
When it comes to hiring, it’s not just about finding the right candidate, but also about making sure you provide a positive candidate experience for those who aren’t selected. Sending a job rejection email is an essential step in the hiring process that often gets ignored. Saying “no” to people is not necessarily an emotionally easy or comfortable task, but it’s a skill that can be learned. In this blog post, we’ll explore why you should send rejection emails to unsuccessful candidates and provide examples of how to write a professional and effective job rejection email.
We have also provided real-life examples of rejection letters from an international consulting company Leyton UK. Sending a big thank you to Sarah Glanville, Leyton’s Talent Engagement Specialist for sharing the templates!
Provide closure to your candidates
Job seekers invest in applying for jobs and attending interviews, and it can be frustrating to be left hanging without any feedback. By sending a job rejection email, you provide closure to your candidates and let them know where they stand in the hiring process. This is especially important in a multistep hiring process where the candidate has taken a lot of time, invested the most, and is emotionally more attached.
Employer branding
Your candidate experience can significantly impact your employer branding. A negative experience can turn off potential candidates and damage your company’s reputation. Candidates with poor candidate experience are likely to share their negative emotions with others. On the other hand, a positive experience can help you attract top talent in the future. Sending a job rejection email is an opportunity to showcase your company’s professionalism and respect for candidates, and thus improve candidate experience.
Keep the relationship with your candidates
Even though a candidate wasn’t the best fit for the current position, they might be a great fit for future roles. By sending a job rejection email and leaving the door open for future opportunities, you can maintain a positive relationship with candidates and potentially tap into their talent pool in the future. This is especially important for the roles where the talent pool is the most limited.
How to write a job rejection email
Now that you understand why sending a job rejection email is essential, let’s discuss how to write an effective one. Here are 5 tips to follow when writing a job rejection email:
Send it as soon as possible
The longer you wait to send a job rejection email, the more frustrating it can be for candidates. Ideally, you should send the email within 2-3 days (or a maximum of within a week) of the interview or when the final decision has been made. Using an applicant tracking system (ATS) can help you track candidates and send automated rejection emails quickly. An ATS enables scheduling and sending out the email when the trigger is activated, making sure that all candidates receive feedback.
Thank the candidate
Start the email by thanking the candidate for their time and interest in the position. This shows that you appreciate their effort and respect their time. Depending on the position, you can bring out what positively stood out from their application, homework assignment, or interview.
Give the bad news
Next, deliver the bad news. Let the candidate know that they weren’t selected for the position. Be honest and direct, but also be respectful and empathetic. However, there is no need to apologize for not selecting the candidate. You can point out what was lacking from their application or skillset, and provide resources to improve in those areas.
Explain the reasons
While it’s not always necessary to explain why a candidate wasn’t selected, it can be helpful feedback for them to improve in future interviews. In a hiring process with multiple interview stages, the candidate has invested more into applying than in just the application stage. Therefore, it is respectful to take the time and explain the reasons in more detail. Some ATS have comment sections that help personalize the emails so that the feedback feels specific. However, if you received a large number of applications or the decision was based on specific qualifications, it might not be possible to provide detailed feedback. In these cases, you can keep the email brief and professional.
Leave the door open for new opportunities
End the email by letting the candidate know that you’ll keep their information on file for future opportunities if they wish. This shows that you value their skills and experience, and leaves the door open for a potential future relationship. As an employer or recruiter, you benefit from it by adding to your candidate talent pool.
Send automatic job rejection emails for unsuccessful candidates
Sending a job rejection email can be time-consuming, especially if you received a large number of applications. However, automated rejection emails can help you save time and ensure that every candidate receives a response. Some applicant tracking systems have built-in templates that you can customize and send automatically.
Job rejection email examples
Here are two rejection email examples – the first with feedback and the second without. Replace the contents in the square brackets with relevant information or input.
Job rejection email with feedback
Subject line: Thank you for applying for[Name of the role] position
Dear [Candidate First Name],
Thank you for your interest in the [Job Title] role at [Company Name]. We appreciate the time and effort you invested in applying and participating in our selection process.
While we were impressed with your qualifications and experience, we have decided not to move forward with your application at this time. We received a high volume of applications, and after careful consideration, we have identified other candidates whose skills more closely match our current needs.
We wanted to take a moment to provide you with some feedback on your application. We were particularly impressed with your experience in [specific skill or accomplishment], which demonstrated your expertise in [related skill or industry]. However, we felt that your [specific aspects of the application, such as a cover letter or interview responses] could be further developed to better align with our needs.
We hope this feedback will be helpful to you in your future job search, and we encourage you to continue developing your skills and experience in [related field or industry]. However, we would like to keep your resume and contact information in our database for future job opportunities that may be a better fit for your qualifications.
Thank you again for your interest in the [Job Title] role at [Company Name], and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
Job rejection email without feedback
Subject line: Your application for [Name of the role]
Dear [Candidate First Name],
Thank you for your interest in the [Job Title] role at [Company Name]. We appreciate the time and effort you invested in applying and participating in our selection process.
After careful consideration, we have decided not to move forward with your application at this time. We received a high volume of applications, and while we were impressed with your qualifications, we have identified other candidates whose skills more closely match our current needs.
We want to thank you for considering our company as a potential employer, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
Job rejection email template
Subject line: Your application for [Name of the role]
Dear [Candidate Name],
Thank you for your interest in the [Job Title] role at [Company Name]. We appreciate the time and effort you invested in applying and participating in our selection process.
After careful consideration, we have decided not to move forward with your application at this time. We received a high volume of applications, and while we were impressed with your qualifications, we have identified other candidates whose skills more closely match our current needs.
We want to thank you for considering our company as a potential employee. We encourage you to continue exploring job opportunities with our company and wish you all the best in your job seeking.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
Examples of job rejection emails from Leyton UK
Job rejection email before TA screen
Dear {first-name},
Many thanks for applying for a role at Leyton.
I’m afraid on this occasion you do not match our requirements so we will not be progressing with your application.
Thank you for expressing an interest in working at Leyton and please do not hesitate to apply for suitable roles in the future.
We will continue to stay in touch through our Talent Community, just because you are not right for this role does not mean that there will not be an opportunity for you here in future.
Please continue to check our career site for available opportunities. We wish you the best of luck in your job search.
The experience you have as a candidate considering a job at Leyton UK is very important to us. We want to create an environment where you can work with us to discover if Leyton is your best next step, and where you feel valued throughout the recruitment process.
Thank you for agreeing to take part in our Candidate Experience Survey, with your input we hope to continue to improve what we do in the future!
You can access this here – {link}
We are a 2023 Circle Back Initiative Employer and commit to responding to every applicant. We value the time you have taken to apply with Leyton UK and know you deserve our time back to respond to you.
Kind regards,
{Your name and title}
Job rejection email after TA screen
Hi {first-name},
Thank you so much for taking the time to meet me for screening, I very much enjoyed meeting with you.
I wanted to follow up our call with an email to confirm that after our in depth conversation unfortunately I don’t feel that Leyton is the right next step for you.
We would like to thank you very much for your application and your interest in Leyton, it has been a pleasure meeting with you and we would like to stay in touch through our Talent Community, so please do stay connected!
The experience you have as a candidate considering a job at Leyton UK is very important to us. We want to create an environment where you can work with us to discover if Leyton is your best next step, and where you feel valued throughout the recruitment process.
We would really appreciate if you could complete our short Candidate Experience survey which will take you no more than a few minutes.
You can access this here – {link}
Thank you again for your time throughout this recruitment process. All the best on your job search!
Kindest regards,
{Your name and title}
Job rejection email after 1st/Final interview
Hi {first-name},
Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with the team at {1st stage/final} interview, the team very much enjoyed meeting with you.
I wanted to follow up our call with an email to confirm that after much consideration from our hiring team they have unfortunately decided not to progress with your application.
We have discussed your individual feedback over the phone already, but to confirm our interview process is based on a range of scoring metrics and competencies and we feel that right now we didn’t have an opportunity for you here right now .
We would like to thank you very much for your application and your interest in Leyton, it has been a pleasure meeting with you and we would like to stay in touch through our Talent Community, so please do stay connected!
The experience you have as a candidate considering a job at Leyton UK is very important to us. We want to create an environment where you can work with us to discover if Leyton is your best next step, and where you feel valued throughout the recruitment process.
We would really appreciate if you could complete our short Candidate Experience survey which will take you no more than a few minutes.
You can access this here – {link}
Thank you again for your time throughout this recruitment process. All the best on your job search!
Kindest regards,
{Your name and title}
TL;DR
The blog post discusses the importance of sending job rejection emails to unsuccessful candidates and how to write them.
It highlights three main reasons to send a rejection email: provide closure to candidates, build an employer brand, and keep a positive relationship with candidates.
It also provides tips on how to write an effective rejection email, such as sending it as soon as possible, thanking the candidate, giving the bad news, explaining the reasons, and leaving the door open for new opportunities.
The article provides examples of rejection emails with and without feedback and a template for a rejection email. Real-life examples of templates used by Leyton UK are included as a bonus.
Remember to automate sending your rejection emails by using an ATS.
If you want additional insights on other email templates, check how to write a job offer email.
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