Why Interview Rejection Letters Are So Important
Not getting word back on their application process can be frustrating for job seekers it could also paint a negative image of your company of being unresponsive and indifferent. A rejection letter can:
Help instill transparency: A job rejection letter can give applicants insights into the application processing process and help them to track their application process,
It shows that you care: It can help let applicants know that you recognize the effort they put into applying for the job and helps mitigate any negative feelings toward your company. By not getting back to them, candidates may feel that they are still in the running and could be turning down job offers or holding off on applying for other jobs, simply because theyre waiting for your response.
Reduces unnecessary correspondence: sending notification letters can ensure that applicants are not left waiting for an answer and may reduce the number of check-in emails and calls you receive from them.
Endears you to applicants: By reaching out to applicants you create a lasting impression as a responsive company indicating that you have a great company culture add that despite not being the right match you can encourage them to apply for other positions within the company.
Reasons To Write A Rejection Letter
Writing a rejection letter to unsuccessful candidates after an interview takes time, and it may be the last thing on your to-do list. However, sending post-interview rejection letters after hiring the best candidate adds a unique personal touch to your hiring practices. Here are six reasons to write rejection letters to candidates.
- You get to give feedback. If possible, specify to each candidate why they did not succeed in the interview. Examples include poor time-keeping, wrong personality type, a disorganized résumé and poor presentation.
- You could win the candidates as customers. Sending a post-interview letter that explains the reasoning behind your decision shows that you’re considerate and kind-hearted this impression may influence the candidates to start or continue using your products or services.
- You stay connected with the applicants. A candidate that missed the position by a small margin can be the ideal person for another position. Sending a rejection letter gives you room to approach them again for an interview.
- It protects your company. Ignoring unsuccessful candidates after an interview can leave them thinking your company is unprofessional. A positive rejection email after an interview shows appreciation and helps maintain a good image.
- It promotes a friendly culture in your company. Research shows that employees emulate their leaders’ actions. Sending a post-interview letter models respectful and courteous behavior, which employees often copy.
Candidate Rejection Email Templates For You
Good news! You need not spend time writing a fresh email for your rejected candidates each time. Weve done the heavy-lifting and created three templates that you can just Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V.
Pro tip: You can personalize your email to provide feedback to your candidates and add specifics about why you rejected them, especially if they went through an interview process. You should send a concise, brief message to individuals who have been rejected through your resume screening procedure. Depending on your company’s culture, you could also choose between a formal and casual tone.
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Tips For Writing A Job Rejection Email
Hiring managers can use these tips to write more empathetic rejection emails:
- Send them right away. As soon as you make your hiring decision, send out your rejection emails. This gives candidates the opportunity to focus their attention on other job prospects sooner.
- Proofread your writing. While this is a low-stakes email to send, you still are representing your company. Ensuring youre using proper language and grammar shows candidates that youre a professional organization.
- Consider other roles. If you find you really like a candidate during the interview but they arent right for your particular role, think about what other job openings your company might have. You may be able to offer them an interview for a different role that better aligns with their skills and experiences.
- Be responsive to candidates. In order to grow as professionals, some candidates might ask for additional feedback. Responding to such messages with constructive feedback can help a candidate develop their skill set and see your company favourably.
Related:Understanding The Steps Of The Interview Process
What To Include In The Letter
A rejection letter must send a clear message to the candidate that they didn’t get the job. It should also have a friendly and positive tone to reduce the disappointment that rejection causes. Here are six essential elements to include in your letter or email:
- The date you wrote the letter: Including a date helps you keep track of the communication process and manage your candidate profile. The candidate can also use the date to gauge a timeline to follow up with you for other opportunities.
- Candidate’s name and address: This information clarifies that the rejection is directed to them. It also adds a personal touch to it, and the candidate feels valued that you took the time to include their name.
- Note of thanks: Appreciate the candidate’s effort in applying and going through the hiring process. Mention that you didn’t take it for granted that they considered working for your company.
- A sentence with the word declined: Be clear that you’re not moving forward with the interview. The word declined lightens the weight of the bad news compared to using the word rejected.
- The reason behind the rejection: A candidate will appreciate feedback that helps them improve their résumé or interview skills. Add two to three concerns you noticed that caused you to disqualify them for the position.
Taking time to draft a post-interview rejection letter prevents the candidate from feeling disregarded and increases their chances of applying again for a future position.
Read Also: How To Interview Financial Advisor
Reasons For Replying To A Rejection Email
- You can reiterate your interest in the company. Let the hiring manager know the specific company values you admire and how they align with your career goals. Even if you werent a good fit for this position, remind the hiring manager that you would make a good fit in the overall organizational culture.
- It makes a good impression. If you can leave on a good note, youll have a better chance with future openings at that company.
- Ask for feedback. If you spent considerable time in the interview process, the hiring manager might be willing to give you feedback on why they chose a different candidate. They might point out a weakness in your resume or interviewing skills that you can fix.
Inform Them They Weren’t Successful
The most important part of the letter is informing the candidate that you’re declining to move forward with their application, or their interview didn’t meet your standards. Include this information at the beginning of the letter so that the candidate can know the results immediately. The statement needs to have a positive tone and show empathy, which assists the candidate in handling the news better.
Examples:
- We have closely reviewed your application, and unfortunately, we have declined to move forward with your application.
- Unfortunately, we have offered the senior customer relations position to a different candidate.
- After careful consideration, we have decided to give the position to another candidate who closely matches the job requirement.
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How To Write Employee Rejection Letter
An employee rejection letter is a letter that is sent to inform an applicant. That they have not been selected for a position within a company. There are many reasons why an employer may choose to send a rejection letter to an employee, including:
Rejection Letter After Interview Examples
Following the initial interview round with selected candidates, you will need to tell unsuccessful candidates that they did not pass the interview round and that they are no longer competing in the recruitment process. As such you will need to issue a post-interview rejection letter notifying them that they are no longer in contention for the advertised post. You can also check out our other resources on good interview questions to ask candidates and video interview tips.
Recommended Reading: What To Say In A Email After An Interview
Examples Of Honest Interview Feedback
When writing your personalized feedback, be careful about the language you use, for example:
Youre not a good fit for this position.
You have strong technical skills, but you need more experience with X program to thrive in this role.
This position is above your level of experience.
To achieve your future career goals, we feel you would benefit from a role with more opportunities for training. Right now, we dont have the resources to provide that support.
We dont think you will gel with the rest of the team.
You have admirable career ambitions, but these could make it difficult for you to stay motivated in this position for a long time.
You couldnt provide examples of when youd managed a stressful situation.
We were impressed with your ability to share your past achievements however, we were missing concrete examples. We recommend reflecting on how you can demonstrate your skills using specific examples.
Template #: To Candidates Rejected In The Final Round
Subject: Your application to < COMPANY NAME>
Body:
We appreciate you taking the time and going through our hiring process till now.
Unfortunately, we have made the difficult decision of not taking your candidature to the next step. Given the roles criticality, we have decided to continue our search for someone with more < insert what you wanted to see in the candidate but did not>
Our team loved your < highlight the candidates strengths you found to be promising> . You stood out of the crowd with some incredible ideas and insights, and an impressive demeanor. We hope to be able to collaborate with you in the near future.
< YOUR DESIGNATION>
P.S. < CANDIDATE NAME> , please visit our < CAREERS PAGE> and our < SOCIAL HANDLES> for updates on new positions at < COMPANY NAME> . We would like to see you join us in the near future.
Find more email templates here: 15 bookmark-worthy recruiting email templates for you.
We totally understand how jam-packed a recruiter’s calendar is and how some of you end up eating your lunch at your work desk. You might spend a lot of time going through hundreds of resumes to simply screen applicants who meet your minimum requirements. But don’t forget to send that one last email to your rejected candidates. In fact, you can screen candidates quicker when recruitment automation is in place, but there is no replacement for the human element in your rejection email that can silently build a brand for your company where you least expect it.
Recommended Reading: How To Prepare For Screening Interview
Candidate Rejection Email After Interview Templates
Telling someone they didnt receive the job can be difficult, but the right candidate rejection email after interview template can help make the tedious task much easier.
While companies arent obligated to notify interviewees that they werent hired, its polite to notify each candidate they didnt get the job.
Communicating With A Candidate About The Status Of Their Recruitment Journey Is Necessary To Provide A Positive Candidate Experience If The Candidate Is Rejected During This Process The Employer Must Provide Them With A Rejection Email/letter
A good rejection email that provides constructive feedback can help you improve your reputation, and even whether the rejected candidate is bound to try again.
A bad rejection email can damage your reputation, like if you dont send an email to a rejected candidate at all. This is why it is essential to choose your words carefully and inform the candidate about their rejection.
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Personalise The Rejection Letter
Too often, generic templates are sent to unsuccessful candidates where they not only sound robotic, stiff and dishonest but display a negative and poor representation of the company and recruiter.
When sending rejection letters, personalise it by mentioning something positive you noted during the interview, and make sure their name is spelled correctly attention to detail shows you made an effort.
Of course, its understandable that recruiters may be dealing with 50 job openings at any given time and managing hundreds of candidates waiting for a response. But try and see it like this: your candidate could one day be your client, consumer or employer.
Let Them Know Quickly
Many people like to wait until theyve found or hired the best candidate before notifying any other candidates that they wont be moving forward. Dont do that. As soon as you know that the person youre reviewing or talking to isnt the best candidate for your team, let them know. Depending on where they are in the interview process, this can be via email or phone. If theyre just in the beginning stages of application review or a phone screen, youre good to email. Beyond that: give them the courtesy of a phone call.
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Explain The Reason Behind The Rejection
You would definitely have reasons why you couldnt move the candidate forward in your hiring process. State them clearly in your mail. This could be related to their skill set or the experience required. While doing this, add what you liked in the candidate too. You can find hand-picked examples of gracefully rejecting candidates here. Help yourselves!
Types Of Rejection Letters
Rejection letters can be sent for a variety of reasons. Here are several types of scenarios an employer may encounter:
- Unqualified applicant: The applicant is rejected because they lack the necessary qualifications or are less qualified than desired.
- Mismatched applicant: The applicant isnt suitable for the specific job, but another open position may be right for their skill set.
- Internship rejection: The applicant isnt a good fit for an internship. Possible reasons for this type of rejection are mismatched time commitments or expectations of compensation.
- Post-interview rejection: The applicant demonstrated poor communication skills or left a negative impression during the interview process.
- Internal candidate rejection: A candidate working for your business or organization applied for a position outside of company boundaries, particularly for a role that excludes current employees.
- Late application: The applicant has the desired qualifications but applied too late to be evaluated with comparable talent. If the candidate is still interested, you might assist them with early resubmission for a future position.
- Undisclosed reason: The applicant has been rejected, but your company doesnt comment on the nature of the rejection.
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Employee Rejection Letter Sample Template & Examples
An Employee Rejection Letter is a letter that is sent to inform an applicant. That they have not been selected for a position within a company. Receiving an employee rejection letter can be a difficult and disappointing experience. However, it is a crucial step in the job search procedure.
There are a few key elements that should be included in an employment rejection letter. First, the letter should thank the applicant for their interest in the position and for the time. They took to apply and interview with the company. The letter should also clearly state that the applicant has not been selected for the position. And should offer a brief explanation for the decision if possible.
It is important for the letter to be gracious and professional. As the applicant may still be interested in working for the company in the future or may have a positive impression of the company based on the way. They are treated during the employment application process. The letter should also encourage applicant to continue pursuing their career goals and consider applying for future opportunities with the company.
Overall, a rejection letter to employee is an important part of the job search process. As it allows both the applicant and the employer to move on from the opportunity and focus on other possibilities.
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