Is It Important To Send A Follow Up Email After Interview To Candidates
Yes, a follow up email is a great way to show your appreciation for a candidates time and it can also help to keep you at the front of their mind in order to start building a professional relationship with them. Increasing trust is also a great benefit of this strategy. You may want to include a brief status update of the position and let the candidate know how they did in the interview. Thank them for their time, and be sure to include your contact information in case they have any questions. Its a small thing for the hiring manager, but it can mean a lot to the candidate.
Rejecting Applicants: A Template For The Perfect Rejection Letter
You never knowone of your now-rejected candidates may be an excellent fit for one of your roles in the future!
Before the pandemic, every corporate job attracted about 250 applicants. Of those, anywhere between four and six would make it to the final interview, and only one would get the job. In a post-pandemic world, there are over 12.6 million unemployed people in the United States alone. That means the number of applicants is even higher. So are the rejections that go with them.
When youre rejecting so many candidates every day, it starts to get challenging to remain human. You get desensitized and may even forget that the people you are dealing with on the other end are just that: people.
Now, more than ever, its essential to be kind. Check yourself before you respond to any applicant, no matter what their stage. Heres a checklist you can use to go through your responses and craft templates that work the best for your company and help your candidates still feel valued, even in rejection.
Why You Should Send Unsuccessful Candidates Rejection Emails
First, it is helpful to understand why you should send rejection emails at all.
Research suggests that more than half of job candidates have to wait weeks or more to get a response from prospective employers. Some never hear anything. This makes them feel disrespected and as if their time has been wasted.
Sending a rejection email is a nice way to recognize unsuccessful candidates and all the effort they put into applying. It also prevents them from having to wait around while wondering what will happen next.
Your rejection email can also be a chance to encourage them to apply again if you want them to.
In short, sending unsuccessful candidates rejection emails makes the experience more positive for them. Not only is this the kind thing to do, but it is also suitable for your business.
Candidates who have a positive relationship with employers are more likely to apply to future open positions, refer friends, and write positive reviews on websites such as Glassdoor.
In other words, you are expanding your future hiring pool by sending rejection emails.
Recommended Reading: What Are The Best Interview Questions To Ask
Why Applicant Rejection Emails Are So Important
While any rejection letter carries an air of negativity, sending one to an applicant is a decent gesture. It lets them know not to get their hopes up for the role and keep going with their job search. Otherwise, they may continue to hold out hope for an interview that will never come hope that may eventually turn to resentment towards your brand.
However, you have a chance to earn goodwill towards your organization when you let candidates know that youll keep them in mind for other roles that may be a better fit for them. According to a Workplace Trends study, 80% of job seekers say they wouldnt consider future relevant job openings at a company that didnt follow up about their application yet they would be three and a half times more likely to re-apply to a company if they were notified of the rejection.
Beyond that, sending a rejection letter that reads like it was written by a real person, rather than just a form letter, can help soften the blow and let the candidate know you value the time they spent researching and applying to your organization.
Why Do I Need To Know About Job Rejection Emails
The task of crafting a rejection letter is often delegated to staff who may not have been involved in the selection process. The key is to find the right tone between being encouraging and positive but honest and professional.
If you’ve never written an applicant rejection letter before, it can take some practice before you hit all the right notes. Even experienced recruiters may find rejection emails can be challenging to create.
Telling someone bad news is always tricky but writing rejection letters is particularly challenging. Jobseekers become emotionally invested in the recruitment process, and rejection can be hard to take.
From application to an appointment, the average recruitment process takes 27 days, Glassdoor found. If candidates have been invited to interview and have met prospective employers, a ‘no’ can be difficult to take. When rejected, jobseekers will experience a range of emotions, including disappointment, anger, and frustration.
A missing or poorly written letter could harm the self-concept of the recipient and future intentions of potential recruits,” researchers found. Simply put, a bad rejection letter could do lasting damage to someone’s mental health.
A well-written rejection letter can achieve three things:â
You May Like: How To Watch Oprah Meghan Interview
Offer To Stay In Touch And Close Warmly
This isnt goodbye, even as I watch you leave, this isnt goodbye
Who knew that those words from the Westlife classic What makes a man had a place in HR?
Rejecting interview candidates professionally involves closing on a positive note and preserving an amicable relationship. The fact that they didnt land the role doesnt imply that you should discard them.
Who knows, there might be job openings in the future that they might fill perfectly. Additionally, how you relate to unsuccessful interviewees impacts their impression of your company, does wonders for your brand reputation and helps you build rapport.
Excellent ways to stay in touch with them include:
- Connecting on social media
- Having them subscribe to your companys newsletter
- Inviting them to events that you host or participate in
- Sending them updates about new vacancies in your company
Maintaining communications with rejected candidates prevents the burning or collapse of any bridge.
To finally close the rejection process, throw in an element of positivity. Offering to maintain communication is already a good start, but heres more that you can implement:
- Thank them for their interest in your brand and for the time they spent applying
- Offer to answer any questions they might have
- Encourage them and wish them the best in other ventures
- In the event that they were almost successful, explain that you hope theyd consider applying again in the event of another vacancy
When Should I Send A Follow Up Email After Interview To Applicants
Theres no one answer to this question because it can vary depending on the situation, but as a general rule you should send a follow up email within 24-48 hours after the interview. In your follow up email, you should thank the candidate for coming in for the interview and let them know that you enjoyed meeting them. You should also let them know whether or not they will be receiving a job offer or an invite for a second interview. If they werent successful, you should provide feedback as to why you are not offering them the job. If you dont have a decision yet, you can let the candidate know that the application process is still ongoing. This will at least give them an idea of where they stand. If you decide to move forward with another candidate, be sure to let the rejected applicant know as soon as possible.
You May Like: What Are Some Interview Tips
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.
Recommended Reading: What To Answer In Interview Questions
Redirect To Other Positions
People who apply to specific job positions often lack the level of experience or complete skill set desired to fill a certain role, yet command a professional presence that hiring managers find valuable. In these instances, encourage them to apply to other positions within the company they may be better suited for. For example, candidates with a strong marketing background may have skills that better support the position of a marketing assistant than a writer. Candidates who lack management experience may do better as part of a team instead of leading a team.
You May Like: Home Depot Software Engineer Interview
Don’t Miss: How To Analyse Interview Data
Rejection Email To A Candidate Who Was A Good Fit
Hi Jane, We really appreciate you applying to the Marketing Manager position at ABC Corporation. We know that many companies are hiring, and thank you for taking the time to visit us and interview with our team. At this time, we have chosen to move forward with a different candidate whose experience more closely matches our needs. We were very impressed by your in-depth knowledge of our product line and believe you would have made a great fit with our culture. Ultimately, the decision came down to the other candidate having a little more leadership experience.We expect to have other positions open soon in our marketing department. We hope that you will not mind us reaching out about any openings that we feel you would be a good fit for. Additionally, we encourage you to apply to any positions you are interested in.The best of luck with your search. We know that you will make a great team member wherever you end up.Warm regards,
Ask For Insights On Your Process
Just like theyre curious about what could have gone better, you should be too. Ask people that run through your process what they liked and didnt like. Ask them what felt awkward or if there was anything that you could have improved. By asking for insights, you show them that you value their experience, but you also get the opportunity to hear different perspectives on how you could improve your interview process.
Don’t Miss: How To Give Introduction In Interview
Showing Respect For Their Time And Energy
Candidates often spend a considerable amount of time and energy on their resumes and applications. By acknowledging their application and informing them of its status in the hiring process, you are letting them know that you appreciate the effort they made. Knowing they could not make the shortlist, they can continue their job search and apply for other opportunities.
You May Like: What Are Interview Behavioral Questions
Rejection Email After Interview: 4 Templates And Emails
Rejection mail is written to the candidate who ISS cannot perform successfully in the interview. It is required to write the letter in a polite way and maintain a professional tone to inform the candidate about his or her rejection from the job. The length of the rejection mail for any position may vary depending upon the information given to him or her. You must also motivate the candidate to apply again after some time.
Letter Template: 1
Dear candidate,
sub: Rejection for the position of
Regretfully, we would like to inform you that your application for the position of have been rejected by the higher authority of .
We must appreciate you that you have given your best shot in the interview process and we were hopeful that you will surely get selected to work in the company. We are grateful that you have shown your interest to work in the apply for the respective position and taking all pain to come from to come for the interview.
We do appreciate the fact you have been able to reach on time for the interview. You have been courteous and maintained a positive attitude in answering the questions put by the management of the company.
We have everything in our records related to your interest that you have shown in applying for the interview after viewing our advertising for the requirement of the candidate who will be discharging duties as a .
You will definitely get opportunities in future and that will be after 3 months. You should prepare yourself properly.
Thanking You,
Recommended Reading: How To Thank Interviewer After Interview
How To Write A Humane Job Candidate Rejection Email
There isnt anyone whos in job search mode who hasnt reviewed a job posting, thinks theres a great fit and applies for the open position. You have phone interviews, maybe meet in person and perhaps even come back for further rounds. And then you wait. And wait. And weeks later, a generic candidate rejection letter shows up in your inbox.
Youve put lots of time and effort into the process, but with a curt, impersonal response, feel you havent been treated respectfully, and walk away with a negative view of the company.
Dont be that company! Theres no reason to treat candidates interested in your organization as if you couldnt be bothered, after theyve engaged and spent time with you. Remember, every interaction you take in your recruiting efforts and hiring process has direct impact, positively or negatively, on your employer brand whether or not you extend a job offer to that candidate. Providing a positive candidate experience is critical.
If you have an active recruiting program and Human Resource team and will be hiring in the future, the last thing you want to do is take actions that will sour the reputation of your company in the eyes of future job candidates. And responding impersonally to job applicants in the interview process is one of the most common ways to harm your employer brand.
Also interested in improving your candidate experience?
Share Other Open Positions
If you feel like they can add value to other areas of your company, share other open positions with the candidate. Encourage them to apply to these roles for another work opportunity. Sharing positions reminds the candidate of their potential and gives them another chance to work for your company.
Related:All About Job Offer Letters
Also Check: Motivational Interviewing And Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Why Should You Always Write A Post
What is worse than receiving a job rejection email? Not receiving an email at all! A candidate spends hours preparing and going through the rounds of the interview process. The least that they deserve is to be informed about their results. It saves the candidate from endless overthinking they can move on and apply for other jobs with an open mind.
Now, let us jump into the 3 reasons why you should always write a post-interview rejection letter:
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.
You May Like: How To Interview A Ux Designer
Appreciate The Candidate For Applying
Thank the candidate for taking the time to apply for the position. Name the specific hiring process they went through such as sending their résumé and coming for the interview. Use positive language that shows you valued their time even though you didn’t pick them.
Examples:
- Thank you for taking the time to send an application for our regional procurement office position.
- Thank you for sending your application and making yourself available for an interview for the senior customer relations position.
- Thank you for showing interest in our one-year nursing internship position at our center.
Key Takeaways From These Examples
The above two rejection email examples apply some of the aforementioned tips.
Useful tip:
While unsuccessful candidates will always be disappointed, that doesnât mean that the rejection email needs to be devastating.
In the example for a good candidate, the hiring manager highlighted a specific strength .
He also made clear that the reason for selecting another candidate was because of the other applicantâs leadership experience.
Following this by encouraging future applications also helps keep the door open. Since she was a good candidate, the hiring manager indicates that he is considering reaching out about other openings.
This is more positive than merely asking the person to check back for other opportunities. However, you should only include this type of language if you mean it.
He also concludes with a positive note that she will make a good fit somewhere. While this isnât going to salve the wound from rejection completely, it does help.
The example for the poorly fit candidate is shorter and more to the point. As with any other type of communication, it is best to say less when you donât have positive things to say. There is no reason to kick the candidate when he or she is already down.
Additionally, the hiring manager offers a chance to get some additional feedback. This is not necessary and should only be offered if you genuinely want to be helpful.
However, this can be a best practice when hiring. Providing feedback gives a good image of your company.
Don’t Miss: Questions To Ask In An Interview Candidate