Sample Rejection Email After Interview

Use A Scoring System To Analyze Answers

To collaborate with colleagues on feedback, create an interview matrix and scorecard for the skills you want to assess. Ideally, use a five-point scale to evaluate how well someone meets the requirements.

At Polymer, weve created this template interview scoring matrix:

Make a copy of this template and tailor it to your interview process. Using an interview matrix and scorecard will help keep your interview process structured and consistent. It will also make it easier to write your rejection email if it comes to it.

How To Write An Interview Rejection Letter

When you are looking for recruits to join your company you are playing an important role in making sure that you are employing the most competent candidates. You will need to sort through several application letters, resumes, sit for interviews, and if possible, contact references before offering the job to the lucky candidate.

Each stage of the recruitment process entails cutting out applicants that did not make the final cut. Below are some great examples to take inspiration from during your recruiting process.

Rejection Letter Examples For After An Interview

Are you a job seeker wondering if you will be notified if a company opts not to hire you after they have interviewed you to evaluate your candidacy? Or are you a hiring manager who needs to let a candidate know that they weren’t hired?

Even though the appropriate protocol is to notify all the candidates that employers interview for a job, this, unfortunately, doesnt always happen. Employers aren’t required to notify applicants, even though it’s courteous to inform candidates who haven’t been selected to move forward in the hiring process.

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Invite Them To Stay In Touch

Just because a candidate doesnt seem like a good fit now, it doesnt mean theyre never going to be the right fit. For all you know, you might find yourself hiring the same candidate, three years down the line. So, make sure to cultivate a relationship with the candidate. Include links and invite them to follow your careers page and other social media channels, in your email.

If you can establish a continued relationship with them, then they are likely to refer friends and vouch for you. Some might even end up being your clients representatives and become involved in other business relationships with you.

• Sample Thank You Note After a Rejection if they hire someone else for the job.

About the author

Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a recent Visiting Scholar at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Susan is a two-time layoff graduate who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. Since 1998, Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt.org. Follow Susan on Twitter at and on , .

How To Send A Rejection Letter After An Interview

What should you include in a job rejection letter? Check out these helpful tips and use our rejection letter sample to create your own template.

Once youve selected the top candidates you want to move on to the next phase of the hiring process, theres another important step you need to take: sending a rejection letter to the applicants who were not selected.

An interview rejection letter is a customary form of communication that informs job candidates theyre not moving forward in the hiring process. Rejection letters after interviews are generally sent within a two-week period, and they typically consist of one to two paragraphs that are concise and to the point. If a candidate is highly skilled but not the best fit for the role youre currently filling, a rejection letter is also an excellent opportunity to let them know youre impressed with their background and would like them to apply in the future.

Read on to learn more about the process of sending rejection letters.

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Examples Of Honest Interview Feedback

When writing your personalized feedback, be careful about the language you use, for example:

You’re 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 don’t have the resources to provide that support.

We don’t 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 couldn’t provide examples of when you’d 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.

How To Reject A Candidate Via Email: Key Tips

What do you say in a job rejection email, then? And how do you give polite rejection?

Itâs likely that youâll want to develop specific rejection email templates for candidates who reach different stages of the hiring process . But there are certain key elements that all your templates should include.

So, letâs look at how to write a job rejection email thatâs honest, encouraging, and, above all, human.

Start by thanking the candidate for submitting their application or coming for interview. Make it clear that you value the time and effort theyâve put in while going through the recruitment process.

If this is an email template for a later stage candidate, you might like to include a line about how you enjoyed meeting them or hearing their ideas about the company.

Get to the rejection part quickly so youâre not keeping the candidate in suspense. After all, this is the main reason for your email.

Be clear that you arenât taking the candidateâs application any furtherâthere shouldnât be any ambiguity that could give them false hope.

While you might want to acknowledge the disappointment your email will cause, you donât need to apologize. This is the right decision for your business.

Itâs important to give a reason for the rejection, to help give the candidate closure. Of course, this is a section of your template that will need some personalization, but there are some generic sentences you could include:

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Email Subject: Regarding The Position

Dear Ashley ,While its disappointing to see this opportunity go, I want to thank you for getting back to me and letting me know about the decision. I also want to thank you for taking the time to meet with me. It was such a pleasure to meet you and Rohan and learn about Resume Worded . After having the chance to speak with you and after doing my research, Im confident that industry is where I want to work. I know that I am not in a position to ask for favors, but if you have a moment to spare I would love any additional feedback. Please do not feel obligated to answer this question, but if there was something you noticed, it will help me in my job search and I would be so grateful. I hope everything works out with you and your new hire!Thanks again,

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Someone Who Completed A Trial Task But Didn’t Make The Cut

Subject line: Your application to

Dear ,

Thank you so much for completing the trial task for the . We appreciate how much thought and effort you put into it. However, Im sorry to say we won’t progress further with your application at this stage.

While you demonstrated strong capabilities in this task, we would like to see a deeper understanding of .

Please don’t take this rejection personally. We know you will thrive in a role like this if you learn more about .

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Thanks again for your interest in working at . Get in touch if you see any other job roles you think may be relevant to you.

Best regards,

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How To Respond To A Rejectiontips And A Template

As you respond to a job rejection remember to always:

• Say thank you: Hosting a candidate for an interview takes time, effort, and a surprising amount of coordination. You may not have landed the job, but that doesnt mean the interviewers didnt try to be courteous hosts throughout the processso you need to be courteous in response. Thank whoever emailed you for the chance to interview, learn more about the company, and meet the team. Did anything stand out to you in particular as a positive memory? Mention it. Just a sentence or two will do.
• Keep the door open: Reiterate your interest in the company and their work. You can even ask that the team keep you in mind for future similar opportunities. Former Muse editor Sarah McCord did and it ultimately led to a job offer.
• Respond promptly: As with all thank you notes, youll want to send it quickly. Its OK to be bummed out about not getting the job, but dont let it hold you back for long!

With that, heres an easy-to-follow template to help you along:

Hello ,

Thanks for letting me know about your decision.

While Ill admit that Im disappointed I wont be able to work as part of the team, it truly was great to meet you and learn more about the great work that youre doing.

Im excited to keep following as the team , and Ill keep an especially close eye on .

Thanks once again for the opportunity, and I hope our paths cross again in the future. Im wishing you and all the best moving forward.

Best wishes,

Hi Tasha!

Daniel

Someone Who Applied But Didnt Qualify For An Interview

Subject line: Your application to

Dear ,

Thank you for taking the time to apply to . We appreciate the time and effort you put into applying. We received a vast number of applications for this role. It was a difficult decision, but we won’t take your application further at this stage.

Your skillset is impressive we particularly like your involvement in . However, for this role, we require someone with specific experience in .

Keep an eye out for our future vacancies on LinkedIn . Your valuable skills will be sure to land you a role very soon. Thanks again for your time, and best of luck with your job search.

Best,

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Interview Rejection Emails Need A Delicate Touch

A rejection after an interview requires a delicate touch. Remember, the candidate took time to meet with you and spent time researching your organization. A connection was developed on some level, so a personalized rejection letter is a must when you decide to move on from a candidate.

All the same reasons for sending an application rejection email also apply here, but an interview rejection can also serve a few additional purposes. First, it allows you to give the candidate feedback on their interview this is a critical component of the interview process that many candidates crave. Theyre most likely applying for many jobs simultaneously and want as much feedback as they can get to make themselves desirable candidates. At the same time, you can continue your relationship with silver medalist candidates those candidates that were very strong but were either missing a couple of key requirements or would be better suited to a different position. Instead of a goodbye, the rejection letter becomes a tool to keep the conversation going.

Tips For Writing Rejection Letters After An Interview

• Be personal. Recalling something from the interview lets the candidate know you did not dismiss them entirely. Mention something personal about the applicants qualities.
• Be clear and concise. Although you need to be personable, dont make the applicant read far into the Letter to understand they have not been chosen for the position.
• Be considerate and professional. It is hard to receive a rejection letter. Perhaps use the familiar method of placing the rejection between two positives. For instance, you might tell the applicant you were impressed by their skills or qualifications, let them know you have chosen another applicant, and then offer them your goodwill with a statement wishing them the best of luck in their job search. Kindness and professionalism go a long way toward favorable brand retention.
• Write your rejection letters as soon as possible. Although you may wish to complete the hiring process before writing your letters, write to them as soon as possible. Job seekers are eager to hear news regarding their interviews, and a few weeks can seem like much longer when you are waiting to hear something about an Interview. Your applicants may be waiting to hear from you before continuing their job search.

Using a format for Rejection letters can ensure that all your Rejection letters are written in a consistent manner and express your companys goodwill to job seekers. We have provided a basic format below that your company can use to create rejection letters.

Recommended Reading: Email Rejecting Candidate After Interview

Use Your Rejection Emails To Create A Talent Pool

The hiring process is a potential employee’s first touch point with your business. If you aren’t getting it right, you won’t be able to attract top talent.

Engaging with people who took the time to apply to work at your company opens a rapport and saves you time, money, and admin in the future.

If you write a job rejection email that makes the person feel appreciated and valued, they will be more likely to apply for future roles. This will help you with your succession planning and help prevent long-term vacancies.

Polymer enables you to set up automated responses to job applicants, streamlining the process for you and providing communication to them. Take a look at how Polymer can help and start simplifying your hiring.

Job Rejection Email Template

Its helpful to create a template that you can use for all of your rejection emails. Heres a template that you can customise:

Dear ,

We appreciate you applying for the position at . After meeting with several candidates, we have decided to move forward with another candidate for this position. We appreciate you taking the time to meet with us and learn more about our company. Our hiring team enjoyed learning more about your experiences, skills, and qualifications.

While we were impressed by your , we were looking for a candidate with . One thing that stood out during your interview was . In the future, we may enjoy learning more about these experiences.

As you continue looking for jobs, please consider the other roles in our hiring portal. If we ever find a position we feel you are suited for, we can reach out directly as we have your resume on file. We appreciate the time you took to meet with us and wish you the best of luck in your job search.

Sincerely,

Here is an example of a rejection email you can send after interviewing a candidate:

Subject line: Social media strategist at Social Corp

Dear Nathan,

We appreciate you applying for the social media strategist position at Social Corp. After meeting with several candidates, we have decided to move forward with another candidate for this position. We appreciate you taking the time to meet with us and learn more about our company. Our hiring team enjoyed learning more about your experiences, skills, and qualifications.

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Consider Giving Interview Feedback

When sending an interview rejection email or letter, consider including feedback of the entire interview to show each candidate you took their interview seriously.

Providing positive feedback can help soften the blow of an interview rejection letter, and feedback that includes gentle constructive criticism helps the candidate learn what to avoid or change in subsequent interviews.

Some tips on providing good interview feedback include taking notes throughout the interview, focusing on an applicants strengths and avoiding comparison with other applicants.

Why You Shouldnt Ignore Sending A Candidate Rejection Email

Explaining why you are rejecting candidates is never a bad idea. Well tell you why. A well-drafted email to your rejected candidates shows that you value the time and effort they took to apply for a job in your organization. In fact, it can help build and sustain a lasting relationship with those candidates. There are three cases that might happen:

• If they were skilled but lacked experience, for example, they might apply again in the future.

• Alternatively, if they were late in your application cycle or are were more suitable for another position, you could contact them when another opening arises.

• If your candidate reached the last few stages of your hiring process, you could recommend connecting on social media to stay in touch.

However, if you know you won’t be reconsidering a candidate in the future, it’s best to be honest and avoid alluding to potential prospects. In addition, including a brief personal comment will boost the likelihood of making you look like a nice person.

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Job Rejection Letters Make Business Sense

Use these sample job rejection letters to professionally and politely, with care and concern, tell your second interview candidates that they did not get the job.

Your reputation with job candidates, which is built one candidate at a time, is critical to your ongoing ability to attract the best and most skilled employees to your firm. Candidates make decisions about your company based on their treatment by your interview team.

Consequently, and especially after a candidate has invested the time and energy in applying for the job and making two visits to your firm, you owe him or her a job rejection letter. You need to officially notify your candidate about your decision to hire a different candidate. These sample job rejection letters will guide you as you write your own.