Typically, a corporate job receives 250 applications. Among these applicants, only 2% to 6% make it to the interview stage. Considering the job offer may require only one person, all the other applicants are rejected, so you’ll need to write job rejection emails and send them out to the applicants who did not get to the last stage. According to an Indeed survey, up to 44% of candidates wait as much as two weeks to get a response, while another 15% wait for months. It’s important to let job applicants know the results of their application once a decision is made.
Telling prospective candidates they did not qualify for the next step is a challenging thing, but it’s crucial you do it. The jobseeker takes their time and effort, and in some cases, an expense to submit the application or attend the interview. So, you should at least tell them if they got the job or not.
A candidate rejection email should be professional and personal and provide enough feedback to the job seeker. In writing the letter, you should find a balance between being informative, positive, and encouraging while also saying no. If you get it right, you can improve your business’s reputation. Get it wrong and the rejection email can spread and damage your credibility and reputation. To review candidates and ensure you get the process right, first, explore the candidate’s profile to know if they’re a good fit before getting to the interview stage.
What is a Rejection Email?
Before you explore how to write a polite rejection letter, it’s important to understand what a rejection email entails. A job rejection email is a professional courtesy you extend to the job seeker who has not been successful after applying for a job or attending a job interview. After deciding on the candidate to hire, it’s essential to let the rest who were unsuccessful know. There are no specific rules on writing job rejection emails, but it’s essential to send one. Job seekers are emotionally invested in this process, and a rejection could be hard to handle, so write it in a language that gives them hope to look ahead.
Why You Should Know About Job Rejection Emails
Source: thebalancecareers.com
Many HR leaders delegate the task of writing rejection emails to staff who may not have been in touch with the selection process. The idea behind writing the email is to find a tone that falls between encouraging and positive while being honest and professional. If you never wrote rejection letters, it takes quite some practice to hit the right notes. Even experienced recruiters may find it challenging to write an excellent rejection letter.
A poorly written or missing rejection letter could damage the self-concept of the applicant. Research has demonstrated that a bad job rejection letter could cause lasting damage to the applicant’s mental health. Applicants rejected without correspondence are likely to believe the companies they applied to did not fulfill their obligations.
A well-written job rejection email does three things:
- Delivers the essential news
- Provides an emotional closure for the job applicant
- Protects the reputation of the organization and improves perception
You can make the rejection email as short or long as possible, but it should always contain the specifics covered next.
How to Write an Excellent Job Rejection Email
Source: Pixabay
This section covers how to write a rejection email following professional email etiquette. These are the core parts that should feature in a rejection email:
1. Thank the Applicant
The jobseeker invested their time and effort when applying for the job. They’re excited and have invested emotionally in the job search process. The process of applying for a job can be hard, so it’s essential that you recognize the efforts of the job seeker. Thank them for their effort and interest in the post.
Example: Dear Jason, thank you for taking your time to apply for the position of Project Manager.
2. Personalization
It’s vital to use the applicant’s first name when responding to them. The email should not sound like it was sent out to many other applicants. If possible, you should include a note from your conversation with the applicant, or you could highlight a positive attribute about them that you appreciated.
3. Begin With the Bad News
Tell the candidate straight away they were unsuccessful. Don’t let the candidate read the entire email to know if they were successful. Jobseekers will read your email and repeat if unclear, so don’t use vague language.
Example:
On this occasion, we cannot take your application further.
Unfortunately, we will proceed with your application at this time.
We are writing to let you know you were not selected for an interview.
While you may want to say sorry, it’s unnecessary in this situation. The decisions you make highlight what’s best for the business, so there’s no need to include an apology.
4. Convey Empathy
Let the candidate know you understand how it feels to receive such news. Empathy can go a long way and could improve the candidate’s experience.
5. Explain the Reasons
It’s vital to explain to the applicant why they did not get the job. You can provide as much detail as you want in this section. Also, you could make it simple or provide a lengthy explanation of the situation. Brief feedback is better than nothing.
6. End Positively
Finishing the email positively is essential. While you did not give them a job, there’s something out there for them. Recognize their strengths and encourage them to try again in the future.
How Long Should a Rejection Email Be?
On this, there’s no definite answer. The first thing is finding how to write the rejection letter. For many businesses and organizations, at most, four lines are enough information to speak to the candidate in a way that communicates the message with empathy. A good guide is looking at how long the candidate has spent in the job selection process. A candidate who has made it to the interview stage should get a more detailed rejection letter, which can be three to four paragraphs.
For example, in the hiring process, the application stage is quite early. At this stage, candidates have only sent their resumes and any other information you asked for. Generally, the candidates are not too invested in the process. They don’t expect to be hired right away, as they have not spent much time working on the application. This means a rejection email at this level is not as discouraging as when you receive it at advanced stages. A brief rejection email will suffice.
However, if the candidate has reached the interviewing stage, which is the most advanced in hiring for a position, you will need to write a more detailed response. Some candidates participated in a trial day, so at this stage, they’re heavily invested in the process. It requires time and effort to get to this stage, so the candidate feels much closer to the job. A rejection after an interview is definitely disheartening. The candidate does not just lose their effort and time, but the discouragement of getting to this point can be difficult to bear. To candidates at this level, you should send a detailed email.
Job Rejection Email Templates
Failing to get a dream job is hard enough, but receiving a poorly written rejection email adds almost like an insult to injury. One of these rejection letter templates helps you with email personalization. During the interview process, take note of the candidates and note their strengths and successes. If they don’t get hired, at least you can personalize the content of the rejection email.
1. Classic Rejection Email
Dear [candidate],
Thank you for demonstrating interest and taking the time to apply for [position] at [company]. It was a pleasure to meet you and learn about your accomplishments and skills.
Unfortunately, we cannot continue your application.
We want to note competition for positions at [company] is always strong, and we often must make difficult choices. After getting the chance to learn about you, we will keep your resume on file if we get openings that suit your skills and experience in the future.
If you have questions on our feedback on your application or interview, we will be happy to answer.
Again, thank you for your interest in joining [company], and we wish you the best of luck in your job search.
Regards,
[sender]
2. Short and Sweet Rejection Email
Hello [candidate],
We appreciate your interest in joining [company] and the time and effort you invested in your job application for [position] opening.
Our team decided to move on with another candidate, but we thank you for giving us the opportunity to learn about your skills, experience, and accomplishments.
We will advertise more positions in the future. We hope you will have the motivation to apply again if you come across a position that fits your qualifications.
We sincerely wish you luck.
Regards,
[sender]
3. Post-Application Job Rejection Template
In the hiring process, the application stage is quite early. At this stage, candidates have only sent their resumes and any other information you asked for. Generally, the candidates are not too invested in the process. They don’t expect to be hired right away, as they have not spent much time working on the application. This means a rejection email at this level is not as discouraging as when you receive it at advanced stages. A brief rejection email like this will suffice:
Hello [first name],
Thank you for applying for the [role name] position at [company name].
On this occasion, we have decided not to proceed with your application.
I thank you for the effort you invested into your application. We were impressed by your resume and breadth of experience, which demonstrates the great potential of doing well in [core responsibility]. Sadly, we cannot move forward with your application.
While your attempt was unsuccessful on this occasion, we encourage you to apply again if you find a suitable vacancy.
Sincerely,
Using the candidate’s name when delivering the news personalizes the email and ensures it does not sound like robotic mail. A response closing out the process is all you need to give a polite rejection letter at this level.
4. Post-Screening Job Rejection Email Template
The second stage in the hiring process is the screening level, which is an intermediate stage. At this level, you have engaged shortlisted candidates and maybe worked on some sample specs, game the pre-hiring assessment tests, or had a phone call with the candidates. The candidates who get there feel they’re in the stage where they have a good chance of landing the job. So, they have hope and are emotionally invested in the process. A rejection email at this stage means a lot to the candidate than it does during earlier application stages.
Here’s a sample if you want a thoughtful rejection email for candidates who made it this far:
Hi [first name],
Thank you for [taking the assignment tests and submitting trial specs or being a part of the screening call] for [role] at [company].
We were pleased with your performance, and while you demonstrated competence and the skills to make an impact at [department] role and also show the right attitude, we sadly cannot move forward with your application at this point.
You can still re-apply when you see a relevant listing at [company].
Thank you for applying. We sincerely appreciate your effort.
You should always look to insert personalized feedback where possible. This helps you to write a polite rejection that the candidate will receive well.
5. Post-Interview Job Rejection Letter Template
The next step is the interviewing stage, which is the most advanced in hiring for a position. After an interview, the candidate rejection email is the most important. Some candidates participated in a trial day, so at this stage, they’re heavily invested in the process. It requires time and effort to get to this stage, so the candidate feels much closer to the job. A rejection after an interview is definitely disheartening. The candidate does not just lose their effort and time, but the discouragement of getting to this point can be difficult to bear. To candidates at this level, you should send a detailed email.
Hello [first name],
Thank you so much for taking your time to interview to be our next [role] at [company]. We enjoyed talking to you about your experience, skills, and job expectations.
One of the things that stood out was [a quality about the candidate or project they handled]. We can tell you have a successful career ahead. Unfortunately, we cannot continue with your application at this time.
While you have demonstrated great skill and competence, it was a difficult choice to make, and we went with a candidate who [talk about the criteria on which they lost out. An example would be choosing a more experienced candidate, or someone with additional skills, etc.].
However, we advise that you re-apply if you see a relevant listing at [company].
We appreciate your cooperation, time, and effort.
In this email, you have provided specific feedback. This is one of the ways you can compensate a candidate for getting to this point. The information can help them prepare for future interviews.
Conclusion
Talent acquisition is an important part of running any organization. It’s those working on your team that can make it successful. In the hiring process, you’ll get many applications, so it means you must reject many as well. These are some of the best ways you can ensure your job rejection emails are empathetic, effective, and useful to the candidate.
Image source: pixabay.com
