Writing rejection emails

When advertising jobs, you will unfortunately have to reject candidates. Yet in the intensive process of recruiting, employers sometimes neglect to inform candidates if they didn’t make it through to the next stage. Not hearing an outcome from a company you’ve taken the time to apply to can often be the most difficult part of applying for jobs. Providing candidates with a rejection email can make a real difference.

Rejection can be really hard for candidates, especially if they’ve received a lot of rejections. So it’s really important for employers to clearly let candidates know that they’ve been rejected, and provide as much information as possible.

Here are some of Patchwork Hub’s top tips for writing rejection emails:

Tailor your email  

There’s nothing worse than a rejection email which is clearly automated and rushed. This can leave candidates feeling neglected or unappreciated. You should show unsuccessful candidates that you appreciate the time it took them to apply. Make sure to thank the candidate and tailor your emails to the specific candidate and the position(s) they applied for.

Be clear about the rejection 

We suggest putting the rejection statement in bold to make it stand out for candidates. This helps the reader to quickly find your decision.

You may wish to include a sentence in your email such as the below:

We regret to inform you that we won't be proceeding with your application at this time.

Give some insight into the process 

You might want to mention how your selection process works. For example, whether applications were anonymously reviewed, or how you scored questions. This shows candidates that you took the time to read and assess their application. 

However, make sure that you truly follow the process which you share with the applicant, as otherwise telling them this may be seen as dishonest. 

Notify candidates of other possible positions 

If a candidate has applied to one position, chances are they really want to work for your company. So if you have other open and similar positions, you could share these in the email. This shows that you value the applicant’s skills and qualities and want to engage with them despite not being the right fit for the particular position they applied for originally.

Statistics can help to rationalise rejection 

When a candidate knows the number of people who applied for a position, it can help to rationalise their rejection. For example, if lots of people have applied for one position, it can help candidates realise how big the talent pool is and how competitive the application round was.

Mention what kind of qualities the successful candidates had 

This can help candidates to know what you’re looking for in the future, or what may be required by other employers if they apply for similar roles. Providing candidates with this information will allow them to gain more experience in the areas identified, helping them with future employment opportunities.