Rejection Email Templates

Most employers pay little attention to the lowly rejection email. It is the last step of the candidate experience for most job seekers so why not do it in a way that lets the candidate down easily. And in some cases help them move one.

Emails like this make job hunting less grueling and dehumanizing to job seekers. With Rejobify we wish every employer felt the same way.

The Empathetic rejection Email Example

Once in a while we come across a rejection email that stops us in our tracks. This time we found a rejection email with a very human tone. One that read as empathetic and friendly and “softened the blow” to the candidate.

In fact the candidate who posted it on social media said the following;

“This is the nicest rejection letter I’ve ever seen. I’m not even mad that I didn’t get the role! (I understand I’m still potentially in the running, but I prefer to manage my expectations towards reality rather than hope so I don’t get disappointed.)”

Hi [Candidate Name],

We want you to know that a human being (me) has evaluated your information and that we greatly appreciate you spending your valuable time taking an interest in this role.

To set expectations with you and not leave you feeling like you are in a black hole of disrespect, the response to our posting has been strong and we may not circle back around with you if we continue to see the current volume of highly accomplished executives from the technology industry; even though technology experience is not required.

Thanks again and if we dont touch base further, I wish you luck in your search.

The Authentic Rejection Email

It reads…

Hi Adam,

Thanks so much for your interest in the Ecommerce Manager position. We had the opportunity to review your application, and welp, this is awkward! I don’t know how to say this except to just…say it. You were not selected to go further in the interview process.

But there’s good news! TWO good newses actually (yep just made that up) :-)

Good News #1: THERE IS SOMETHING BETTER FOR YOU OUT THERE! I don’t know what or where but I do know that because you didn’t get this job, that means it’s not the job for you, shrug. Which means there is a BETTER fit somewhere out there.
Even Better News: as a way of saying thanks for your enthusiasm to become part of or company, how about we send you some so WE can be a part of you? (I know thats cheesy AF). If you’re into it send us an email and our awesome fulfillment human Brian will send you a little sample pack o ‘goodness.

Again, thanks for your interest and we wish you the best of luck.

Oh and while I’m at it might I interest you in our newsletter? We do our best to be informative, interesting, usually, actually funny and sometimes cheesy but not annoying! You can sign up here.

Cheers.

What do you think? Would you send a letter like this to a candidate? This probably isn’t something that most large corporations would be brave enough to use but they probably should if they want to be seen as a more authentic employer brand.

It would also make a good letter for a Rejobify client because we can easily add our offer to the second piece of good news. Giving them something of value, even if they didn’t get the job, will go a long way towards softening the blow and turning a negative into a positive for your brand.

Positive Reinforcement Rejection Email Template

This particular rejection email positively reinforces the employer career site while focusing on the positive aspects of revisiting the employer career site and the offer from Rejobify….

Dear [candidate name],

Thank you for applying to [company name]. We were pleased to hear that you are interested in being part of our team.

Though your resume and background are impressive, we cannot offer you a position at this time.

But please don't be discouraged. We would be delighted if you considered us as a future employer and heard from you again. We encourage applicants to look for alternative positions on our career website (insert your career site link). Perhaps you will find another opportunity of interest at a later date.

As a thank you for taking the time to apply we have teamed up with Rejobify to help you become a better job seeker.

Just click here to access to a free job hunting course and other tools and tips to continue your job search.

Happy hunting,

[company name] Recruiting Team

Rejection Email Template - The ‘Shortlist’

This rejection email template contains a subtle reason why they weren't selected. In this case a better candidate. This template is better for those who you have invited for an interview but didn't make the cut.

Dear [candidate name],

Thank you for meeting with our team about the [job title] role at [company name]. It was a pleasure to learn more about your skills and accomplishments.

Unfortunately, we will not be selecting you for the position.

Competition for our jobs is always strong and we often have to make difficult choices between many high-caliber candidates. Perhaps you will be a better fit at a later time so we'll keep your resume on file for future openings.

We appreciate your interest in [company name] and we wish you the best of luck with your job search.

Regards,

[Sender Name]

PS....we have partnered with the folks at Rejobify to help you become a better job seeker. They have a free email job hunting course we'd like to offer you. Just subscribe here.

Stay in Touch Rejection Email Template