A LinkedIn survey found that 94% of talent would like to get interview feedback.
Make sure you provide a great employer branding experience by communicating with your candidates when they haven’t been successful in applying for a job.
When you send a candidate rejection letter, it puts your company in a good light.
This will encourage candidates to reapply for another position, speak to their friends or leave good reviews about your business.
The sample job application rejection letters below will give you a good start when communicating with candidates who haven’t made the grade. Use these candidate rejection letter templates and personalize them according to your company. Before we get into the “you didn’t get the job” email samples, here are some tips for writing job applicant rejection letters.
Job applicant rejection letter tips
- Keep it straightforward. Don’t make the applicant letters long-winded. Keep it professional and to-the-point.
- Personalize your applicant rejection letters. Use the candidate’s name and position and, if they attended an interview, make a comment about their performance.
- Be gracious. As well as being professional, you should also be gracious. The person applied for a job at your business because they wanted to work with you, so make sure that your applicant rejection letter is respectful and considerate.
- Be honest. It may be tempting to say things you don’t mean in your applicant rejection letter. So, keep things simple. For example, don’t include that you want the candidate to apply for more openings going forward if you know that the person isn’t a good fit for your business.
- Be swift. When you know an applicant isn’t suitable for the role, don’t wait a long time before sending a rejection letter. Do it as soon as possible, so they will concentrate their efforts elsewhere.
- Cushion the blow. When you have to give the candidate constructive criticism, start off with something positive. You can talk about things you were impressed with and then go into the skills or qualifications they were lacking. Always end on a positive note by wishing them well.
- Always remember your brand. The applicant rejection letter could be your last chance to convey a positive impression of your business. This will either make your applicant feel favorably towards your business or hard done by. Always think about your reputation when communicating. This should be no different with an applicant rejection letter.
The structure of the job applicant rejection letter
You should have a structure for all of your job candidate rejection letters. This will enable you to say what you need to quickly and efficiently as well as sticking to your company’s brand. Use the following information when formatting a job applicant rejection letter:
- Address. Start the sample letter for rejecting a candidate with the official address of your business in the top right hand corner. You need to include your address only if you’re sending a physical letter.
- Date. A few lines under the address, include the date. You don’t need to do this if you’re sending an email.
- Inside address. The candidate’s address goes a few lines underneath the date.
- Subject. Use a subject line that is short and to-the-point. For example, the candidate’s name – job application.
- Salutation. How formal or informal your salutation is will depend on your company and whether you’ve met the applicant. If you’ve met them in an interview and have developed a rapport, you can go on a first name basis, for example, “Dear Jane.”
- Opening paragraph. In the opening paragraph, convey that you appreciate that the candidate took the time to apply for the job and, if applicable, attended the interview.
- The body. Use this part of the job candidate rejection letter to inform the applicant that they were not successful at this time. You can give reasons or just let them know that other candidates were more suitable and matched the job description better.
- Last paragraph. How you use this last paragraph depends on your company’s policies. Some companies use it to give more detailed advice about the application while others simply note that, if the job applicant wants more detailed feedback, they can make a request.
- Closing. Keep this short and to-the-point. Thank the candidate for their time and wish them the best in their future job search.
- Your name and signature. You need to include your name and signature in the last part of the letter. Also, include your contact information just in case the applicant wants more information. In addition, include a signature if you’re sending a physical letter.
Job candidate rejection letter samples and templates
Job Rejection Letter Sample 1
The standard sample rejection letter from an employer to an applicant who will not get an interview.
Dear <Applicant’s first name>,
I would like to say thank you for taking the time to apply and meet with our team about the <role title=””> at <company name=””>. It was great to find out more about what you have achieved, as well as your skills and qualifications.</company></role>
Regrettably, you were not selected by our team to go forward. Please remember that competition for jobs at <company name=””> is very high and it is often difficult to choose between many experienced and quality applicants.</company>
We will be keeping your details on file in case any openings come up in the future that we believe you would be a better fit for.
Please feel free to contact me if you would like detailed feedback about the selection process.
Many thanks again for your interest and application to <company name=””> and all the best with your job search.</company>
Regards,
<Sender’s name>
Job Rejection Letter Sample 2
Dear Mr./Miss <Applicant’s last name>,
Thank you for applying for the <job title=””> at <company name=””>. We want to thank you for making the effort to apply to our company and we value your interest in becoming part of our team.</company></job>
The number of applications we received for this role was unprecedented and, after careful consideration of every single one of them, it is unfortunate that we have to let you know that you will not be proceeding to the next phase of our selection process. Although your skills and qualifications are remarkable, we have chosen to go forward with another applicant, who is a better fit in terms of experience.
Again, we value your interest in our company and would welcome an application from you in the future, should you come across another role that you think you will be suitable for.
If you need further information or have any more questions, please feel free to contact me by phone at <phone number=””> or email< email address>.</phone>
We wish you all the best with your future ventures.
Regards
<Sender’s name>
Job Rejection Letter Sample 3
After a phone interview
Dear Miss/Mr. <Applicant’s last name>
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me on the phone for the position of <job title=””>.</job>
Our company has received a high number of applications and we have contacted a number of applicants. We would like to let you know that, although your qualifications and skills were very impressive, we have decided to go forward with other candidates whose experience and skills better meet the needs of our organization at this time.
Thank you again for your interest in <company name=””>. I wish you success in your career search.</company>
Regards
<Sender’s name>
Job Rejection Letter Sample 4
After a face-to-face interview
Dear <Applicant’s first name>,
Thank you for taking the time to interview with <company name=””> for the <position name=””>.</position></company>
We value your interest in our company and this role. I am writing to inform you that we have chosen an applicant who is the closest match for the job requirements and description of this role.
We very much appreciate you taking the time and making the effort to attend the interview. We would like you to consider applying for future openings at our company.
Once again, thank you very much for your time.
Sincerely,
<Sender’s name>
Job Rejection Letter Sample 5
Dear Miss/Mr. <Applicant’s last name>,
I appreciate you taking the time and making the effort to meet with our team to talk about the <position> at <company>.</company></position>
Your time, enthusiasm and interest in this position are much appreciated. I would like to inform you that the position has been filled by another candidate, whose qualifications, skills and experience most closely matched the requirements in the job description.
However, your application will be kept on file and you will be considered for future openings, if they are a good fit.
Again, it was good to meet with you and I wish you all the best in your future job search.
Sincerely,
<Sender’s name>
Job Rejection Letter Sample 6
Dear <Applicant’s first name>,
Thank you for providing us with the opportunity to meet and interview you for <job position=”” title=””> with our company. We value your interest and enthusiasm in joining our team and we enjoyed getting to know more about you.</job>
It can be difficult to choose among brilliant candidates who we interview, especially when we have many who are so qualified for this particular role. Even though we would love to welcome every single person we interview to our team, in the end we need to choose an applicant who we know most closely fulfills the requirements of the position’s job description.
Although your qualifications, experience, skills and education are very impressive, we have chosen to go forward with another candidate who better matches and meets the needs of this role. Our decision was based on small nuances, but you were still a very exceptional candidate. We do hope that you keep us in mind and apply again in the future for a role you believe would be a good fit, as we appreciate your expertise in our industry. You were one of the few top candidates and it was a pleasure to meet you.
If you need more information or have any questions, I would be happy to speak with you. You can contact me by email at <email address=””> or phone at <phone number=””>.</phone></email>
Once again, thank you for the time, effort, energy and enthusiasm you have invested in this process and we wish you all the best in your personal and professional endeavors.
Sincerely,
<Sender’s name>
Job Rejection Letter Sample 7
This job applicant rejection letter is used for after a second interview
Dear <Applicant’s first name>,
Thank you for investing the time to go through our two-stage interview selection process for the position of <job title=””>. Our team really enjoyed meeting you and discussing various aspects of the < industry>.</job>
We have now had the time and opportunity to consider every candidate. You were one of the candidates most highly regarded for this position. However, on this occasion, the team felt that another candidate’s experience and skills were a better match for the position. We want to take this time to encourage you to continue to check our vacancies for future positions that match your skills and experience.
We wish you all the best in your future endeavors and the next part of your career. Thank you again for your interest in <company name=””>.</company>
Regards
Sincerely,
<Sender’s name>
Job Rejection Letter Sample 8
After Assessment Test
Dear <applicant’s first=”” name=””>,</applicant’s>
Thank you for taking the time to meet with me and the team for <job title=””> at <company name=””>. It was a pleasure to learn more about your accomplishments and skills.</company></job>
We have now had the chance to review all applicants and, unfortunately, we regret to inform you that, at this time, we have decided not to proceed with your application. This has been a tough decision as the applicant standards have been very high. However, we have found that, during the test, other candidates had higher verbal reasoning skills. We would like to give you the advice to gain more experience in this field and to submit another application in the near future when more vacancies become available.
Thank you once again for your interest in <company name=””> and we wish you all the best in your job search and career.</company>
Regards
Sincerely,
<Sender’s name>
Conclusion: Job applicant rejection letter sample
Use the job applicant rejection letter templates above by customizing them according to the different stages of the hiring process.
Want templates for job descriptions to attract the best candidates?
Click here for Fountain’s job description templates, which include bank teller, delivery driver, retail cashier and more. You can even use our interview preparation checklist to prepare in advance for your interviews with each candidate.
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