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Employment Rejection Letter Template

Image 1

Prepared by:

​[Sender.FirstName][Sender.LastName]​

​[Sender.Phone]​

​[Sender.Email]​

​[Sender.StreetAddress][Sender.City], [Sender.State][Sender.PostalCode]​

Prepared for:

​[Candidate.FirstName][Candidate.LastName]​

​[Document.CreatedDate]​

When you need to reject a job applicant, it’s essential to do so professionally and compassionately. After all, this person has likely put time and effort into their job application and receiving news they weren’t successful can be tough for them to hear. By using our employment rejection letter template, you will be able to show your candidates empathy, appreciation, and confidence.

Dear [Candidate.FirstName],

Thank you for taking the time to apply for the [Sender.Company]'s (name of job opening) opening at [Sender.Company].

We have been lucky enough to receive a significant number of applications from very talented individuals interested in the [Sender.Company]'s (name of job opening) role. However, as much as we'd like to hire each of you, we have found ourselves with many more candidates than open positions, and we can only move forward with a limited number.

At this time, we have decided to move forward with another candidate.

Use this section to empathize with the candidate’s disappointment. It will make the applicant feel understood and ease the sting of not being selected.

We know this news may come as a disappointment to you. We can only imagine how much time and effort you put into your application, and we want you to know that it doesn't go unnoticed. We always do our best to review each candidate thoroughly and continue to work on making our application process as fair and transparent as possible.

At [Sender.Company], we are currently working towards achieving [Sender.Company]'s (insert goal, e.g., a well-balanced finance group). To reach that goal, we focused on finding someone who had [Sender.Company]'s (required skill), [Sender.Company]'s (required skill), and [Sender.Company]'s (required skill) as their primary skills.

Offer an insight into the candidate’s application and why the company ultimately decided not to continue with the process. Being transparent will show that you are an honest employer who knows what it’s doing and that you indeed read and paid attention to their application.

Your qualifications and experience were (insert an adjective, e.g., impressive, outstanding). More specifically, we were impressed with (insert the candidate's skill) and (insert the candidate's skill).

However, we found there was a lack of [Sender.Company]'s (required skill), [Sender.Company]'s (required skill), and [Sender.Company]'s (required skill), skills that, for the moment being, we consider a minimum requirement for this specific role.

We would still love for you to be a part of [Sender.Company]. You have the potential to be a great asset to our company, and the door is always open if you ever decide to apply for any open positions in the future.

It’s good to include similar job openings, should you choose to do so, for candidates who weren’t a good fit for the role they applied for but who could be a great asset to the company.

(Optional similar job openings)

If it is indeed within your interest to apply to other roles within [Sender.Company], our current openings include:

​[Sender.Company]'s (name of job opening)

Department:[Sender.Company]'s (name of department)

The role of a [Sender.Company]'s (name of job opening) consists of [Sender.Company]'s (required skill) to achieve [Sender.Company]'s (goal).

Skills required:[Sender.Company]'s (required skill), [Sender.Company]'s (required skill), and [Sender.Company]'s (required skill).

For more information about the job opening, please visit [Sender.Company]'s (job opening website URL).

​[Sender.Company]'s (name of job opening)

Department:[Sender.Company]'s (name of department)

The role of a [Sender.Company]'s (name of job opening) consists of [Sender.Company]'s (required skill) to achieve [Sender.Company]'s (goal).

Skills required:[Sender.Company]'s (required skill), [Sender.Company]'s (required skill), and [Sender.Company]'s (required skill).

For more information about the job opening, please visit [Sender.Company]'s (job opening website URL).

​[Sender.Company]'s (name of job opening)

Department:[Sender.Company]'s (name of department)

The role of a [Sender.Company]'s (name of job opening) consists of [Sender.Company]'s (required skill) to achieve [Sender.Company]'s (goal).

Skills required:[Sender.Company]'s (required skill), [Sender.Company]'s (required skill), and [Sender.Company]'s (required skill).

For more information about the job opening, please visit [Sender.Company]'s (job opening website URL).

For further details about our available openings, you can always visit the [Sender.Company]'s (website URL) page on our website, which is solely dedicated to showing the latest job openings within [Sender.Company].

Take your time, read through the job descriptions, and if you think you'd be a good match for any of them, please don't hesitate to apply.

This is the perfect opportunity to share with the candidates what they could focus on improving if they’re interested in re-applying for the same role the next time there’s an opening.

On the other hand, if you're set on getting the role that you applied for, when you apply the next time we have an opening, we encourage you to focus on working on the following (number of skills, e.g., five) aspects:

  • By [Sender.Company]'s (advice) you will strengthen your [Sender.Company]'s (required skill), which will help you better understand [Sender.Company]'s (goal).

  • By [Sender.Company]'s (advice) you will be able to work on your [Sender.Company]'s (required skill), which will give you a better chance of succeeding in [Sender.Company]'s (goal).

  • If you can perfect your [Sender.Company]'s (required skill) by [Sender.Company]'s (advice), it will show us that you are capable of [Sender.Company]'s (goal).

  • Lastly, we would like evidence that you have worked on [Sender.Company]'s (required skill).

If you take our advice and work on these areas, you will have a better chance of getting the role you desire next time an opening becomes available.

At [Sender.Company], we are constantly striving to develop a workforce of the best and the brightest out there. We hope this isn't the last time we hear from you, and we would be grateful if you keep us in mind for future opportunities.

Asking the candidate to complete a feedback survey about the application process is a great way to gather qualitative information that can help you strengthen your hiring process.

As we mentioned, our recruitment team always looks for ways to improve the candidate experience. Even when the outcome is not what the applicant expected, it's one of our top priorities to create a positive impact by giving meaningful feedback.

Therefore, we would greatly appreciate it if you could fill out this survey about your experience with [Sender.Company]. It can be feedback about any of the stages of the application process, so please feel free to let us know what you think we should keep doing or what we could have done better.

You should always end a rejection letter postively, offering hope for the future. It’s also a great moment to remind the candidate about your social media pages and how by following you, they can stay in the loop with any new job openings you may have later on.

Once again, we want to thank you for your time and effort.

Remember to follow us on [Sender.Company]'s (social media page) and [Sender.Company]'s (social media page) to stay in the loop with everything happening at [Sender.Company]. We're constantly posting about our job openings, so it's a great way of staying informed and ensuring you're one of the first to apply as soon as a position that interests you becomes available.

We wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Sincerely,

​

Signature
MM / DD / YYYY

​[Sender.FirstName][Sender.LastName]​

​[Sender.Company][Sender.Title]​

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FAQ

  • The best way to write an employment rejection letter is to be clear in the subject line, thank the candidate for their time, and express that you are no longer considering their application and why you’re not doing so. You should also finish by including positive feedback about their qualifications. PandaDoc’s employment rejection letter template covers all these aspects and is an easy way to get started.

  • To politely reject a candidate, you should be precise on why they weren’t offered the position and include positive feedback on those skills they either have or can acquire. You could also let them know your door is open if they decide to re-apply. 

  • The best way to tell a candidate they didn’t get the job is to state it up front while keeping the rest of the rejection letter positive. You can do it by describing the things you loved about their application, providing feedback on what could make their future applications stand out even more, and reminding them that the door is always open if they want to re-apply in the future. 

  • Unlike a job rejection letter, the best way to write a job rejection email is by keeping it concise. Get straight to the point and be concise. Thank them for their time and effort, but make it clear that you won’t be moving forward with their application. It’s also essential to include a call-to-action, such as encouraging them to stay in touch or follow your company on social media.

  • The best way to reject a job opportunity from a recruiter is by expressing your regret that you won’t be able to take up the role and thanking them for their time and effort in approaching you. Being honest about why you’re not interested in the role is essential, as this can help the recruiter understand your preferences better and match you with more suitable positions in the future.

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Employment Rejection Letter

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When you must reject a job candidate, use this Employment Rejection Letter Template. To demonstrate empathy, respect, and confidence in your candidates, download this template in PDF.

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