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Rejection
Post-Interview Rejection Email Template
A rejection email sent after one or more interview rounds. This carries more weight than an application rejection — candidates have invested time, so the message should be warm, specific, and prompt.
Default templateAfter final round
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Following up on your interview for [JOB_TITLE] at [COMPANY_NAME]
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Hi [CANDIDATE_FIRST_NAME],
It was great speaking with you about the [JOB_TITLE] role at [COMPANY_NAME]. We genuinely appreciated the time you invested in our process.
After careful consideration, we've decided to move forward with another candidate whose background is a closer match for what we need right now. This was a genuinely difficult decision — you interviewed well.
[OPTIONAL: One specific positive observation, e.g. "Your experience with [X] was particularly impressive."]
We'd welcome the opportunity to stay in touch — please connect with me on LinkedIn if you haven't already, and do keep an eye on our future openings.
Thank you again, [CANDIDATE_FIRST_NAME]. We wish you every success.
Warm regards,
[RECRUITER_NAME]
[COMPANY_NAME]
Variant: After final round
Thank you for interviewing with [COMPANY_NAME]
Hi [CANDIDATE_FIRST_NAME],
Thank you so much for going through our full interview process for the [JOB_TITLE] role. We know it's a significant time investment and we genuinely appreciate it.
After thorough consideration, we've made the difficult decision to move forward with a candidate whose specific background matched our needs more closely at this point in time.
We want you to know that this was a tough call — your skills and approach clearly impressed our team. We'd love to stay connected and will certainly reach out if a more fitting opportunity arises.
Please do stay in touch.
Best wishes,
[RECRUITER_NAME]
[COMPANY_NAME]
Customisation Tips
- Call strong finalists before emailing — a phone rejection after a multi-stage process shows respect
- Include one genuine positive observation — it softens the blow and is memorable
- Avoid 'We'll keep your CV on file' unless you actually mean it
- Send within 24-48 hours of making the decision — don't leave candidates in limbo
Placeholders
Replace all items in [SQUARE BRACKETS] with the relevant information before sending.
[CANDIDATE_FIRST_NAME]
[COMPANY_NAME]
[JOB_TITLE]
[RECRUITER_NAME]
[DATE]
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