Rejection After Job Interview Email

Sometimes it's part of the job to bring unpleasant news to talented -but not suitable- job candidates. In the end, there is only 1 person who is the best fit for the job. Not all job applications and resumes will receive positive answers, and that's only normal. A well-drafted rejection letter will the be next response you need to send out, and if kindly and positively written, it can soften the blow.

How to write a rejection email to an applicant after interview?

Sending rejection emails is a great way to identify unsuccessful candidates and all the effort they put into their applications. It also prevents them from waiting while wondering what's going to happen next. Your rejection email can also encourage them to reapply if you wish.When you need to write a work- or business-related letters via email, consider the following rules business letter format and etiquette when drafting your own message, illustrated with a applicant rejection template and example.

There are a couple of best practices to remember when writing business letters via email:

Proper Business Email Etiquette:

• Define your audience: Before you start to write, consider who will read your letter and what is the relationship you wish to build with the recipient. When you don’t know the person yet, you will benefit the most from being particularly formal when establishing contact. Assume the perspective of your recipient, and confirm that you've included all the information they need to fully appreciate what you've written. If you write a sales letter, always consider the customer-of-your-customer.

• Make appealing and informing subject line: To appear professional, create a subject that informs your recipient of your email's topic. Depending on your purpose for writing, exactly what you highlight in the subject line changes, but you usually want to identify the event or exchange most pertinent to your message. Here are a few examples that might be useful references: “Welcome to …”, “Food for thought on…”, “Introduction to”, “Thoughts on …”, “Report on…”, “Meeting Minutes…”, “RFI … “(Request for Information)”, “RFQ (Request for Quotation)”, etc..

• Use proper salutation: Business emails often start with the following conventional and respectful salutation. “Dears,” or “To Whom It May Concern,” when you are unsure of the recipient's name or it’s a broader audience and you don’t want to mention one specific name. Alternatively, “Dear Name" is common when you know the recipient’s name if you are familiar with them.

• Maintain a conservative structure and formal tone: Although business letters are usually formal and considerate tone, that might not always be necessary. However, always consider the letter might be shared and read by others than the initial receiver. If you write an informal sales proposal to the receiver, but he shares it with his management, you might not get the deal. This is not a time to use slang or abbreviations, write it the same was as you would for a traditional business letter.

• Proper Introduction: A decent company and personal introduction at the beginning of the letter is common when the recipient is not yet familiar with the organization. Mention the organization you represent, and personal name, your professional job title or role. Conclude this first paragraph by plainly stating your reason for writing, ideally in one sentence.

• Concise letter body: The body of your letter contains of at least 1 paragraph or more to explain in detail why you desire to establish contact with the recipient: what business do you want to do or discuss?  After making this clear, it’s best to include an agenda or key details that the recipient needs to respond to or act on your email properly, such as deadlines, event locations or contact information for third parties.

• Be clear and concise in your writing. To remain comprehensible and concise like traditional letters, business emails embrace directness and the use of brief paragraphs. Overthink the flow in your email and ensure that it’s clear structured and cut text that you consider as unnecessary. Limiting the content length of your letter allows the most important information to stand out and encourages recipients to read it in its entirety.

• Close with a call to action: The last part of your letter is probably one summarizing paragraph that also expresses your gratitude for the recipient's time and consideration, and ideally closes with a call to action, which is a question or statement that expresses your hopes for the next steps between you and your recipient. Depending on your purpose for writing, you might use calls to action, such as: “Hoping to discuss this matter further soon in person”, Looking forward to receiving your schedule/call”. “Looking forward to your feedback/response” at your nearest convenience”

• Proper appearance and lay-out: make sure the email look professional by using a clear font and according to a business letter format. They usually use the same tone as traditional business letters as well, signaling respect and a desire to communicate professionally.

• Proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation: Make sure you prevent any grammar, spelling and punctuation mistakes: There are a handful of free and premium solutions you can use, besides the standard spelling/grammar checkers that are available in the word processor that you use.

• Information complete and unambiguously: Double check always if all the relevant information is included in the email, such as contact information (signature), dates, and any other pertinent details.

• Proofread the business letter: Be sure to proofread the email letter before sending it off to ensure that everything is accurate and error-free. If you want some help finding errors, you can use one of the many free proofreading apps online.

• Professional email signature and disclaimer: Make sure you include a signature and disclaimer at the bottom of the email, which clearly states, preface your signature with a formal closing such as "Best regards," "Yours sincerely," or "Respectfully", a digital signature, your full legal name of the organization, logo, slogan, contact information, followed by a legal disclaimer if you consider the content confidential, GDPR compliant, other compliance references, virus transmission, non-binding clause, opinion statement, etc.

Rejection After Job Interview by Email by the employer:

See the following example of a Rejection After Job Interview Email below:

Dear Sir/Madam {{Name}},

Thank you for taking the time to meet with our team about the {{role title}} role at {{company name}}. It was a pleasure to learn more about your skills and accomplishments.

Unfortunately, our team did not select you for further consideration. 

I would like to note that competition for jobs at {{company name}} is always strong and that we often have to make difficult choices between many high-caliber candidates. Now that we’ve had the chance to know more about you, we will be keeping your resume on file for future openings that better fit your profile.

I am happy to answer your questions if you would like any specific feedback about your application or interviews.

Thanks again for your interest in {{company name}} and best of luck with your job search.

Yours sincerely,

{{Signature}}

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