Rejection Email during or after a Selection Process

Talent acquisition is a complex process and a recruitment/selection drive in any organization goes through several stages. A candidate may be eliminated from the selected process at any of these stages. It is considered a good HR practice to inform a candidate about his/her rejection by the company by means of a polite email. Informing the candidate that he/she has not progressed to the next round helps to bring closure for the candidate.

A few points to highlight in the rejection email are:

● Appreciate the time the candidate has invested and the interest he/she has shown in the position and the organization.
● Give positive feedback about certain aspects of his/her profile.
● State-specific reasons why other candidates progressed to the next round or were selected instead.
● Inform the applicant that he/she may be considered for future requirements, if and when they emerge.
● I wish them good luck in the future.

SAMPLE

Subject: Update on your application

Dear [candidate name],

At the outset, we would like to thank you for the interest you’ve shown in the [designation] position at our company, [company name]. We appreciate the time you’ve invested throughout the course of our selection process.

We were impressed by your skillset and accomplishments to date. In particular, [e.g. some of your extracurricular activities during your college days that demonstrate leadership abilities] caught our attention. We were also happy to see how you have excelled in various professional roles over the last few years.

It is therefore with regret that I’m writing to inform you that we have decided to proceed with another candidate who will bring more technical experience to the role.

If you’ll permit it, we would like to keep your details on file for consideration as and when future requirements present themselves.

Once again, I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for your time, interest and effort. My colleagues and I wish you the very best of fortune for your future endeavours.

Warm regards,
[Name]
[Designation]
[Company name]