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PDFCandidate Rejection Letter Template
Tell candidates they didn't get the job, kindly and briefly. A letter for people you interviewed, a short email for everyone else, and a record of who you told.
About this template
A free rejection letter template for employers, in Word and PDF. Use it when a job is filled and you need to tell the other candidates. Sheet one is a short, kind letter for people you interviewed. Sheet two is a candidate rejection email for applicants you didn’t interview, with a table to record who you told and when. Both say no clearly and give no reasons you might have to defend later.
What you get
- Word file: the letter and the email, ready to edit, with every detail to change highlighted as a [placeholder], plus the notes.
- PDF, 5 pages: the blank letter and the blank email with its record table, the same two sheets filled in for a fictional bakery, and a page of notes with sources.
What a good job rejection letter includes
- Thanks. For applying, and for their time if you interviewed them.
- The decision, in one sentence. “We have decided to offer the position to another candidate.” No hedging and no “unfortunately, at this time”.
- One genuine positive, if you have one. Something specific from the interview, not a stock compliment. Leave it out rather than invent one.
- An invitation to apply again, only if you mean it. A false hope is worse than none.
- A warm close and a real name. Signed by the person they met, with a way to reach them.
How to write a rejection letter after an interview
- Make sure the job is really filled: your first choice has accepted, and any reference check or other condition has cleared.
- Fill in the letter for each interviewed candidate, with the date you met.
- Add the optional lines only where they’re true. Delete them otherwise.
- Check there are no reasons, comparisons or remarks about the person.
- Send it within a few days of the hire, by email or post. For a finalist who met the team several times, call first, then send the letter.
- Send the short email to everyone you didn’t interview.
- Log every notice in the record table and keep it with the applications.
Completed example
The example in the download is from the owner of a fictional bakery, filling an assistant baker job. The letter thanks a candidate for meeting on October 7, tells her the job went to someone else, and mentions one genuine moment from the interview: the rye loaf she brought in. The email goes to an applicant who wasn’t interviewed. The record table shows four notices sent on the same day, two after interviews and two at the application stage.
Candidate rejection email for applicants you didn’t interview
People who only sent an application don’t need a letter, but a short email is a courtesy they’ll remember. Keep it to two or three lines: thanks for applying, you won’t be moving forward with their application for this role, and good luck. Send it once the job is filled, from a person rather than a no-reply address. If you used a job board, its built-in message is fine too; just keep the wording the same for everyone at that stage.
What not to say in a rejection letter
- Reasons and comparisons: “we found someone with more experience”, “you were overqualified”, “not the right fit”. They invite argument, and a vague reason can look like cover for something else.
- Anything personal: age, family, health, accent, religion or other protected traits, even as a kindness (“with your young family, the hours might have been hard”).
- Promises: “we’ll keep you in mind for the next opening” when there’s no plan for one.
- Interview notes: keep those in your file, not in the letter.
If a candidate asks for feedback
Some candidates will reply and ask what they could have done better. You don’t have to give feedback, but if you do, keep it short, job-related and true: “The role needed someone with experience running a production oven on their own, and the person we hired had three years of it.” Don’t compare them with the other candidate as a person, and don’t reopen the decision. Whatever you choose, do the same for everyone who asks, and keep a note of what you said with their application.
If a background check played a part
A plain rejection letter isn’t enough if a report from a background screening company is any part of the reason. The FTC says you must first send the candidate a notice that includes a copy of the report. After you decide, you send an adverse action notice. It names the screening company, with its address and phone number, and tells the candidate they can dispute the accuracy or completeness of the report. If you checked references yourself, see the reference check form.
Keep the records
If you have 15 or more employees, the EEOC’s rule at 29 CFR 1602.14 requires you to keep applications and other hiring records for one year. The year runs from the date of the record or the hiring decision, whichever is later, and longer if a discrimination charge is filed. With 20 or more employees, 29 CFR 1627.3 also requires one year for applications and records about a refusal to hire. Keep a copy of each rejection and the record table with them.
Filling a job and not sure what your state requires? hrsupport.io answers HR questions for your state, with the law behind every answer.
How to use it
- Wait until your first choice has accepted the offer and any conditions are cleared.
- Use the letter for people you interviewed and the email for everyone else.
- Fill in the job title, the interview date and your details. Add a positive line only if it's specific and true.
- Don't add reasons or comparisons. Read it once as the candidate would.
- Send it within a few days, from a real person, and send the same wording to everyone at the same stage.
- Log each notice in the record table and keep it with the applications.
What’s on the form
- Company, candidate and date
- Thanks for applying and for the interview
- The decision, in one plain sentence
- Optional lines for a genuine positive and an invitation to apply again
- A short rejection email for applicants you didn't interview
- A record of every notice sent, by stage
- Notes on what not to say, background checks and record keeping
Ideal for
- Owners who do their own hiring
- Hiring managers closing out a job opening
- Office managers who handle candidate emails
Common uses
- Letting interviewed candidates know the job has been filled
- Closing the loop with applicants you didn't interview
- Keeping a record of how and when each applicant was told
Ready to use it? It’s free, and comes with a filled-in example.
Template questions
Questions, answered.
What should a rejection letter to a candidate say?
Thank them for applying and, if you met, for their time. Say plainly that you've offered the job to someone else or won't be moving forward. Add one genuine, specific positive if you have one, and invite them to apply again only if you mean it. Then wish them well. Three or four short paragraphs is plenty.
Should I tell a candidate why they didn't get the job?
Usually not in the letter. Reasons invite argument, and vague ones such as "not the right fit" or "overqualified" can be read as cover for something else. If a candidate asks for feedback, you can offer a job-related point, such as the experience the role needed. Keep it factual, and give feedback the same way to everyone who asks.
How soon should I send a rejection letter after an interview?
Once your first choice has accepted the offer and any conditions, such as a reference check, have cleared. Then send the rest within a few days. Rejecting runners-up too early can leave you with no one to turn to if the offer falls through; waiting weeks leaves people hanging.
Can I send a rejection letter by email?
Yes. Most small businesses email it, either as the body of the email or as a PDF letter attached. A phone call is a kind touch for finalists who met the team several times, followed by the letter so they have it in writing. Send it from a real person's address, not a no-reply inbox.
Should I reject applicants I didn't interview?
Yes, if you can. A short email closes the loop and leaves a better impression of your business. The template's second sheet is a two-line candidate rejection email for this, plus a table to record who was told, when and how. If you had hundreds of applicants, a note in the job ad saying you'll only contact people you interview is a common alternative.
How long should I keep applications from rejected candidates?
If you have 15 or more employees, EEOC rules (29 CFR 1602.14) require you to keep applications and other hiring records for one year from the date of the record or the hiring decision, whichever is later, and longer if a discrimination charge is filed. With 20 or more employees, the age discrimination rules (29 CFR 1627.3) also require one year.
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