How To Write A Job Rejection Letter

View or download our full job rejection letter sample below:

Things to consider:

All applicants want from a rejection letter is constructive criticism that will help them in future job applications. When interviewing a candidate or reading through an application, it can be good practice to already think of that one piece of constructive criticism you can give if you have decided they are unsuitable for the position.

There will be occasions when you want to put more time and effort into writing a rejection letter, which is to be expected. Examples of these times can be:

• An applicant with whom you have a personal relationship - Often, it can be worth going into a bit more detail about why they are not suitable for a position with candidates whom you deal with regularly. In these cases, a phone call can often be more appropriate.
• Lengthy recruitment processes - For a vacancy with multiple rounds, such as first, second, third, and subsequent interviews, it is usually worth writing a more personal rejection letter. If a candidate has passed a series of rounds, it's likely someone you'll want to consider in the future!
• Someone who has obviously invested a lot of effort - Candidates who have travelled a long distance or have had to invest a lot of time into an application deserve a more detailed rejection letter than someone who has failed on the first round due to a psychometric test. This is common sense, but it goes back to the idea that you want to give people who could talk about your business a good experience, even if they have been rejected.

Should a Rejection be a Letter, Email, or Phone Call?

In this day and age, the majority of rejection letters are sent through email. After all, over 90% of job applications are sent through a website or email anyway!

However, in particularly formal cases, a letter can sometimes be sent through the post to an applicant's address. This can happen when an application has to be sent through a letter in the first place.

A phone call is most suitable for a candidate who has invested a lot of effort into the recruitment process. The same best practices apply to rejection phone calls, where it's important to have at least one piece of constructive criticism in mind and to thank the applicant for the time they have spent getting to know your business. Make sure to end the call positively and field any questions they might have about where they went wrong.

What's the best timing for sending a rejection letter?

A common misconception with sending rejection letters is that you must wait a given period after the application or interview to treat the candidate respectfully. Employers often think that if they send a rejection too quickly, candidates will feel down that they haven't had sufficient consideration.

However, in most cases, you will know relatively quickly whether a candidate is a good fit or not for the position. During these times, you will have an immediate reason why they don't fit the job, e.g., failing a required skills test, not having a relevant qualification, or having too little or even too much experience. As long as you pass this reason over to the candidate, there's no reason why you can't send the rejection letter even the day after an interview or application.

There will be cases where you need to discuss with your colleagues or deliberate over a candidate, and this process can be as long as it needs to be. For particularly long decision-making periods, consider sending a simple response to candidates to thank them for their time and assure them that you will get back to them after making a decision.

Rejecting an internal candidate

For many vacancies, the position will be advertised both internally and externally for applications. Rejecting a candidate who is already part of your business can be a special case, as it's important to treat them with as much respect as possible to ensure they remain happy in their current position. It can often be worth following up a letter with a quick one-to-one meeting to ensure they are still valued in your organisation. Explain to them why they were not suitable for the vacancy and outline how you will support their personal development in the future.

Rejecting a candidate based on 'cultural fit'

'Cultural fit' in recruitment can be a controversial area, as it often comes across as an employer just picking an excuse out of the bag if they can't put their finger on why someone isn't right. Despite this, recruiting someone who fits into your organisation and gets on with people is a crucial element of the job and shouldn't be underestimated. When rejecting a candidate based on a personal element, it's important to be careful in how you say or write it, as you can open yourself up to discrimination claims if you're not careful.

When scrutinising candidates based on cultural fit, our best advice is to refer back to your organisation's values and think carefully about how you say why they wouldn't fit. Often, there will be other reasons for rejection, and it might just be easier to state something other than 'cultural fit'.

Finally, if you are recruiting and you feel you are struggling to find the right fit for a vacancy, get in touch with Aaron Wallis Sales Recruitment.

AI and Automation in Hiring

By 2026, AI is doing much of the heavy lifting in recruitment - screening applications, scheduling interviews, and even drafting correspondence. These tools save real time, but candidates have become very good at spotting a machine-written rejection, and a templated AI response can undo the goodwill this whole page is about building. Use automation for speed, but keep a human hand on anything a candidate will actually read.

There's a practical angle too: with AI tools making it effortless to apply, many employers now receive far more applications per vacancy than a few years ago. That makes a fast, standard rejection for early-stage applicants more defensible than ever - but it also makes the personal touch at interview stage stand out more, precisely because it's become rarer.

Finally, ensure any AI used in screening decisions is fair and regularly reviewed, and that a human makes the final call. Beyond being good practice, transparency about automated decision-making is increasingly expected under UK data protection rules - and 'the algorithm rejected you' is not a message any candidate should ever receive.

Example of a Longer Rejection Letter

Dear [candidate],

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out to thank you for applying for the [position] at [company] and for taking the time to interview with us. Your enthusiasm and passion for the role were evident during the interview process, and we appreciate your effort in preparing for the interview.

Unfortunately, after careful consideration, we have decided to move forward with another candidate for the position. While we were impressed with your skills and experience, we ultimately felt that the other candidate was a better fit for the role and our team.

We understand that receiving a rejection can be disappointing, and we want to assure you that this decision was not made lightly. In addition to evaluating your skills and experience, we also considered your fit with the team and your potential for success in the role.

Although we will not be moving forward with your application now, we encourage you to continue applying for positions at [company] in the future. If you would like, we would be happy to provide feedback on your application to help you in your job search.

Again, we appreciate your interest in [company] and your time and effort in applying for the position.

We wish you the best of luck in your job search.

Kind regards,

[Your name]