Companies should send rejection letters to job applicants, including a statement that they were not hired, appreciation for their application and best wishes for their future. The letters should be personalized and avoid negative comments or unfair hiring practices.
Companies are advised to write a candidate rejection letter to all candidates they do not hire. The purpose of the letter is to inform the applicant of the circumstances, show appreciation, and maintain a good relationship with the applicant. At a minimum, the job applicant rejection letter must include:
A statement that the candidate did not get the job.
An expression of appreciation for the application and for any interviews.
Best wishes to the candidate in their continued search for employment or professional development.
Letters can also contain encouragement to reapply, a request to apply for another current job, and personal details about things the interviewers appreciated about the candidate.
Most letters are written in a formal business style. The first one to two sentences are devoted to informing the candidate that someone else has been hired and providing a vague reason why. “Unfortunately, we are unable to offer you a job at this time, due to the high number of qualified applicants”, or some permutation of that phrase will suffice.
The next few sentences should thank the candidate for submitting to the application/interview process. They can also be directed in person so the company can show their gratitude for meeting the candidate. A sentence like, “We enjoyed meeting you and we’d love to hear your ideas about how you would fit into our corporation” is appropriate if that’s what happened. Many business experts feel that the statement in this part of the job applicant rejection letter should be lightly personalized and express a certain amount of appreciation for an actual occurrence during the interview to soften the rejection and make it personal and complimentary.
The last essential detail is a wish for the candidate’s success in the future. This can be expressed with a simple statement like: “We wish you continued success in your profession (job search, career, etc.)”. The job seeker rejection letter should close with a formal signature.
Between the expression of appreciation and the desire for success, letters can include invitations to apply for other current jobs or to apply for future jobs. These invitations are one of the reasons to personalize every letter and not submit a form. Some companies do not accept the candidate again, if the interviews were bad or unfavorable, but they might have liked some candidates too much and not been able to offer the job. It is recommended that if there is a second position open, the employer should say so not only in a letter, but also in a phone call.
Companies should avoid potential pitfalls when writing a job applicant rejection letter. They must not comment on the person(s) hired or the specific qualities that made that person a better choice. Therein lies the potential for lawsuits over unfair hiring practices. Negative comments about the candidate’s performance are also not recommended. Remember the objective at hand; inform, thank, wish well and leave a good impression.
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