Why most rejection emails are bad
Two failure modes. The first is the corporate non-email: "Thank you for your interest. We've decided to pursue other candidates." The candidate has no idea why and feels worthless.
The second is the no-email: ghosting. The candidate spent 2 hours on your application form, did a 30-minute interview, and then never hears back. They tell their friends. Your reputation as an employer takes a quiet hit.
Both are easily fixed with templates. Below are five rejection emails for the most common scenarios. Steal them.
1. The CV-stage rejection (low-effort, high-volume)
Send this within 48 hours of the application. Keep it short.
Subject: Update on your [Job Title] application at [Company]
Hi [First name],
Thanks for applying to the [Job Title] role at [Company]. We won't be moving forward with your application this time. The applicant pool was strong, and we had to make some hard calls.
We don't typically share specific feedback at this stage, but we wish you the best in your search.
— [Your name], [Company]
2. The post-screening-call rejection
Send within 24 hours of the call. Acknowledge the conversation specifically.
Subject: Following up on our call · [Job Title] at [Company]
Hi [First name],
Thanks for taking the time to talk through [specific topic from the call] yesterday. I really enjoyed [one specific thing — their thoughts on X, the project they walked me through, etc.].
After thinking it over, we've decided not to move you forward to the next round for the [Job Title] role. The decision came down to [skills gap / level mismatch / fit with team] — nothing about your work was a problem; the role we're hiring for needs a different shape.
If anything changes on our side or we open something that fits better, I'll reach back out.
— [Your name], [Company]
3. The "we almost hired you" rejection
This is the hardest one. The candidate did a real interview, got close, and didn't make it. They deserve real feedback.
Subject: A hard one to write · [Job Title]
Hi [First name],
I owe you a real email. After our [final round / take-home review / reference checks], we've decided to go with another candidate for the [Job Title] role.
I want to be straight with you: this was close. Specifically, [the thing they did well] is the kind of thing we'd hire for. The factor that tipped it the other way was [specific reason — depth in X, prior experience with Y, team-fit signal in the final].
A few things I'd flag for the next process:
- [Concrete observation 1]
- [Concrete observation 2]
If you'd ever be open to me passing your CV to friends in the industry, let me know — and if we open another role that's closer to your shape, you'll hear from me first.
Thanks for putting yourself out there.
— [Your name]
4. The "you're great but not for this role" rejection
Send when the candidate is clearly strong but the fit isn't right. Often a referral candidate.
Subject: Not this one — but let's stay in touch · [Job Title]
Hi [First name],
Thanks for talking with us about the [Job Title] role. You're great. The role just isn't the right shape for what you do best — we need [specific role-shaped thing] and you're built more for [different role-shaped thing].
I'd like to keep in touch. If you're open to it, two questions:
1. Would you be open to me reaching out when we open a [more-fitting role type]?
2. Anyone in your network you think we should talk to for *this* role? I'm happy to be specific about what we're looking for.
— [Your name]
5. The "we hired internally / didn't hire" rejection
Sometimes you don't hire anyone. Be honest.
Subject: Update on the [Job Title] role at [Company]
Hi [First name],
I'm writing with an honest update: we've decided not to make a hire for the [Job Title] role right now. After working through the process, we realised [we needed to redefine the role / we promoted someone internally / our priorities shifted].
This isn't about you — your candidacy was [genuine compliment, specific]. If we re-open the role or something adjacent, I'll come back to you first.
Thanks for the time and the patience.
— [Your name]
What to never include
- "Best of luck in your job search!" on its own. Empty.
- A request for feedback on your interview process while telling them no.
- Any phrase that implies they were "too senior" or "overqualified" — these are usually code for either age discrimination or an overestimation by the candidate. Both are legal landmines.
- A vague "we may reach out about future opportunities" that you have no intention of acting on.
Send within 48 hours
The biggest mistake is delay. Even a polished rejection email loses 80% of its goodwill if it arrives 3 weeks late. The recruiter who sends a same-day "no" with a paragraph of thought beats the recruiter who sends a beautiful "no" two weeks later.
Where Penroll fits
Penroll's bulk reject lets you send the right template to every candidate in your "pass" pile in one click. The default template is template #1 above; you can edit it once in Calendar settings and it's used for every reject from then on. The post-interview rejection is still on you to write — those deserve real attention.