You're about to send a rejection email to a candidate. You know you should send something, but you're busy, so you click the auto-reject button in your ATS. The candidate receives:

"Thank you for your interest in [Company]. We have decided to move forward with other candidates whose qualifications more closely match our needs."

The candidate deletes it, adds your company to their mental "never apply here again" list, and tells their network your hiring process sucks.

You just burned a bridge with someone who might have been perfect for a different role—or who might have referred great candidates to you.

Here's how to write rejection emails that preserve relationships instead of destroying them.

Why Most Rejection Emails Fail

Generic rejection emails damage your employer brand because they signal: "You weren't worth our time to write a real response."

The typical bad rejection email:

• Arrives weeks or months after the interview (or never)
• Provides zero feedback or context
• Feels copy-pasted (because it is)
• Offers no future connection or encouragement

What candidates want:

• Timely response (within 2-3 days of decision)
• Brief but genuine feedback
• Acknowledgment of their effort
• A sense that they were actually considered

You don't need to write a novel. You just need to be human.

The Formula For Good Rejection Emails

1. Send it quickly (within 1-3 days of decision)

Don't let rejected candidates sit in limbo for weeks wondering if they're still in consideration. Make the decision, send the email, move on.

2. Personalize it (even slightly)

Reference something specific from their interview or application. It takes 15 seconds and shows you actually reviewed their materials.

3. Provide brief, actionable feedback (when possible)

You don't need to write a performance review. One sentence of constructive feedback is valuable.

4. Keep the door open for future opportunities

If they were good but not the right fit for THIS role, say so. Encourage them to apply again.

5. Thank them genuinely

They spent hours researching your company, preparing for interviews, and rearranging their schedule. Acknowledge that.

Example: Phone Screen Rejection

Bad version (generic ATS template):

Thank you for your interest in the Marketing Manager position at Acme Corp. After careful consideration, we have decided to move forward with other candidates. We wish you the best in your job search.

Good version (personalized):

Hi Sarah,

Thank you for taking the time to speak with me last Thursday about the Marketing Manager role. I appreciated learning about your content marketing experience at [Previous Company].

After reviewing all candidates, we've decided to move forward with someone whose experience in B2B SaaS marketing aligns more closely with our immediate needs.

That said, I was impressed by your content strategy work, and I'd encourage you to keep an eye on our careers page—we're growing the marketing team and may have roles that better match your background in the coming months.

I'll keep your information on file, and please feel free to reach out if you see another opportunity at Acme that interests you.

Best, [Your name]

Why it works:

• References specific conversation detail ("last Thursday," "content marketing experience")
• Provides clear reason for decision (not a fit for THIS role's specific needs)
• Keeps door open for future opportunities
• Feels like a human wrote it

Time to write: 90 seconds

Example: Final-Round Interview Rejection

Bad version:

Dear Candidate,

We regret to inform you that we will not be extending an offer for the Senior Engineer position. We received many qualified applicants and made a difficult decision. We wish you well.

Good version:

Hi Marcus,

I wanted to reach out personally to let you know that we've decided to move forward with another candidate for the Senior Engineer role.

This was genuinely a tough call—your technical skills and experience with distributed systems were strong, and the team enjoyed meeting you. Ultimately, we went with someone who had more direct experience with our specific tech stack (Rust + Kubernetes), which will allow them to ramp up faster given our current project timelines.

I want to be clear: you were a strong candidate, and I'd absolutely encourage you to apply for future engineering roles at [Company]. We're hiring multiple engineers over the next few months, and I'll keep your resume flagged for roles where your background is a closer match.

Thank you for investing the time in our interview process. I know you spent several hours on the take-home project and in conversations with the team, and we genuinely appreciated the effort.

Feel free to reach out if you have questions or if I can be helpful in your search.

Best, [Your name]

Why it works:

• Specific feedback (tech stack mismatch, not a quality issue)
• Acknowledges their effort (take-home project)
• Genuine encouragement to stay connected
• Leaves them feeling respected, not rejected

When To Provide Feedback (And When Not To)

Provide feedback when:

• The reason is objective and non-controversial (e.g., "we need someone with 5+ years in X technology, you have 2")
• The candidate made it past the phone screen
• You'd potentially hire them for a different role

Don't provide detailed feedback when:

• The reason involves personality fit concerns (too risky legally)
• The candidate was clearly unqualified and didn't make it past screening
• There were interpersonal or behavioral red flags (keep it vague: "we moved forward with candidates whose experience more closely matched our needs")

Safe feedback examples:

• "We needed someone with direct experience in [specific technology/industry]"
• "We chose a candidate with more years of management experience"
• "The role required [skill] as a primary focus, and your background was stronger in [different skill]"

Risky feedback (avoid):

• "You didn't seem like a culture fit" (subjective, legally risky)
• "We had concerns about your communication style" (opens door to discrimination claims)
• "The team felt you were too [adjective]" (vague and unhelpful)

How To Reject Candidates You Actually Liked

Sometimes you have to reject candidates you'd genuinely hire for a different role. Make that clear.

Template:

Hi [Name],

I wanted to let you know that we've decided to move forward with another candidate for the [Job Title] position.

I want to be direct: this was not a reflection of your qualifications. You interviewed well, and I think you'd be successful here. We ultimately went with someone whose experience in [specific area] was slightly closer to what this particular role required.

I'm keeping your information on file and will proactively reach out if we open roles that match your background more closely. I'd also encourage you to check our careers page periodically—we're growing fast and hiring regularly.

If you're open to it, I'd be happy to connect on LinkedIn so I can keep you updated on opportunities.

Thank you again for your time and interest in [Company]. I hope we get the chance to work together in the future.

Best, [Your name]

Follow-up actions:

• Actually add them to your ATS talent pool with notes
• Connect on LinkedIn
• Set a reminder to check in every 3-6 months

These candidates become warm leads for future roles—and they'll speak positively about your company even though they didn't get the job.

Handling Candidates Who Ask For More Feedback

Sometimes candidates reply asking for more detailed feedback. Handle this carefully.

If you can provide specific, helpful feedback:

Hi [Name],

Thanks for asking. The feedback from the team was that your technical skills were strong, but they felt your experience with [specific technology] was more limited than what the role requires day-to-day. The role involves working in [technology] about 60% of the time, so we prioritized candidates with deeper experience there.

That said, your experience in [other area] was impressive, and I'd encourage you to apply for roles where that's more central.

Best, [Your name]

If you can't provide more feedback (or it's too risky):

Hi [Name],

I appreciate you asking. Unfortunately, I can't provide more detailed feedback beyond what I shared. The decision came down to fit with this specific role's requirements, and we moved forward with the candidate whose experience aligned most closely.

I'd encourage you to apply for future openings that match your background—we're hiring regularly and would be happy to consider you again.

Best, [Your name]

Don't ghost candidates who ask for feedback. Even if you can't give details, acknowledge their request.

The Bottom Line

Rejection emails don't have to burn bridges. With an extra 60-90 seconds of effort, you can:

• Preserve relationships with strong candidates
• Maintain your employer brand
• Build a warm talent pipeline for future roles
• Encourage candidates to refer others to your company

The basic formula:

1. Send it quickly (1-3 days)
2. Personalize it slightly
3. Provide brief, actionable feedback when possible
4. Keep the door open
5. Be genuinely thankful

Most recruiters treat rejection emails as an annoying admin task. The best recruiters treat them as talent pipeline maintenance.

Your rejected candidates will talk about your company. Give them something positive to say.