How to Write a Post-Interview Rejection Letter (Plus a Template)

While you’re proceeding to the next stage of job applications with your selected candidates, you must take note of the candidates who were not selected. This is where the post-interview rejection letter comes in.

A post-interview rejection letter is a letter you send to candidates to inform them that they are not moving forward in your hiring process. These letters are usually sent within two weeks of the job interview or after a candidate has been chosen for the position. It’s up to you to decide what works best for your company.

Candidates may be overqualified (in this case, click here for the specific email template), or they require better credentials (you can use this template to give them feedback if you’d like).

Knowing how to write a rejection letter after an interview is the first step. Keep your letter short and straight to the point. Remember, you don’t want to bring this candidate’s hopes up only to be the bearer of bad news.

Start your letter with a thank you. Thank the candidate for taking the time to interview with your company and express that you enjoyed getting to know them. From there, inform them that they will not be proceeding to the next round in the hiring process. Add a reminder that you will be keeping their resume in your files in case there is another opening in your company where they may be a fit. End your letter with a note of thanks and wishing the candidate good luck in their job search.

Here’s an example of a post-interview rejection letter that you can follow:

Use our post-interview rejection letter sample as your basis when informing candidates that you will not be proceeding with their application. It’s common courtesy to let them know and it will help them in their job search since they already know the status of their application. It’s also a good template to have on hand for recruitment processes and a quick way to inform candidates that you are keeping their resumes on file for potential openings.