What is a post-interview rejection letter?
A post-interview rejection letter informs job candidates they will not be moving forward in the hiring process. This letter is typically sent after candidates have been interviewed and as soon as you have determined they’re not the right fit for the role.
A rejection letter after an interview typically consists of one to two concise paragraphs acknowledging the candidate’s time and effort and helps maintain a positive relationship for future opportunities.
“Sending rejection letters is a professional way to conclude the candidate journey. Ghosting applicants can reflect poorly on you as a professional and the company.”
—Joe Scotto, HR leader
Reasons to send a rejection letter after an interview
Informing candidates that they didn’t get the job isn’t easy, but sending a rejection email after an interview can have positive effects on you and your candidates.
Reasons to send a rejection letter may include:
- Relationship building for future positions: A candidate may have strong skills but not be the best fit for the role you’re filling. In this situation, a rejection letter is an opportunity to let them know you’re impressed with their background and would like them to apply in the future.
- Better candidate experience: A post-interview rejection letter helps candidates feel valued and know when to focus their job search efforts elsewhere. Maintaining a positive candidate experience can help your reputation and encourage job seekers to apply for future positions.
- Efficiency: If you don’t follow up with candidates, they may contact you about the job status. By sending rejection emails promptly after interviews, you handle follow-up in a timely, efficient manner.
Tips on how to write a job rejection letter after an interview
You can make the correspondence more positive by considering these tips:
1. Personalize your interview rejection letter.
Starting with a standard template for rejection emails after interviews might help streamline the process. Consider customizing it for each candidate to show you value their time and effort. Include their name, the position and a detail from your conversations.
Another way to personalize a rejection letter is to offer constructive feedback about their interview performance. This can help build a strong employer brand and improve the candidate experience.
2. Keep the interview rejection letter concise.
A concise post-interview rejection letter is typically a professional way to let candidates know that you will be going in a different direction. To respect their time, deliver the news that they weren’t selected early on in the letter.
3. Be professional and considerate in your rejection letter after the interview.
Maintaining professionalism and consideration can help reduce any negativity they may feel toward you or the company. Consider stating whether you plan to move forward with another candidate or no longer have the role available. Include feedback to provide value in the letter. Finish by thanking them for their time and wishing them success in their future endeavors.
4. Send the interview rejection letter as soon as possible.
Send interview rejection letters promptly after making your decision to create a more positive candidate experience. Applicants are likely waiting to hear from you, especially if they had an interview.
By promptly responding, you can help end the waiting period and demonstrate to the candidate that your organization truly cares about the applicant experience. Often, a rejection letter provides an applicant with helpful information to redirect their focus to more suitable opportunities.
5. Consider giving interview feedback.
When sending an interview rejection email or letter, consider including feedback or offering the opportunity to debrief via a call to show each candidate you took their interview seriously. Providing positive feedback can help create a better impression in an interview rejection letter.
Feedback that includes respectful and constructive criticism helps the candidate improve for future interviews. You can provide good interview feedback by taking notes during the interview, focusing on an applicant’s strengths and avoiding comparison with other applicants.
Sample interview rejection letters
Here are some sample rejection letters following the tips mentioned above:
Example of a rejection letter after an interview
August 1, 2025
Joseph Keever
Chicago, Illinois
Dear Joseph,
Thank you so much for your interest in the Marketing Manager position at ABC Logistics. While we were all impressed with your skill set and knowledge, we’ve decided to move forward with another candidate who has more leadership experience. However, we encourage you to apply for other positions that will be available in the marketing department in the coming months.
We appreciate you taking the time to meet with our team last week.
Thank you for the time you invested in applying and interviewing for this role. We wish you the best of luck in your job search and all future endeavors.
Sincerely,
Nichelle Bernardo
HR Director
Post interview rejection email example
Joseph Keever,
Thank you for taking the time to meet with our team about the Marketing Manager position at ABC Logistics. After careful consideration, we’ve decided to move forward with another candidate for this role.
This decision was not easy, as we were impressed with your skills and qualifications. We truly appreciate your interest in joining Creighton Logistics and the effort you put into the interview process.
We’ll keep your information on file for future opportunities that may align with your skills and experience. If you’d like specific feedback about your interview, feel free to contact me directly. Thanks again for your interest in Creighton Logistics. I wish you good luck in all future endeavors.
Regards,
Nichelle Bernardo
HR Director
Example of an interview rejection letter with feedback
August 1, 2025
Joseph Keever
Chicago, Illinois
Dear Joseph,
As mentioned during your initial interview, ABC Logistics interviewed multiple candidates for the Marketing Manager position. After carefully reviewing your resume and consulting with our team, we have decided to offer the position to another candidate.
Please be assured that although we chose a different candidate for the Marketing Manager position, we were very impressed by your resume and interview. ABC Logistics has several departments, so we will keep your information on file in the event that another position opens up that matches your skills.
While we won’t be moving forward with your application at this time, I wanted to offer some feedback that might be helpful for your continued job search:
- Strengths: [Provide specific positive feedback: “You demonstrated a strong understanding of our industry and offered insightful ideas during the technical assessment.”]
- Opportunities for growth: [Provide constructive feedback: “We encourage you to gain more experience with [specific tool/skill] to strengthen your ability to excel in similar roles in the future.”]
Thank you again for your time and I wish you all the best.
Sincerely,
Nichelle Bernardo
A good rejection letter informs candidates that they will not proceed to the next phase of the hiring process while maintaining a positive impression of your company. By keeping the letter or email personal and considerate and sending it as quickly as possible, the candidate may have a more positive experience.
Rejection letter after an interview templates for PDF & Word
Use these rejection letter templates to respectfully let candidates know they weren’t selected to continue the interview process.
