[Business English Writing] How to Write a Professional Rejection Email: A Guide for HR Professionals

For HR professionals, recruitment can often be challenging, especially when we need to send a rejection email while maintaining a positive image of the company. Writing a rejection email in English can feel even more difficult when English is your second language.

Although sending an English rejection email can be stressful, you can still communicate your decision clearly and tactfully by using the right structure, wording, and techniques. Before you start writing, consider where you and the candidate are in the recruitment process: Are you rejecting the candidate after reviewing their resume, or after an interview? If the candidate has reached the interview stage, how many interviews have you had with them? The stage of the recruitment process can affect the tone and wording you use in your communication.

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Write a Greeting 【Opening Greeting】

Depending on your company’s style and positioning, you can decide how formal your greeting should be. However, always make sure you spell the recipient’s name correctly to demonstrate professionalism and respect.

_{More casual greeting: Hi Clara,}

_{More formal greeting: Dear Ms. Stevens,}

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Thank Them 【Express Appreciation】

Because you are delivering disappointing news to a candidate, it is important to remain polite and courteous. Before delivering the rejection, sincerely thank the candidate for the time and effort they invested in your company. If the candidate performed particularly well in certain areas, don’t hesitate to acknowledge their strengths.

_{Thank you for your application.
Thank you for applying.}

_{Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with us today.
Thank you very much for taking the time to interview with us today.}

_{I enjoyed hearing about your short-term and long-term professional growth.
I enjoyed hearing about your short- and long-term career goals.}

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Give Them the Bad News 【Deliver the Rejection】

This is the key part of the rejection email, so you need to communicate the decision clearly and professionally while remaining polite and considerate.

_{Unfortunately,
Unfortunately, ...}

_{I regret to inform you that...
I regret to inform you that...}

_{After carefully reviewing your application, we regret to tell you...
After carefully reviewing your application, we regret to inform you that...}

_{After careful consideration, we have decided to move forward with another candidate.
After careful consideration, we have decided to move forward with another candidate.}

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Give Feedback 【Provide Feedback】

You can provide candidates with more detailed feedback to help them understand why they were not selected and which areas they could improve for future job applications. You can also acknowledge areas where they performed well. A little feedback can not only give candidates confidence and guidance, but also help create a positive image of your company.

_{Due to the high number of applicants, ...
Due to the high number of applicants, ...}

_{We enjoyed talking to you today, but we feel that your experience doesn't match up with the role on offer...
We enjoyed talking to you today, but we feel that your experience doesn't quite match the requirements of the role...}

_{While you have the experience we're looking for, we feel that...
While you have the experience we're looking for, we feel that...}

_{However, your communication skills and knowledge about the role are impressive.
However, your communication skills and knowledge of the role are impressive.}

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Wish Them Luck 【Offer Your Best Wishes】

If the candidate made a positive impression, you can sincerely wish them well at the end of the email. You can also let them know that you will contact them if a suitable opportunity becomes available in the future, leaving the door open for potential opportunities down the road.

_{We wish you luck in your future endeavors.
We wish you all the best in your future endeavors.}

_{We would like to keep your resume on file for future opportunities.
We would like to keep your resume on file for future opportunities.}

_{If any further opportunities come up, we'll be in touch.
If any further opportunities come up, we'll be in touch.}

_{If there are any future openings we feel you'd be a good fit for, we'll let you know.
If there are any future openings we feel you'd be a good fit for, we'll let you know.}

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Example of an English Rejection Email

<sub>Dear Willa,

Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with us last week. I enjoyed hearing about your ideas regarding the future of tech in our industry.
Thank you very much for taking the time to interview with us last week. We enjoyed hearing your thoughts on the future of technology in our industry.

While you have impressive qualifications, after careful review, we unfortunately feel that you don’t have the experience needed to succeed in the role of Program Manager. Therefore, we have decided to move forward with other qualified candidates at this time. However, if any roles more suitable for your level of experience come up, we’ll be in touch.
While your qualifications are impressive, after careful consideration, we unfortunately feel that you do not yet have the experience required for the Program Manager role. Therefore, we have decided to move forward with other qualified candidates at this time. However, if a role more suited to your level of experience becomes available in the future, we’ll be in touch.

Thank you again for your time, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
Thank you again for your time, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Best regards,
Maria Cortez</sub>

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Boost your Business English

The guidelines and structure above can help HR professionals write professional English rejection emails. For candidates, receiving a rejection email is undoubtedly disappointing news. Therefore, when writing an English rejection email, remember to maintain a professional and positive tone. This not only demonstrates respect for the candidate and helps maintain a positive relationship, but can also reinforce your company’s reputation as an employer that values and respects talented people.