Job Rejection Letter Samples

Following a series of job interviews, all but one candidate must receive a job rejection letter. Sooner is better to send a job rejection letter to help your job applicants get on with their job search. There is no worse experience for a job candidate than to experience ghosting by an employer.

Ghosting is the unfortunate and unprofessional situation in which the employer fails to correspond appropriately with their job candidates. Failure to correspond properly with your job candidates at each important step of the hiring process, but especially following an onsite job interview, is unprofessional, disrespectful, and unkind.

You cannot imagine the distress that hearing nothing following a job interview will create for your job applicants. Unfortunately, some employers have the practice of holding all applicants as potential hiring candidates until the selected candidate accepts their job offer in writing. This process can take several weeks and is unfair. Worst? Employers who never correspond with candidates at all.

The following is a sample job rejection letter for a candidate who you hope will not apply again. He or she did not appear to fit your company's work culture.

Job Rejection Letter Sample

This is a job rejection letter example. Download the job rejection letter template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online) or see below for more examples.

Job Rejection Letter Sample (Text Version)

David Lee
123 Main Street
Anytown, CA 12345
555-555-5555
david.lee@email.com

September 1, 2018

Cheryl Ramirez
123 Business Rd.
Business City, NY 54321

Dear Cheryl,

Thank you for coming in to interview for the position of accounting clerk with Draper, Inc. As you know, we interviewed a number of candidates. This letter is to let you know that you have not been selected for the position.

Thank you for taking the time to come to Draper, Inc. to meet our interview team. The team appreciates that you interviewed for the accounting clerk position.

We wish you success with your ongoing job search. Thank you for your interest in our company.

Best wishes,

David Lee

David Lee (signature hard copy letter)

David Lee
HR Director for the Employee Selection Team

Second Job Rejection Letter Sample

This sample job candidate rejection letter is for a candidate you might consider hiring in the future for a different job or when they have more experience in the area covered by the current opening.

Helen Smith
123 Main Street
Anytown, CA 12345
555-555-5555
helen.smith@email.com

September 1, 2018

Josie Lau
123 Business Rd.
Business City, NY 54321

Dear Josie,

This letter is to inform you that we have selected another candidate for our current job opening.

The interview committee wants you to know that it was a pleasure to meet you. We do hope that you will consider applying to our company again in the future for another role for which you might qualify.

Thank you for taking the time to come in to meet all of us at your job interview. We appreciate that interviewing is time and energy-consuming. That is why we wanted to let you know that you were not selected for the current position as expeditiously as possible so you can continue your job search.

Again, thank you for your interest in our company. We hope to hear from you in the future.

Regards,

Helen Smith
On Behalf of the Employee Selection Team

Please note that the information provided, while authoritative, is not guaranteed for accuracy and legality. The site is read by a world-wide audience and ​employment laws and regulations vary from state to state and country to country. Please seek legal assistance, or assistance from State, Federal, or International governmental resources, to make certain your legal interpretation and decisions are correct for your location. This information is for guidance, ideas, and assistance.

Standard Application Acknowledgement Letter

• Application Acknowledgement Letter Sample

More About Sample Candidate Rejection Letters

• See a standard applicant rejection letter that you use to respond to applicants who are not as qualified as the applicants you decide to interview.
• See another sample, simple rejection letter sample for applicants whom you reject without an interview.
• Here is another sample rejection letter for applicants whom you choose not to invite for an interview.
• Find out more about how to write job candidate rejection letters.