Application rejection: This is why good application rejections are so important

Inhalt

1. How soon should employers cancel?

2. Schedule and automatically send cancellations

3. 3 professional rejection letter samples

   3.1 Sample 1 - The basic cancellation

   3.2 Sample 2 - The rejection after the interview

   3.3 Sample 3 - The rejection of an unsolicited application

4. The rejection reason: do's, don'ts and tips when writing a rejection letter

5. The basic rules for rejection: cancel application politely and safely

6. Conclusion: Communication is the key in case of application rejection

Many companies feel that sending a rejection letter for a job application is a waste of time. From a purely legal point of view, it is not necessary to send a rejection letter, and many lawyers even recommend that if a rejection letter is sent, it should be as vague as possible due to the General Equal Treatment Act.

However, the more important question is: Can companies still afford such communication at all?

Indeed, many companies are now experiencing the flip side of the coin, in which applicants who are invited for an interview do not cancel or provide feedback. This behavior mirrors the approach and is as burdensome for companies in an employee market as it was for potential candidates in decades past.

Just like applicants, employers invest time in planning the positions they need to fill. Most of the time, the application process is not transparent and takes a long time, which is why good communication with all candidates is an absolute must for employer branding and future recruiting processes.

How soon should employers cancel?

99% of applications are made digitally via the Internet. As a result, applicants' expectations are much higher in terms of response time. In recent years, communication on the Internet has accelerated rapidly, and applicants demand this in the recruiting process as well. Acknowledging receipt of an application should not take several days, as is still the case with many companies.

Timing is everything. Sending the rejection of an application in just a few hours may speak to efficient HR management, but applicants will think that you never communicated with a human, but that the feedback is driven by an algorithm or AI. This can have a big impact on the talent pool you want to draw on for future job offers.

Basically, you should also not delay a rejection too long. A maximum of 10 days after the application, the candidate should receive the rejection.

If not enough applications have been received for the job advertisement and a final decision cannot yet be made, this should also be communicated to the applicants. To do this, you can simply send an interim notification by e-mail and inform the applicant of this.

Schedule and automatically send cancellations

In the recruiting process, the rejection letter should be scheduled from the very beginning. Often you receive a lot of applications from candidates who are not suitable for the advertised position. However, these candidates may be just right for other job openings.

Now, if you send out rejections immediately after the application, the candidate will assume that the application materials were not viewed and will not apply or respond to another advertised position when HR makes contact at a later date.

Therefore, in many recruitment management systems, there is an option to flag the candidate's single application for that position and send a rejection at a predefined time. This automation makes the process more efficient and the candidate can be added to the database for future potential job postings.

3 professional rejection letter samples

A template for a rejection letter can not only make the task in the process more efficient in some companies by automating it, but it is also suitable for making the wording consistent. In doing so, one can work with a basic template that contains vague wording so that it can be used with multiple applicants.

However, this never rules out an individual rejection of an application. Especially if interviews have already taken place, the personnel manager should take the time to send constructive feedback to the candidate.

Sample 1 - The basic cancellation

Subject: Your application for the position of (job title)

Hello Mr./Mrs. (last name),

thank you for applying to us for the position of (position). We are glad that you believe in our idea. We have read your application documents and were able to get a very good impression of what skills you have and how you might fit in with us.

Unfortunately, we have to inform you that your profile does not completely match our requirements and expectations for this position and we cannot offer you the position.

However, since we often have similar positions to fill, we would like to add you to our talent pool and contact you when a position becomes available that fits you. If you agree, please feel free to contact us briefly.

We wish you all the best!

Best regards

(Signature)

Sample 2 - The rejection after the interview

Subject: Thank you for the interview

Hello Mr./Mrs. (last name),

Thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us.

We got a very positive impression of you in the interview and were able to get a good overview of your skills and knowledge. Even though we got a very good impression of you, we unfortunately have to inform you that another applicant fits the profile we have in mind for this position a bit better.

We wish you every success in your future endeavors.

With kind regards

(signature)

Sample 3 - The rejection of an unsolicited application

Subject: Your application as (position)

Hello Mr./Mrs. (last name),

Thank you for your application and the interest it shows in our company.

We have read your application thoroughly and were able to get a good impression of your knowledge and skills. Unfortunately, we do not currently have an open position that fits your profile.

However, since we often have similar positions to fill, we would like to include you in our talent pool and contact you when a position that fits you becomes available. If you agree, please feel free to contact us briefly.

We continue to wish you all the best!

With kind regards

(Signature)

The rejection reason: do's, don'ts and tips when writing a rejection letter

Writing a rejection letter for an application happens with every job opening, because you can not and do not want to hire who applies. Nevertheless, there are some things that should be considered.

Pay attention to the wording

Many applicants put a lot of effort into their application. They choose not only the position but also the company with care. This is happening more and more often, because for many the togetherness is very important and this already starts with the application.

When rejecting applications, you should not fall back on a sample, especially with these candidates, but also make the effort yourself to give constructive feedback.

Structure the rejection correctly

The structure is not only the subject, salutation and farewell, but also what information is placed where.

In the subject line, the name of the position for which the applicant has applied should definitely appear. In this way, the applicant knows directly which position and which company is involved.

After the salutation, you should not directly formulate the rejection, but start positively. Most companies thank you at this point for the application and the time that the applicant has spent. Especially if a personal interview has already taken place, you should go into more detail here.

Then comes the actual reason for the letter: the rejection. The reason is always important, because it can be very helpful for the applicant in his or her future job search. It is very important to express yourself positively and clearly, because it may well be that this is not the first rejection the candidate receives.

The final element is a greeting. Most choose the classic "We wish you continued good luck" - which is meant to encourage, but also signifies the end of this interview. Anyone who formulates their own closing words should definitely discuss them with others beforehand, because small details here can completely destroy a well-worded rejection.

The basic rules for rejection: cancel application politely and safely

Anyone writing rejection letters not only has to strike the right tone, but also observe a few other things. It is very important to observe the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG).

This generally only states that you may not disadvantage or discriminate against applicants and employees on the basis of ethnic origin, gender, disability, religion, age, sexual identity or ideology. For many companies, this is one reason why only email templates with very vague statements are sent as rejections.

Another technical matter, but one that can have far-reaching consequences, is data protection. According to the Federal Data Protection Act, all applicant data must be deleted no later than two months after the application.

If you want to contact the applicant again at a later date or know in advance that the process will take longer, you must obtain written consent from the applicant.

Conclusion: Communication is the key in case of application rejection

Writing job application rejection letters is never easy. However, with the right templates, recruiters can stand out from the crowd and will need to do so much more often in the future. Many companies complain again and again that there are too few applications for the open positions, which can be remedied with open communication and general appreciation.

Many applicants find out about company communication in advance. A bad communication by the personnel managers can damage the image of the company very much. Thus, it is quite possible that even fewer applicants will respond to the ad in the future if it can be assumed that no feedback will be received.

However, with the right process and the right formulations, HR managers can achieve a lot for general recruitment and thus fill vacancies more easily.

More information

Learn more about probationary period interviews in this checklist: How to get off to the best start, which phases there are and what to look out for in them.