Job Applicant Email Templates: Acknowledge, Invite, Reject and Keep on File

Every applicant you do not reply to tells five people, and some of them are your customers. A small business can treat candidates well with six short emails and one rule: nobody is left wondering. The templates below go out from careers@ or the hiring manager's own address, one candidate per email, and they are written so that the rejection ones are kind without promising anything.

Before you send anything

• Set up careers@ as a group so applications are seen by everyone who screens; the hiring inbox guide walks through it.
• One candidate per email. Never a batch rejection with addresses in Bcc; it is found out and it is remembered.
• In a rejection, give a reason only if it is about the role and the candidate's fit for it, never about anything personal. "We chose someone with more experience of X" is fine; anything about age, family, health or background is not, and in most countries it is unlawful.
• Tell candidates how long you keep their details, and delete the CVs when that period ends. Two years is common; in Europe and the UK you must state it.
• Reply to everyone, including the clearly unsuitable. The acknowledgement handles that in three lines.

1. Acknowledgement, sent to every applicant

Subject: Your application for [Role] at [Company]

Hi [First name],

Thank you for applying for the [Role] role. Your application has arrived safely.

We are reviewing applications until [date] and will be in touch with everyone by [date], whatever the outcome.

Kind regards,
[Name]
[Company]

2. Interview invitation

Subject: Interview for [Role] - [Company]

Hi [First name],

We enjoyed reading your application and would like to invite you to an interview for the [Role] role.

When: [Day, date] at [time] ([time zone if remote]), about [duration].
Where: [address and who to ask for / video link].
Who: you will meet [names and roles].
What: [a short description of the format; anything to prepare or bring].

If that time does not work, reply with two or three that do and we will rearrange.

We look forward to meeting you.

[Name]
[Role], [Company]
[Phone]

3. Rejection after application

Subject: Your application for [Role] at [Company]

Hi [First name],

Thank you for applying for the [Role] role and for the time you put into your application.

We will not be taking your application further this time. We had a strong field and chose to interview candidates whose experience was closer to [the specific requirement].

We would be glad to hear from you about future roles; they are posted at [careers page].

With best wishes,
[Name]
[Company]

4. Rejection after interview

Subject: [Role] at [Company] - decision

Hi [First name],

Thank you for coming to meet us [on date]. We appreciated [one specific, true thing from the interview].

We have decided to offer the role to another candidate, whose [experience / background] in [area] was the closer match for what we need right now.

[If you mean it:] We would like to keep your details for [n] months in case a similar role opens, unless you would rather we did not; just reply and say.

Thank you again for your time, and I wish you well with your search.

[Name]
[Role], [Company]

5. The offer

Subject: Offer: [Role] at [Company]

Hi [First name],

We would like to offer you the role of [Role] at [Company]. Congratulations.

The main terms are: start date [date], salary [amount] per [year / month / hour], [hours / location / probation period]. The formal offer letter and contract are attached; please read them carefully.

If you would like to accept, reply to this email by [date] and sign and return the contract. If you have questions about anything in it, reply or call me on [phone]; I would rather answer them now than later.

We are very much looking forward to working with you.

[Name]
[Role], [Company]

6. Keep on file

Subject: Your application to [Company]

Hi [First name],

Thank you for applying for the [Role] role. We are not able to offer you a position at the moment, but we were impressed by [specific thing] and would like to keep your details on file for [n] months in case a suitable role opens.

If you would prefer we did not keep them, reply and say so and we will delete them. Otherwise, we may be in touch.

Best wishes,
[Name]
[Company]

After the yes

The day the offer is accepted, create the new person's mailbox using the new-hire address guide so it exists before they start, and send the new employee introductions in their first week.

Common questions

Should I give feedback to rejected interviewees?

One true, useful sentence about the role fit, as in template 4, is worth more than a paragraph. Avoid anything about personality or manner, and never anything personal. If a candidate asks for more, a short phone call is kinder and safer than a long email.

How fast should the acknowledgement go out?

The same day. It is three lines, and careers@ as a group means whoever sees the application first can send it.

Can I send rejections from a no-reply address?

You can, and candidates will think exactly what you would think. Send them from careers@ or the hiring manager, and be prepared for the occasional reply.