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View full libraryThe Rejection After Interview Letter Template provides a professional and respectful way to let an unsuccessful candidate know that they have not been selected following an interview. It communicates the decision clearly, thanks the candidate for their time and interest, and leaves the organisation with a consistent and positive approach to candidate communication.
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If you are managing job interviews, the toolkit brings together practical HR templates covering preparation, interview questions, scoring, assessment and selection decisions.
This template brings together the key information, sections and considerations you need to create a clear, comprehensive and professional HR document. Preview the document below.
[Sender name]
[Sender address]
[date]
[Recipient name]
[Recipient address]
Dear [Recipient first name],
Outcome of your interview for [Job Title]
Thank you for taking the time to attend an interview with us for the position of [Job Title] on [date].
We appreciate the time and effort you put into the interview and enjoyed learning more about your experience and skills.
After careful consideration, I am sorry to let you know that we have decided not to progress
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A rejection after interview letter is used to formally tell a candidate that they have not been selected for a position following an interview. It provides a clear outcome while recognising the candidate's time and interest in the organisation.
The template provides a professional structure for communicating an unsuccessful decision without unnecessarily going into detail about other candidates or creating ambiguity about the outcome.
The letter is used after the interview and selection process has been completed and a decision has been reached. It can be adapted to provide brief feedback where the employer considers this helpful and appropriate.
It can also be used to maintain a consistent approach to unsuccessful candidates, particularly where an organisation handles a significant number of recruitment campaigns.
The template is suitable for HR professionals, recruitment teams, hiring managers and business owners responsible for communicating recruitment decisions.
It can be particularly useful where managers are involved directly in recruitment but HR wants to maintain a professional and consistent candidate experience.
The letter should normally be sent once the recruitment decision has been finalised and any necessary checks or discussions with the successful candidate have been completed. Communicating the outcome promptly helps candidates understand where they stand and avoids unnecessary uncertainty.
Related HR resources and workflow
Explore the HR resources that may be relevant before and / or after using the Rejection after interview letter, helping you understand the wider process, maintain appropriate documentation and follow a consistent approach.
This Candidate Shortlist Record Form provides a structured record of how applicants were assessed against the requirements of a vacancy and why particular candidates were selected for interview or further consideration.
Use these best practice actions, recommended timescales and process stages to understand when and how the Rejection after interview letter should be used, helping ensure each step is handled consistently and appropriately documented.
Understand the common mistakes to avoid when using this HR template, helping you reduce risk, prevent unnecessary costs and ensure the process is handled correctly.
There is generally no legal requirement to provide detailed interview feedback, although providing concise and factual feedback can be good recruitment practice where appropriate.
You can explain the relevant selection criteria and the candidate's own areas for development, but it is generally better to avoid unnecessary detail about another candidate's personal information or circumstances.
A prompt written outcome is good recruitment practice. For senior or particularly sensitive recruitment, the manager may also wish to speak to the candidate personally before sending the written confirmation.
HRDocBox combines deep HR knowledge, practical application and years of experience with real recruitment processes. The template provides a professional structure that helps employers communicate an unsuccessful decision clearly and respectfully.
AI can produce polite wording, but recruitment communication needs to fit the selection process and avoid creating unnecessary discrimination or data-protection risks. HRDocBox provides purpose-built HR resources informed by UK employment-law knowledge and practical experience.
Yes. The template includes an optional feedback section that can be adapted to the candidate and the selection criteria used. Feedback should remain factual, relevant and supported by the recruitment record.
It was useful for keeping the message focused rather than overexplaining things. It gave us a useful reference when checking the final correspondence. We could see immediately which details needed to be personalised before sending it.
The structure made it obvious what needed to be communicated and in what order. The finished letter looked professional without sounding overly corporate. The relevant points were already laid out, which made the final check much quicker.
We only changed a few details to reflect the particular circumstances. The document fitted neatly into the steps we were already following.
How this content is developed and reviewed
The Rejection after interview letter template is developed using a practical HR methodology that considers current UK employment legislation, ACAS guidance, CIPD good practice and the real-world HR process it supports. Templates and supporting information are regularly reviewed and updated, with additional reviews triggered by significant changes to legislation, guidance or established HR practice, helping ensure each document remains practical, relevant and suitable for UK employers.
Darryl Horn, Chartered HR Director
Darryl is a Chartered HR professional with over 25 years' experience in senior HR and employee relations roles.
He has extensive practical experience of managing job interview HR processes and founded hrdocbox to provide businesses with practical, professionally developed HR resources grounded in UK employment law and best practice.
HRDocBox has been creating practical UK HR documents since 2009.
"Darryl provides support and advice with excellent judgement, and has a strong understanding of people, policies and UK employment legislation."
"He is someone I trust; consistent, dependable, and committed to doing things properly."
Whether you employ 5 people or 50, hrdocbox gives you the structure, documents and expertise needed to manage employees professionally and legally.
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