A rejection letter should not only be very professional and polite, but it should also have a neutral tone. This Penlighten article will give you some useful examples of rejection letters.
When a company is hiring or colleges have admissions going on in full swing, one sees many hopeful candidates making a beeline to get selected. However, with limited positions vacant or seats available, one has to reject many applicants and select the best of the lot. Communicating a ‘no’ is not an easy job. It is rather difficult, as one has to politely reject a candidate without sounding rude or inconsiderate. You do not want to demean a person. Insulting him will affect his ego, and he will not wish to apply again after sometime.
A well crafted refusal letter will help you say ‘no’ and encourage the candidate to try again. There are a couple of examples that you can look at, before drafting your own letter. But before that, are you wondering how to write a rejection letter that has a positive or neutral tone, and is motivating at the same time? Then let’s read on further and learn more about it.
Drafting the Letter
Just imagine how would you like to be told ‘no’ for a job or college seat that you had applied for? Would you like an abrupt letter stating that you have not qualified for the job or the admission standards? I am sure you will find it rather rude and demoralizing. Therefore, you should ensure that you write a polite ‘no’, that leaves room for re-application from the rejected candidates in the following years. For this, you need to type the letter on your company or college letterhead. Never send over a handwritten refusal letter.
Let us assume a scenario where you have to write a letter to reject a candidate. First, you need to address the candidate by his/her name. This will help make the letter sound more personal. You should thank the candidate for his/her time and effort in applying for the post. You need to mention that you appreciate the candidate’s qualification and experience. However, do not fail to mention that the candidates hired or selected were more deserving. Then, you must motivate the candidate to apply again for future vacancies. Wish him/her all the best for the future. End the letter with formal closing lines, and sign your name before you type your name and title. Let us now have a look at employment as well as admission refusal letters.
Examples
A rejection letter can be written for different scenarios. These include rejecting an applicant who has applied for a job, refusing a student who has applied for admission in a college, etc. Following are two examples of such letters that will help you get a better understanding.
| Rejection of a Job Application |
| Company Letterhead
Mr. John Brown Dear Mr. Brown, Thank you for applying for the position of (specify) at ABC Company. We have observed that you have good marketing skills and abilities. It was rather difficult to select a final candidate as many people had applied for this post. We regret to inform you that you do not qualify for the prerequisite qualification that our company is looking for. Thus, we will not be offering you the position. Your application will be kept in our HR files for a future reference. If there is a vacancy that suits your profile, we will surely get in touch with you. We sincerely wish you all the best for your job search and future. Thank you once gain for your interest in our company. Your name |
| Rejection of a Student Application |
| College Letterhead
Mr. John Brown Dear Mr. Brown, Thank you for expressing interest in (name of college). The Admissions Committee has given a careful consideration to your application. The Committee regrets to inform you that we are unable to offer you a place in our first year class. You have been a competitive applicant, however, we have had many students with similar qualifications applying for admissions this year. Therefore, many desirable candidates have been turned away. You may apply again for the same course next year. We thank you once again for your interest in our college and wish you success for all your future endeavors. Your name |
If you have observed, the message was clear and concise in both the letters. It did not sound abrupt or demoralizing. Hope the above mentioned examples will help you while drafting letters for your organization.
