Rejection Letter Examples For After an Interview

Are you a job seeker wondering if you will be notified if a company opts not to hire you after they have interviewed you to evaluate your candidacy? Or are you a hiring manager who needs to let a candidate know that they weren't hired?

Even though the appropriate protocol is to notify all the candidates that employers interview for a job, this, unfortunately, doesn’t always happen. Employers aren't required to notify applicants, even though it's courteous to inform candidates who haven't been selected to move forward in the hiring process.

When Employers Notify Applicants

Employers don’t always provide applicants with the courtesy of letting them know where they stand in the hiring process, though some do provide status updates to candidates.

• Some employers let every candidate know the status of their application.
• Some companies notify applicants who haven’t been accepted for an interview, while others only contact candidates they wish to discuss the job with.
• Some employers don’t even notify applicants who interview that they weren’t selected for a second interview or the job.
• Other companies may send rejection letters to applicants who are not selected for a position after the interview process is complete.

You may not receive a letter directly after your interview, if the organization notifies applicants.

That’s because they may want to give the applicant pool another look if their leading candidate rejects their job offer.

What is Included in a Rejection Letter Sent After a Job Interview

If you do receive a rejection letter, don’t expect it to include a reason why you weren’t offered a job. Employers are concerned about discrimination issues.

It’s safer, from a legal perspective, for companies to write a simple rejection letter that thanks the interviewee for taking the time to meet with the hiring manager. If the company is interested in considering an applicant for other openings, the letter may state that as well.

Examples of Rejection Letters

If a company does send rejection letters, the following are examples of what you may receive if the organization has decided not to pursue your candidacy for a job.

Rejection Letter After a Job Interview Example

Rejection Letter After a Job Interview Email Example

What to Do if You Don’t Hear From an Employer

What is the best way to handle it, if you don’t hear back from an interviewer? It’s appropriate to follow up on the status of your application, especially if you are juggling multiple job applications or offers or need to make an immediate decision on another job offer.

Following up immediately after an interview with a thank-you email is a particularly effective strategy, since this allows you to remind the employer of your qualifications, answer any questions you feel were not fully addressed in the interview, and keep you “top of mind” as employers make their hiring decision.

It is also fine to contact the employer with a second email or phone call after two or three weeks, if you still have not heard from them.

Don't consider your job search complete until you've received—and accepted—a job offer.