# Candidate Rejection Email: Templates That Hold Up Legally

> A good candidate rejection email is short, arrives promptly and gives no reason linked to age, sex, race, religion, disability or family situation. Thank the person, say clearly that you are not moving forward and explain how long you keep their data. After an interview, a short call first is fairer and lowers the risk of a dispute.

- URL: https://personaloptimierer.de/en/recruiting/candidate-rejection-email/
- Language: en
- Updated: 2026-10-19
- Publisher: Personaloptimierer (OnlineBuilders LLC, https://onlinebuilders.biz)

Every hire comes with a pile of rejections. Forty applications for one role means thirty-nine noes. Each of them is a small piece of employer branding, and each is a possible starting point for a discrimination claim. Both concerns lead to the same advice: keep it brief, kind and free of reasons that can be turned against you.

## Why giving reasons can backfire

Managers often want to explain. It feels fair. The problem is how discrimination cases work. Under UK law, once a claimant shows facts from which a tribunal could conclude discrimination occurred, the burden shifts to the employer to prove it did not. German law has a near-identical rule. US practice differs in procedure, but a careless explanation is still Exhibit A.

Well-meant reasons become evidence fast. "We went with someone who is a better cultural fit" can be read as code for age or ethnicity. "The role involves a lot of travel, which may be difficult with your family commitments" is close to an invitation to sue.

No general right to reasons exists in the UK, the US or Germany. The Court of Justice of the EU added in its 2012 Meister judgment (C-415/10) that a rejected applicant cannot demand to know whether someone else got the job. The court noted, though, that refusing all information may be taken into account when weighing the evidence. Neutral and polite beats silence.

## The deadlines behind the advice

Rejection timing matters because it starts the clock on claims, and on how long you can justify keeping data.

**Time limits for discrimination claims after a rejection**

| | Time limit | Starts from |
|---|---|---|
| UK: employment tribunal claim | 3 months less 1 day | the act complained of; ACAS early conciliation can extend it |
| US: EEOC charge | 180 days, or 300 days in many states | the discriminatory act |
| Germany: written claim under the AGG | 2 months | receipt of the rejection |
| Germany: lawsuit after the written claim | 3 months | the written claim |

The practical consequences are similar everywhere. Send rejections in a way you can prove, and don't simply stop replying. Logged emails from an applicant tracking system are enough. These limits also explain why many employers keep rejected applications for around six months, more on that in [candidate data retention under GDPR](https://personaloptimierer.de/en/law-and-works-councils/candidate-data-retention-gdpr/).

## Four templates for common situations

The texts below are deliberately short. Adjust tone to your company, but don't add reasons that touch on personal characteristics.

### After screening the application

> Hi Jordan,
> Thank you for applying for the Project Coordinator role. We have decided to move forward with other candidates and won't be offering you an interview this time.
> We will delete your application six months after the process closes. If you would like us to delete it sooner, just reply to this email.
> Best of luck with your search.

### After a first interview

Make a call before the email goes out. Someone who gave you two hours deserves more than a template. The same rule applies on the phone: no reasons linked to age, family, origin or health. If the candidate asks for feedback, stick to job-related points from the interview, such as missing experience with a tool that the ad listed as essential.

> Hi Sam,
> Thanks again for your time on Tuesday. We have offered the role to another candidate whose experience with NetSuite matches the requirements more closely.
> We will delete your application six months after the process closes.
> All the best for what comes next.

Whether to include the job-related reason is a judgement call. It is defensible when it is true, matches the ad and is documented. If in doubt, leave it out.

### After a final round or trial day

> Hi Alex,
> Thank you for the work you put into the final round. After discussing it as a team, we have decided to go with another candidate.
> It was a close decision, and we would be glad to hear from you if you see another role with us that fits.
> We will delete your application six months after the process closes.

Only write "it was close" if it was. Candidates compare notes, sometimes in public reviews of your hiring process, and an obviously recycled line does more harm than a plain no.

### With an invitation to the talent pool

> Hi Morgan,
> We have filled the Warehouse Supervisor role with another applicant, but we liked your profile. May we keep your details for up to 18 months and contact you if a suitable role opens? If so, just reply "yes". Without a reply, we will delete your data six months after the process closes.

Under GDPR, consent must be freely given and provable. Pre-ticked boxes do not count. Their reply by email is a solid record.

## Feedback: how much is wise?

Candidates value feedback, and some employers make a point of giving it. If you do, keep it to observable, job-related facts measured against criteria that were set before the interviews. "The role requires leading a team of eight, and your experience so far is with teams of two or three" works. Comments on personality, presentation or "energy" do not.

One practical rule: give feedback verbally, then confirm only the decision in writing. That keeps the conversation human without creating a document that someone will parse word by word later.

## Before you hit send

**Rejection email checklist**

- [ ] No reference to age, family, origin, religion, health, sex or sexual orientation
- [ ] No phrases like 'not a cultural fit' or 'overqualified'
- [ ] Right name and role, no leftovers from the last template
- [ ] A line on how long you keep the application
- [ ] Sent through a system that logs delivery
- [ ] Internal notes written in neutral, job-related terms

That last point is often forgotten. Notes in your applicant tracking system are personal data. If a candidate makes a subject access request under GDPR or UK GDPR, they will usually see them, and you normally have one month to respond. "Seemed nervous, strong accent" is a bad note. "No experience running payroll for more than 50 staff" is a good one.

## Automating without sounding cold

An applicant tracking system can send rejections from templates with placeholders and log delivery. With many applications that saves hours. Just make sure a person presses send, not a keyword filter. The reasons are in [AI in recruitment](https://personaloptimierer.de/en/recruiting/ai-in-recruitment/). Which systems handle templates and deletion well is covered in our guide to choosing an [applicant tracking system for small business](https://personaloptimierer.de/en/recruiting/applicant-tracking-system-small-business/). If you want the whole candidate journey in custom software, [OnlineBuilders](https://onlinebuilders.biz/solutions/talent-management) builds that kind of system.

Your next step: copy the four templates into your system or snippet library and agree internally that post-interview rejections go out within five working days of the decision.

## FAQ

### Do I have to tell a candidate why they were rejected?

In the UK, the US and Germany there is no general legal duty to give reasons. The Court of Justice of the EU confirmed in 2012 that rejected applicants cannot demand to know whether someone else was hired. A total refusal to engage can, however, be weighed in a discrimination case.

### How quickly should I send a rejection?

As soon as the decision is made. Candidates who hear nothing for two weeks assume the answer anyway and tell others how you treated them. A fixed internal rule, such as five working days after the interview, helps the team.

### Is email enough, or should I call?

Email is fine for applicants you never met. For people who interviewed, a short call first is the decent thing to do, followed by an email so you have a record.

### Can a rejected candidate see my interview notes?

Usually, yes. Under GDPR and UK GDPR, candidates can request a copy of their personal data, and interview notes count. You normally have one month to respond. Write notes you would be comfortable showing them.

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