How to Reject Candidates Respectfully (Without Sounding Like a Robot)

For recruiters and hiring managers, the "Rejection Email" is the worst part of the job. You have 300 applicants, 1 open role, and 299 people to disappoint.

The result? Ghosting. Or worse, the dreaded generic template: "We will keep your resume on file."

But candidate experience is brand experience. A spurned candidate is a customer who will never buy from you again. Here is how to use AI to write rejection emails that are kind, specific, and incredibly fast.

The "Ghosting" Epidemic

Candidates share their horror stories on LinkedIn every day. "I did 5 interviews and then... silence."

You don't ghost because you're mean; you ghost because you're busy. Rephrase solves the "busy" part so you can fix the "mean" part.

Scenario 1: The Early Stage Rejection

The Context: Good resume, just not relevant experience. You need to be quick but polite.

What to say with Rephrase:

"Hi [Name], thanks so much for applying. I reviewed your portfolio, and while your design work is impressive, we are specifically looking for someone with more B2B SaaS experience for this role. I've accepted your connection request on LinkedIn and will definitely reach out if a more consumer-focused role opens up!"

Scenario 2: Post-Interview (The "Close Call")

The Context: They met the team. They were great. But someone else was 1% better. This one hurts.

What to say with Rephrase:

"This was a genuinely tough decision for the team. We loved your take on the take-home assignment, particularly your focus on accessibility. Ultimately, we went with a candidate who had slightly more direct experience with our specific tech stack. Please stay in touch—I genuinely hope our paths cross again."

Scenario 3: The "Culture Fit" Rejection

The Context: Skills are there, but the vibe wasn't. Tricky to write without sounding discriminatory or vague.

What to say with Rephrase:

"Thank you for the time you spent with us. We're looking for a very specific operational style for this growth phase, and we felt it wasn't the perfect match for your preferred way of working. I want you to land somewhere where you can thrive 100%, and I know you'll find that spot quickly."

Scenario 4: The "Overqualified" Candidate

The Context: They are too senior and will likely get bored (or leave) in 6 months.

What to say with Rephrase:

"To be honest, your experience is incredible—perhaps even too robust for the scope of this role. I'm concerned you might find the day-to-day work here not challenging enough given your background in [Industry]. I'd love to keep you in mind for leadership roles as we scale later this year."

Stop Copy-Pasting: Use Native AI

Recruiters live in LinkedIn, Gmail, and ATS systems like Greenhouse or Lever. Rephrase works in all of them.

Don't switch tabs to ChatGPT to write an email. Just highlight your rough notes ("too senior, nice guy, keep in touch") and let Rephrase turn it into a humane, professional rejection instantly.

Download .dmg

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