Write kind, clear rejection messages for candidates at every stage
Respectful rejection emails and call talking points tailored to how far a candidate got in the process.
The prompt
Write candidate rejection messages for my hiring process.
Role: [TITLE]
Stages to cover: [e.g. after application, after phone screen, after final interviews, after an offer was pulled or the role closed]
Specific candidate details (optional): [stage reached, what they did well, reason]
Can I give feedback? [yes / limited / no - check company policy]
Keep in touch? [e.g. "invite strong finalists to our talent community"]
For each stage, write:
1. An email (under 120 words): clear decision in the first two lines, genuine thanks proportional to the effort they invested, and a next step if relevant.
2. For final-stage candidates: phone call talking points, including how to handle "Why didn't I get it?" and "Can you give me feedback?"
Rules:
- Be direct; no false hope and no vague "we'll keep your resume on file" unless that is true.
- Any feedback must be specific, job-related, and based on the assessed criteria - never personal traits, and never anything tied to protected characteristics.
- Avoid phrases that could imply a discriminatory reason (e.g. "overqualified", "not a culture fit", "looking for someone with more energy").
Also give me a one-line check to send rejections within a set number of days after a decision.
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore HR & Hiring prompts
What to fill in
- TITLE
- stage reached, what they did well, reason
- yes / limited / no - check company policy
- e.g. "invite strong finalists to our talent community"
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the Few-Shot structure (Few-shot prompting). A few-shot prompt includes one or more worked examples of the input and the output you want, so the model can copy the pattern instead of guessing it.
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