Why Writing Regret Letters to Rejected Candidates Should Be an HR Priority

Hi Friends,

During the course of recruitment, we do reject many people, while some of the CVs are kept in our databases. I feel that every HR person must get into a practice of writing "regret letters" to every rejected candidate as well as those who do not accept our offers. If anybody wants to see a sample, it would be a pleasure to share.

Regards, Rohan Kelkar HR Executive Trainee

Mail: saiprasad_hr@rediffmail.com

Dear Mr. Rohan,

You are right. It is the courtesy of every HR professional to send regret letters to rejected candidates. This reflects the company's culture. The same applies to celebrating when a person joins the company rather than celebrating when they leave.

What do you say?

Regards,
PENMETSA :D

Dear Gopik,

Good suggestion. But what will people do when they are in a BPO, where walk-ins and applications are high?

Thanks and regards,
Gopi.K

Dear Gopik,

I had the same doubt some time back. When software and BPO professionals are handling thousands of resumes, it is impossible to send replies, regret letters, or acknowledgements manually. Hence, they rely on automatic software. I believe many recruitment software programs have this built-in feature, which saves the valuable time of recruiters.

- Nimmagadda

Hi Rohan,

You are right in saying that every HR should send a regret letter to the candidate. In doing so, we create a good impression of our company. It is a good practice to inform the candidate on the same day of the interview, as more or less we come to know of the result on the same day unless some discussion needs to take place. I have been practicing this since the time I joined HR, and it was very nice receiving mails from the rejected candidates thanking for the timely response and information. By doing so, we not only create a good impression of our company but also help the candidate in searching for a job more easily rather than waiting to know the result from our company.

I think we should continue this practice of sending regret letters.

As far as BPOs are concerned, I think we may make use of software by tracking rejected candidates and sending automated mails. (I do not know much about how BPOs function in HR)

The format for the regret letter can be:

Hi,

With reference to the interview had with you for the post of ABC position, we deeply regret to inform you that you have not been short-listed for further rounds.

Nevertheless, we thank you for your time and interest shown in our company.

Wishing you all the best for future endeavors.

I think this does the job.

Regards,

Julie

Hi Rohan,

It is mandatory to inform the candidate about his status. In fact, it really looks bad when we do not inform the candidate of the status. We do need to see it from his point of view, especially in a case where the candidate has traveled a long distance to come to the venue, or when a working candidate has taken a day off or half-day to attend the rounds. They too would appreciate that because it gives them a chance to know where they stand, their strengths, and weaknesses.

Regards,
Ramya

Hi Rohan,

Yes, it's really very important. But this follow-up should be taken at an appropriate time. Many times, it happens that organizations don't follow up on such matters intentionally. Candidates have to call back or email back regarding the result of their test or interview. Therefore, as a recruitment personnel, it is our responsibility to avoid delays in certain matters.

Regards,
Nikhil B. Kulkarni

Yeah, and one more thing I would like to add is that by doing this, the candidate also has a good impression about the company. Though they may be frustrated or disappointed that they are rejected, at least in that mindset, they won't curse the company. I mean to say "saying anything bad". Instead, they would really be impressed that there are companies who understand the candidates.

Regards,
Ramya

Hi Rohan,

If you can share the letter, then why don't you post it here? Everyone can access the same.

Regards,
Praveen

Hi Rohan,

I do agree with you on one thing - it's really a good practice to issue a regret letter. However, at the same time, Gopi is also right. In industries like BPO, food business, etc., where the walk-ins and rejection rates are high, is it practical to do so? Please suggest, as we are all in the same boat (HR). Let's plan, practice, and do share the format.

Regards,
Anisha

Hi Friends,

It is a good practice to send a Regret Letter to the candidate who did not pass through the interview process. In BPO industries, the volume of walk-ins and rejections is very high. To alleviate the burden of delivering regret letters to all candidates, we could consider providing them to those who have reached a certain level of the interview process and were rejected at that stage.

Rohan, it would be helpful if you could post a sample Regret Letter in the forum itself. That would benefit all of us!

Regards,
Elamurugu

Hi Rohan,

Definitely, it's a good way to say sorry. However, with sectors having a high iteration rate or large numbers of walk-ins like BPOs and Insurance, won't it increase the company's costs? Everyone is working on streamlining.

Anticipation expected.

Regards,

Aakash Chaudhary

HR Executive

Weltron Corp.

Email: aakashthecsm@gmail.com

Hi,

It's really a good topic to think about. In our company, we do send out these types of letters with the following verbiage:

Dear XYZ,

In reference to your application for the position of [position], I regret to inform you that the manager has rejected your candidature. However, I would like to keep your name in my rolodex for any probable opening that may come through in the near future.

Thank you for your patience and interest in working with us. All the best and have a great time ahead.

I personally have used this many times and have received excellent replies from the candidates.

Cheers,
Viren

Hi,

This is the regret letter that I generally utilize:

This is with reference to the interview that you had attended for the position of Designation at Company name. We regret to inform you that you have not been short-listed for further rounds. However, I would like to keep your CV in my database for any probable opening that may come through in the near future. We thank you for your time and interest shown in our company.

Wishing you all the best for future endeavors. Hope this would be useful.

Thanks, Jenna

Hi Gauri,

I have received two regret letters in the UK. I believe it is a good practice in HR, but I have not seen it in India.

Thank you.

Hi Rohan,

I have sent you an email to the address mentioned in your comment. I would appreciate it if you could send me the "Regret Letter" format as I am in urgent need of one.

Thanks,
Niharika

Dear Sir,

Firstly, we would like to thank you for the time and effort you dedicated to ABC Company during the interview process and for sharing your valuable experience with us.

It is with regret that we must inform you that while we had numerous qualified candidates for the position, after meeting with each of the top candidates, we have decided that the credentials of other applicants align more closely with our current needs.

Please do not let this outcome discourage you from considering employment opportunities with ABC Company in the future.

We extend our best wishes and thank you for your interest in ABC Company. We wish you continued success in your career.

Sincerely, [Your Name]

Dear Candidate,

Thank you for your interest in ABC Company and for giving us the opportunity to review your credentials for the position.

The screening process for this position has been completed. We received many applications from candidates with relevant experiences and training. We carefully reviewed your application and resume and were impressed with your credentials. However, we have determined that other applicants whose qualifications and experiences more closely fit our department requirements. Your application materials will be kept on file for six months.

I hope that the outcome of this process does not discourage you from seeking employment with ABC Company in the near future.

Please accept our best wishes for success in your career.

Cheers,
Mohsin

Letter to the candidate if he/she is not been shortlisted:
Gentleman,
Thank you for you interest in ABC Company and giving us the opportunities to review your credentials for the position ………..
The screening progress for this position has been completed. We received many applications from the candidates with relevant experiences and training. We carefully reviewed your application & resume and were impressed with your credentials. However we have determined that other applicants whose qualifications & experiences are more closely fit to our department requirements. Your application materials will be kept on file for six months.
I have loyal that out come of process does not dispirit you to seeking employment with ABC Company in near future.
Please except our best wishes for success in your career.
Cheers,
Mohsin

Subject: Microsoft Word - Complaints Handling - Revised 2008

Dear Candidate,

Thank you very much for your interest in working with ABC PVT. LTD. I am quite impressed with your background and experience. I regret to inform you that we have no position openings at the moment, but we can evaluate you for any other existing or new job openings that match your experience and qualifications.

You have our best wishes for success in locating the career opportunity you strive towards. We will retain your resume in our files to review for future openings for up to six months. In the event of an appropriate available position, we will not hesitate to contact you.

We appreciate your interest and the time you have invested in applying with ABC PVT. Ltd.

Sincerely,

[Applicant's name]
[Applicant's address]
[Date]
Dear [name of applicant]
This is regarding your application for the post of [post title]
Thank you for attending the interview on [date].
The applicants for this post were of a very high standard and on this occasion, we will not require you to attend a further interview. We are very sorry that we will not be able to take your application further.
We wish you well in your future career.
Yours sincerely,
Name of Authorized Person,
Designation,
Company Name

The Responsibility of Sending Regret Letters

Sending regret letters to candidates is the responsibility of the HR department. If time is not available to send a letter, at least you can inform them by phone; it is a courtesy.

Right, very right, and I want to offer my thanks to you for raising this issue. I want you to make it with a poll system and let the people think about it, support, and hope the people can understand your point of view. But the truth is, none of anyone thinks the same, that one should write a letter to the candidate about it. Also, one more thing I want to share:

Has anyone tried to disclose the reason to the candidate that he/she is not selected in his/her interview, whatever the reason may be? Has anyone thought about it, that we must inform him/her why he/she is not selected or what the reasons were? Don't you think that this information can help the candidate to overcome their problems by which he/she couldn't get the job? Think about it!!

Regret Letter

Gentleman,

First, we would like to thank you for the time and effort you allocated for ABC to conduct the interview and share your valuable experience with us.

I regret to inform you that we were fortunate to have many qualified candidates for our position and met with each of the top candidates. However, management decided that the credentials of other candidates are more appropriate to our needs.

Your resume has been preserved and placed on file for future reference. If a position presents itself, we will be pleased to get in touch with you.

I hope that the outcome of the process does not discourage you from seeking employment with ABC in the near future.

Please accept our best wishes and thank you for your interest in ABC. We wish you ceaseless success in your career.

I think in BPOs, you can include all the rejected candidates' names in the regret letter and post it on the notice board where the candidate can easily see that they have not been selected. This will help you save time as well.

Regards,
Subh

Hello Rohan,

First, I should thank you for your intention.

At present, I am looking for a job. In the initial stage, I was not aware of many areas in the HR field. I never spent time analyzing myself, but later I did. I usually expect that at least they should criticize my performance. Very few do, many do not. If they did in the early days, I hope I could have settled in my career by now. But unfortunately not.

Hope for the best. This is a view of a youngster who is trying to climb the HR ladder. I hope the members can understand this.

Regards,
Indhu.