Recruiting Email Templates: Interview Invites, Rejections and Follow-Ups

Short answer: most recruiting email comes down to a few repeat messages, from the first invite to the offer or the rejection. Each one should tell the candidate exactly where they stand and what happens next, with dates. Rejections should be short and kind, and should go out as soon as the decision is made.

Below are 9 recruiting email templates for recruiters, hiring managers and founders who hire. They are written for candidates who applied or are already in your process. Fill in the brackets and keep the job title and dates exact.

The recruiting emails you send most

9 recruiting email templates

1. Application acknowledgment

Subject: We received your application for [Job title]

Hi [Name],

Thanks for applying for the [Job title] role at [Company]. We review every application and aim to reply within [number] working days.

If you're shortlisted, we'll invite you to a [first call / interview] with [role of interviewer].

Best, [Your name]

Only promise a reply time you will keep. A missed promise does more harm than no promise.

2. Interview invitation

Subject: Interview for [Job title] at [Company]

Hi [Name],

Thanks for applying for [Job title]. We'd like to invite you to a [length]-minute [video / phone / on-site] interview with [interviewer name and role].

Could you pick a time that suits you? Here are a few options:

• [Day and date, time, time zone]
• [Day and date, time, time zone]
• [Day and date, time, time zone]

If none of these work, send me two or three times that do.

Best, [Your name]

Always write the time zone. Candidates in another city will otherwise guess, and some will guess wrong.

3. Interview confirmation

Subject: Confirmed: [Job title] interview on [date]

Hi [Name],

You're confirmed for [day, date, time, time zone] with [interviewer]. Here is the [video link / address and entry instructions].

The interview will cover [topics]. You don't need to prepare anything [or: please bring / prepare X].

Reply here if anything changes.

[Your name]

4. Interview reminder

Subject: Reminder: interview tomorrow at [time]

Hi [Name],

A reminder that your interview for [Job title] is tomorrow, [date], at [time and time zone]. Join here: [link].

See you then, [Your name]

5. Follow-up when a candidate goes quiet

Subject: Re: Interview for [Job title] at [Company]

Hi [Name],

Following up on my note about interviewing for [Job title]. Are you still interested?

If your plans have changed, a one-line reply is fine and I'll close your application.

[Your name]

6. Rejection before an interview

Subject: Your application for [Job title]

Hi [Name],

Thank you for applying for [Job title] at [Company]. After reviewing all applications, we've decided not to move forward with yours for this role.

We appreciate the time you took to apply and wish you the best in your search.

Kind regards, [Your name]

7. Rejection after an interview

Candidates who met your team deserve a personal note. Mention something specific from the interview if you can do it honestly.

Subject: Update on [Job title]

Hi [Name],

Thank you for interviewing with us for [Job title] and for the time you gave [interviewer names]. We've decided to move forward with another candidate whose experience with [specific requirement] was a closer match for this role.

We enjoyed talking about [specific topic from the interview]. [Optional: If a role in X opens, may we contact you?]

Best wishes, [Your name]

Keep the reason tied to the job's requirements, and don't promise detailed feedback unless your company gives it. If you do give feedback, have it checked against your company's hiring policy first.

8. Offer follow-up

Subject: Re: Offer for [Job title]

Hi [Name],

Checking in on the offer we sent on [date]. Do you have any questions I can answer, about the role, the package or the start date?

We'd love to have your decision by [date]. If you need more time, tell me and we'll talk about it.

[Your name]

9. Reschedule request from the company

Subject: Can we move your [Job title] interview?

Hi [Name],

I'm sorry, but [interviewer] can no longer make [original time]. Could one of these work instead?

• [New time and time zone]
• [New time and time zone]

Thanks for your flexibility, [Your name]

What candidates want from recruiting emails

Where they stand. Every email should make the stage clear: applied, shortlisted, interviewing, decided.

What happens next, with a date. "We'll reply by Friday the 14th" is something a candidate can plan around. "We'll be in touch" is not.

A closed loop. Candidates who never hear back remember the company. Send the rejection, even if it is a two-line template.

One thread per candidate. Keep everything from the invite to the outcome in a single email thread. Everyone, including a hiring manager you copy in later, sees the full history.

Saving these in Gmail and Outlook

Store each template in your mail client so you can insert it in a few clicks. In Gmail, enable Templates under Settings, Advanced, then save a draft as a template (Google's steps). In Outlook, open My Templates from a new message (Microsoft's steps). If your applicant tracking system (ATS) has its own template library for bulk messages, use that for high-volume rejections.

How Jace helps recruiters with candidate email

Jace is an AI email assistant for Gmail and Outlook. For recruiters, it drafts the one-to-one emails that keep candidates moving. It does not screen, rank or reject anyone, and it is not an ATS.

• Scheduling replies from your calendar. When a candidate asks about times, Jace proposes free slots from your connected calendar and prepares the calendar event. The event is only saved when you accept it, and the reply only goes out when you send it.
• Follow-ups when candidates go quiet. Threads waiting on the candidate sit in the Waiting label. If there is no reply 3 days after your last email, Jace writes a follow-up draft in the same thread.
• Replies that use the whole thread. Jace reads the conversation and attachments such as a CV in PDF or Word, so a reply to "what's the salary range again?" draws on what you already shared.
• Your tone. The Warm & Upbeat preset is one option for candidate email, or Jace can copy your own voice from past emails (writing style). Rules such as "always include the time zone when proposing times" apply to every draft (rules).
• You send. Drafts land in your Drafts folder. Auto-send is off by default.

More on the recruiting workflow: AI email assistant for recruiters and email scheduling with Google Calendar.

Related templates

• Follow-up email after no response
• Meeting request email templates

FAQ

How do you write a rejection email to a candidate? Thank them by name for applying or interviewing, say clearly that you won't move forward for this role, and wish them well. Keep any reason tied to the job's requirements. Send it soon after the decision.

Should I send a rejection email to every applicant? Yes, if you can. Candidates who never hear back remember it. For high volume, use your ATS's bulk templates and send personal notes to people you interviewed.

What should an interview invitation email include? The job title, interview format and length, the interviewer's name and role, two or three time options with the time zone, and how to reply if none of them work.

How long should I wait before following up with a candidate? Three working days is a reasonable gap for a candidate who hasn't replied to an invite or a question. After two follow-ups, close the application politely.

Can Jace reject candidates or screen CVs? No. Jace drafts emails and summarizes threads. Screening and hiring decisions stay with your team, and every draft waits for you to review and send.

Does Jace work with my ATS? Jace works in Gmail and Outlook and is not an ATS. Keep candidate stages and decisions in your ATS. Pro plan users can connect other tools as integrations, so check what is available in the integrations docs.

Try it on your hiring inbox

Start a free 7-day Jace trial on the inbox you recruit from. Plans are on the pricing page.

Sources (checked 7 November 2026)

• Jace: Drafting and follow-ups, Labels, Writing style, Rules, Integrations, Pricing
• Google: Create a template in Gmail
• Microsoft: Create email templates in Outlook