Reject a candidate and send a rejection message

Rejecting a candidate updates their stage for a job and retains their profile. Send the rejection message separately, or use an enabled status-change email automation.

Before you start

Open the correct job context and confirm you can update candidate status. The job must permit hiring changes. Check whether a status-change email automation is enabled so you understand which message may be triggered.

Reject one candidate

1. Open the candidate in the relevant job and select their current hiring stage beside their name (Change stage).

2. Under New stage, choose the appropriate available rejection outcome. The job’s pipeline may use more specific labels for phone-screen, interview, offer, or other rejection outcomes.

3. If Reason appears, choose an applicable option. It is required when the current form supplies a reason list.

4. Add an optional Note with useful decision context. Keep it factual and appropriate for your team’s records.

5. Select Update stage and wait for confirmation. Check the updated stage and Timeline.

Reject a selected group

From the job’s candidate list, select the intended people and choose Change status. Review the count and destination. The same stage, reason, and Note will be applied to the group. The current bulk toolbar allows up to 100 candidates for a status change; reduce the selection if the action is disabled.

Use a separate group when the decision or note differs. See bulk actions and selection limits.

Send a rejection email

For a manual message, use the available email action, choose an appropriate template, and review the actual recipients and content before sending. Record the stage separately if it has not already been updated.

For an automatic message, use Settings → System → Automations and the supported Status change email type. Select the intended jobs and destination rejection status, choose the template and sender, review the timing, and enable the rule. Check the source-status condition as well: a rule restricted to one starting stage does not cover every rejection path.

Automatic emails require an enabled matching rule, a valid recipient, and available sending capacity. Review Automations and Email Templates before enabling messages for a group. Insert merge fields with the template’s variable picker.

Reconsider a rejection

If the job is writable and you have status permission, open the candidate and choose the appropriate active stage. The earlier decision remains in the history. Review any automation that could run on the new transition.

Troubleshooting

• The desired rejection label is missing: review the job’s Hiring Pipeline with an administrator. Choose a valid stage; do not use Delete to mimic rejection.

• Update is blocked: complete Reason when shown and check job state and permissions. If stages fail to load, close the dialog and reopen it as directed.

• The email did not arrive: inspect the candidate email address, sending result, and automation scope/timing. Check before retrying to avoid duplicate messages.

Next steps

Understand stage changes or review the evidence behind a decision.