What is rejection feedback?
Rejection feedback (also called a reasoned rejection) is the message that tells a candidate they were not selected and gives them a reason they can understand and use. It differs from a plain rejection email, which says no without saying why, and from ghosting, which says nothing at all.
Good feedback talks about the role and the track record, not about the person. It compares what the role required with what the candidate demonstrated: a missing skill, less experience than required, a different level of responsibility.
Why does rejection feedback matter?
A rejection without a reason leaves the candidate guessing, and they often guess wrong. A precise reason lets them target their next application or close a gap. For the employer, it is a cheap way to keep a good relationship with people they may want to contact again.
It is also a matter of risk. A vague or poorly chosen reason can be read as discriminatory. In Canada, as in many countries, human rights laws prohibit basing hiring decisions on grounds such as origin, age, sex or family status. Feedback that sticks to skills and experience stays on factual, verifiable ground. Also avoid phrases like "not a culture fit": they explain nothing and can hide bias.
Finally, when AI helps draft the rejection, human review matters. In Quebec, section 12.1 of Law 25 requires informing a person when a decision is based exclusively on automated processing. A recruiter who reads, edits and approves each message keeps the decision human.
Concrete example
Unhelpful rejection: "We have chosen a candidate whose profile better matches our needs."
Useful feedback: "Thank you for Tuesday's interview. The role requires at least two years of team management; your background shows mostly individual contributor roles. Your Power BI skills stood out, and we would like to keep your file for an analyst opening."
The second version takes thirty more seconds and tells the candidate exactly what to do with the information.
Best practices
- One main reason, not a list. Pick the gap that decided it.
- Skills and experience only. Never age, accent, place of residence, family situation or a vague impression.
- One genuine strength, if there is one. No generic compliments.
- Match the depth to the stage: one line after resume screening, a real explanation after a structured interview, where your interview scorecard already holds the evidence.
- Review before sending, especially if a tool proposed the text.
Our candidate reply templates, in English and French, cover every stage. For the Quebec framework, see our guide to Law 25 in recruitment.
Common mistakes
- Pasting the same reason for everyone. Candidates notice, and the feedback loses its value.
- Criticizing personality. 'Not dynamic enough' helps nobody and exposes the employer.
- Letting a tool send without review. A generated text can contain a factual error or the wrong tone.
- Waiting weeks to send it. Feedback is most useful while the interview is still fresh for both sides, so send it within days of the decision.
With RecruitEasy
Rejection feedback is RecruitEasy's signature feature. The text is proposed from the candidate's skills and experience compared with the role's requirements, the recruiter previews and approves it, and only then is it sent. There is no direct-send button, and every approval is logged.