ChatGPT prompt for a kind candidate rejection email

This is the prompt we run once per search, to prepare the full set of rejections before we need them. It writes three templates, one per stage, to personalize candidate by candidate afterward. Its rule: no boilerplate like “we’ll keep your CV on file” unless it’s actually true for you.

The prompt to copy

Write 3 rejection email templates for our {role} search:
(A) Application stage — brief, warm, a clear no, no false hope.
(B) After first interview — includes one genuine, specific positive ({leave a placeholder for my note per candidate}); invite to future openings only if this is true: {true / not true}.
(C) Final-stage runner-up — offer a short call, and share this reason category honestly: {reason, or "don't share specifics"}.
Rules: no "we'll keep your CV on file" boilerplate unless it's true, no corporate padding, ≤120 words each. People remember rejections — make ours the kind they'd mention positively.

Replace the role and the fields in curly braces, then keep the three templates on hand: all that’s left is pasting your note per candidate.

When to use it

Once per search, as soon as applications arrive. Preparing the full set cold saves you from writing a clumsy rejection under pressure, or worse, never sending one.

What you get back

1. An application-stage rejection: brief, warm, a clear no.
2. An after-interview rejection, with a placeholder for a genuine positive.
3. A runner-up rejection, offering a call and sharing the reason honestly.
4. Three templates of 120 words or fewer, ready to personalize.

Real example: a rejection they’d mention positively

Input: Maya, at the Brightside agency, prepares the rejections for the project-lead role and sets {not true} for the invite to future openings. Template (B) excerpt:

Your interview stayed with us on [placeholder: positive note per candidate].
We're moving forward with another profile for this role.

Notice what’s missing: no “we’ll keep your CV” line, because Maya answered “not true.” The AI didn’t add it for polish. And the placeholder forces a genuine, specific compliment, not generic flattery. That’s a rejection the candidate will remember well.

The full set of three templates, with the personalization variants, ships inside the kit alongside Playbook P7.