Recruiter Email Templates: Outreach, Rejection and Follow-Up
Recruiters send some of the most repetitive messages in any job: the same outreach to dozens of candidates, the same scheduling note, the same rejection. Templates save hours, as long as each one still feels written for one person.
Candidate outreach
First message
Hi [name], I came across your work on [project or role] and thought you'd be a strong fit for our [role] position at [company]. Would you be open to a quick chat this week?
Follow-up after no reply
Hi [name], just following up in case my last message got buried. Happy to share more about the [role] role, and no worries if the timing isn't right.
Reference something real from the candidate's profile. That one specific line is what separates outreach from spam.
Scheduling interviews
Interview invitation
Thanks for applying for [role], [name]. We'd like to set up a [length]-minute interview. You can pick a time here: [calendar link]. If none work, reply with a few options.
Rejection emails
Rejection messages shape how candidates remember your company. Be prompt, kind and brief.
Polite rejection
Hi [name], thank you for interviewing for the [role] position. We've decided to move forward with another candidate, but we enjoyed meeting you and would like to keep in touch.
Offers
Offer message
Hi [name], we're delighted to offer you the [role] position at [company]. I'll send the formal offer letter by [date] and I'm happy to answer any questions before then.
Keeping templates personal
- Fill in the candidate's name and one detail from their background every time.
- Send rejections within a few days. Silence feels worse than a no.
- Review your templates every quarter so they match how your team talks.
Skip the copy and paste
If you send these daily, a text expander extension turns each template into a short trigger, so /reject becomes the full message with the name, company and calendar link inserted. Support teams can do the same with our canned responses.
Stop retyping the same replies. Save a message once and expand it in Gmail, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Slack and Outlook.
Add QuickReply Snippets to Chrome