New job opportunity email to past candidate

Offering new opportunity for a past candidate is a tricky email to craft as rejection could have been an unpleasant experience for your candidate. This email should follow a post-interview rejection letter. It’s best to personalize your email by explaining why you decided to contact the candidate again and address any previous rejection causes (like salary requirements, work experience or seniority level).

Keep in mind that you should use a different approach for each situation to increase the possibility of getting a positive response. For example, if you previously rejected a candidate because they lacked experience and it’s been a long time since your last communication, they’ve probably gained more work experience so you should contact them again to see if they’re interested in a new opportunity.

(Note that under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you can’t keep the data of European candidates indefinitely and without informing them. Learn more about how to be compliant with GDPR before you source EU candidates).

Use the email as a springboard to a phone call or in-person conversation to discuss the details. But, try to avoid raising false hopes. Being rejected for a second time will leave a bad impression. You can simply mention that there’s a new job opening you would like to talk to them about, if they’re interested.

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New job opportunity email template:

Email subject line: New job opportunity at [Company_name] / Interested in a new job opportunity with [Company_name]?

Hi [Candidate_Name],

I am [your name], [your job_title] at [Company_name]. We met [e.g. recently / around 2 months ago], when you applied for the [Job_title] position. [It’s best if you add something memorable from the last time you communicated and give a personal touch, like ‘I hope your graduation day was fun!’, ‘I remember you were looking for a new apartment at that time. How did the house hunt go?’]

Although we decided to move forward with another candidate for the [Job_title] position, due to [You could mention exactly the reason why the were rejected, e.g. lack of experience, overqualified or strong competition], your profile really stood out and we’ve kept you in mind for future openings. [You could point out what you specifically liked about the candidate e.g. strong portfolio, positive interview experience or a great approach to a previous assignment.]

We are currently looking to hire a [Job_title] and we believe your skills and expertise are a better match for this role. We are opening a new position for the [Job_title] role you previously applied for and we think you could be a good fit.

Would you be available for a quick call [include date and time or a period of time, e.g. ‘sometime this week’] to talk about our new position? I would also be happy to coordinate via email or LinkedIn, if you prefer.

I hope you have a great day,

[Your name]
[Signature]

• Learn why it’s important to write rejection letters after interviews.