{"id":"hr-candidate-rejection-final-round","audience":"hr","category":"writing-emails","track":"writing","technique":"tone","title":"Turn down a final-round candidate kindly and safely","free":false,"task":"You're telling a final-round candidate she didn't get the job. Write it in under 80 words, plain text, with the decision in the first sentence after the greeting, one specific genuine thank-you, and the talent-pool offer only as your notes allow. Give no reasons for the decision and nothing about other candidates; if she asks for feedback later, that goes through HR.","materialLabel":"Your notes (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"Rejection - Elena Brooks, final round, Customer Success Manager (Brightline Utilities)\n\nDecision: not moving forward. Offer accepted by another candidate on Mar 9.\n\nPanel notes (internal only, do NOT share):\n- Strong on customer empathy, weaker on data/metrics.\n- One panelist said she \"might be overqualified and get bored.\"\n- Other finalist had utility-industry experience.\n\nWhat I can say:\n- Thank her for her time across 4 interviews, and especially the case presentation on the churn-risk account; Theo said it was the best one he saw.\n- Talent pool: Elena checked \"yes, keep me in mind\" on her application. OK to say we'll keep her resume on file for future CSM roles for 12 months.\n- If she asks for feedback, HR will set up a short call (check with HR/legal on what can be shared). Don't give feedback in this email.\n\nTone: warm and direct. She invested a lot of time. Sender: Hana Ito, Talent Acquisition.","rules":[{"type":"maxWords","max":80},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Burying the decision","why":"The AI opens with several sentences of thanks, so the news lands late.","fix":"Add: \"First sentence after hello: we've decided not to move forward.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it.","fix":"Cap each part instead: \"4 sentences, each under 16 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]},{"title":"Generic thanks","why":"The AI writes 'thank you for your interest', which feels like a form letter after 4 rounds.","fix":"Add: \"Thank her for the churn-risk case presentation specifically.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Explaining the decision","why":"To be kind, the AI gives reasons, which can create risk and hurt more.","fix":"Add: \"No reasons, no panel feedback, nothing about other candidates.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Formatting the email","why":"The AI adds bold or bullet points to a personal note.","fix":"Add: \"Plain text, one short paragraph.\"","checks":["plainText"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Puts the decision first","patterns":["first sentence","lead with","start with","decision first"]},{"label":"Asks for specific thanks","patterns":["specific","case presentation","churn"]},{"label":"Forbids reasons","patterns":["no reason","don'?t (explain|give reasons)","panel notes","overqualified"]},{"label":"Sets the tone","patterns":["warm","kind","direct"]},{"label":"Sets a word limit","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","word (limit|count)"]}],"hint":"A kind rejection is clear, specific and gives no reasons. Tell the AI where the decision goes, what to thank her for, and what must stay internal.","rubricLabels":["The first sentence after the greeting clearly says she was not selected (no long build-up before it)","Thanks her specifically for her case presentation on the churn-risk account (and/or the 4 interviews), and says her resume will be kept on file for future CSM roles for 12 months","Gives no reason for the decision and nothing from the panel notes (no data/metrics weakness, overqualified, industry experience, other candidate)"]}