This was the “sorry” email template I used for candidates who didn’t get the job. We’ve all gotten the rejection email template after an interview. It sucks.

One of the best lessons that HubSpot’s VP of Growth, Kieran Flanagan, taught me was, “

” There were a few candidates I was hesitant on and this was a helpful heuristic to follow. You should be THRILLED to work with this person, not “on the fence” about them.

 about why it didn’t work out. As a result, I tried to give actionable feedback to each candidate, customized to why it wasn’t a fit. 

Nearly everyone was grateful for the feedback. It’s impossible to improve if we don’t know what’s wrong. I just tried to follow the Golden Rule — treat interviewees as you’d like to be treated as an interviewee. 

Give actionable feedback and be empathetic. It sucks to be told no.

Scott Tousley

When hiring for a Growth Marketing Manager at HubSpot, I crafted this rejection email to ensure that each candidate was getting personalized and actionable feedback.

Thank you for taking the time to apply for the role as Growth Marketing Manager.

We have carefully reviewed your application, and unfortunately, 

we have decided not to move forward at this time.

It was a tough decision, but we are looking for a growth marketer with deeper expertise in CRO (conversion rate optimization) that has worked directly with engineering teams.

 If you're looking to improve your expertise in these categories, I'd suggest courses by Reforge, Tradecraft, or Conversion XL.

Although we couldn’t find a mutual fit today, there could be a future opportunity at HubSpot again that’d be perfect for you. We’ll be sure to keep you in mind when new opportunities arise.

Growth marketing manager candidate rejection message at HubSpot

Rejection message after interview

Sign up to see more