by Stephanie Bryant

Created on: January 18, 2007   Last Updated: April 10, 2007

There are three things to include in a rejection letter: Honesty, lies, and more lies. When someone applies for a position or sends an unsolicited proposal to your company, and they just don't make the cut, your rejection of their efforts does not need to be the brutally honest Simon Cowell style rejection, but it should include truthful elements that help the recipient improve in the future.

HONESTY
Many rejection letters are not specific enough about why the proposal or application was rejected. Ask yourself what the person submitting this proposal wants, or what they need to know in order to improve. Here are some possible reasons you might honestly and fairly reject a candidate or a proposal:
* Too expensive for your budget.
* Takes too many other resources, including human resources, at this time.
* Does not fit inside the scope of your business
* Does not fit the expectations and needs of your customers
* It is not realistic
* The person making the proposal or application is unreliable, has a history of drug use or is a felon (this is the "did not pass background check" reason).

I usually reject any proposal in which the person giving me the proposal has somehow tried to manipulate me into saying yes. It's hard to reject these, because confronting the manipulator just opens the door to further manipulation. At that point, I reach for.....

LIES
When you don't really want to tell the person receiving the rejection that I find them personally odious and their ideas to be ludicrous, reach for the classic standby rejection phrases. These are the half-truths of rejections, and any eagle-eyed candidate will spot them a mile away:

* It doesn't fit our needs at this time.
* We have filled the position (this is true, but doesn't explain why you filled it with someone other than the applicant).
* The upper management wanted to go in another direction (pass the buck).
* We're having a hiring freeze/budget freeze/audit (everyone knows that these things can be gotten around if you're motivated).

Finally, when I have to deal with someone with a very sensitive ego, I sometimes have to dig really deep, and come up with a way to soften the blow with....

MORE LIES
Sometimes it's helpful to acknowledge the emotional impact this rejection has on the recipient. Being rejected is very hard on anyone, so it helps to include the human touch when writing the rejection letter, even if you don't have any human connection with the person you're rejecting. This is especially true if you work in a small industry or town, where your reputation is important, or if the rejectee is a personal friend.

A few of the "soft lies" you can offer to cushion the blow:
* I'm sorry. I really liked it, but....
* I think you're overqualified for us.
* We're just not mature enough for your "big picture" outlook.
* I appreciated the time you took with preparing this.
* Everyone loved the idea/you, but we have this jerk for a boss, and she's trying to undermine everyone's happiness.

Above all, remember that there's a human being receiving your rejection letter. Don't let a computer write it for you, and remember above all that honesty will aid you more than the lies.

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