When to use this template
Use this for strong candidates who aren't the right fit for this specific role but whom you'd genuinely hire for a future one. This template is about preserving the relationship and making the next step clear: join the talent pool, opt into role alerts, or accept a calendar hold for a future conversation.
Send this only when you mean it. A talent-pool redirect that goes nowhere is worse than a clean rejection. Candidates can tell when the 'we'll stay in touch' line is a form letter.
If you have a CRM like Backrow, use it — tag the candidate, set a reminder, and reach out when something genuinely fits. That follow-through is the difference between a candidate who refers friends and one who vents on LinkedIn.
Considerations
- Only use if you actually maintain a talent pool with an owner and a cadence.
- Be specific: what roles, what timeline, what's the next step for them?
- Include a link to your careers page or to opt into role alerts.
- Set a follow-up reminder in your ATS/CRM the moment you send this.
The email template
Copy the version below and replace the {{placeholders}} with your specifics — or use the generator to fill everything in at once.
Staying in touch — {{role}} at {{company}}
Hi {{candidate_name}},
Thank you for the time and thought you put into interviewing for the {{role}} role at {{company}}. After the team debrief, we've decided to move forward with another candidate for this specific role.
Here's the thing: you made a real impression, and several of us want to keep the conversation open. We'd like to add you to our talent pool for roles in [AREA — e.g. backend engineering, product design] and reach back out when something that fits comes up. I've set a reminder on my side to do that.
If you'd like to stay proactively looped in on new roles, you can also opt in here: [CAREERS PAGE / ROLE ALERT LINK].
Thank you again — I'd genuinely like to find the right next thing with you at {{company}}.
Best,
{{your_name}}How to personalize
Replace these placeholders before sending:
- {{candidate_name}}
- {{role}}
- {{company}}
- {{hiring_manager}}
- {{your_name}}
For any rejection that follows a live conversation, add one specific detail from that conversation — a project they mentioned, a question they asked, something they built. One concrete reference turns a form letter into a message the candidate will remember.