When to use this template
Use this when a role is paused mid-process — a reorg, a leadership change, a shifting priority — and you can't give candidates a clear next step. Technically this isn't a rejection; it's a pause. But candidates should hear from you regardless.
The worst thing you can do in this situation is stay silent. Candidates talk, and 'I was in a process and then they just went dark' is a story that travels.
Be honest. Say the role is on hold, say you don't have a specific restart date (if you don't), and give them permission to move on with other opportunities.
Considerations
- Don't promise a restart date you're not sure of. 'We'll reach out if the role restarts' is fine.
- Explicitly release them to pursue other offers — don't let them hold out on your behalf.
- If you can give context (reorg, leadership change), a sentence helps.
- Update your careers page and ATS so new applications don't keep arriving.
The email template
Copy the version below and replace the {{placeholders}} with your specifics — or use the generator to fill everything in at once.
Update on the {{role}} role at {{company}}
Hi {{candidate_name}},
I wanted to reach out with an update on the {{role}} role at {{company}}. The team has decided to pause this search for now while we work through some internal changes, and we don't have a specific restart date to share.
I don't want to leave you hanging. Please treat this as a release to pursue other opportunities — you shouldn't hold out on our timeline. If and when the role restarts, I'd like to reach back out and pick up the conversation.
Thank you for your patience and for the time you've put in so far.
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.