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Configure candidate rejection responses

RoleSage can prepare a respectful candidate response from company defaults, a role or opening override, or the built-in fallback. The effective message is still reviewable before a candidate is rejected.

Open the company settings​

You need permission to manage the company rejection workflow.

  1. Open Rejection workflow from the Employer navigation, or open Employer Admin and select Open rejection workflow under Candidate response defaults.
  2. Review the three default message tabs:
    • Early stage for candidates who have not been interviewed;
    • Interviewed for candidates who reached an interview;
    • Position filled when the opening closes after a hire.
  3. Edit the subject and message. Changes save automatically.
  4. Check the sample preview before leaving the page.

You can use these supported tokens:

  • {{candidateFirstName}}
  • {{roleTitle}}
  • {{companyName}}
  • {{senderName}}
  • {{hiringContact}}

Internal rejection reasons and notes are never inserted into a candidate message automatically.

Set internal reasons​

The Internal reason catalog keeps hiring records separate from candidate-facing wording.

  1. Add a specific, job-related reason and choose its category.
  2. Rename active reasons when company terminology changes.
  3. Archive a reason to prevent new use without changing historical records.
  4. Restore an archived reason if it becomes valid again.

The selected internal reason is required when rejecting an applicant, but it is not automatically shown to the candidate.

Set delivery safeguards​

Under Delivery defaults and safeguards, review:

  • the preferred sender and fallback behavior;
  • whether candidates may reply;
  • the default timing for individual and bulk responses;
  • the employer timezone, quiet hours, and allowed bulk-send days;
  • the bulk cancel window;
  • whether confirmed manual contact is allowed.

Interviewed candidates always require individual review. Company safeguards still apply when a role or opening uses custom wording.

Allow AI wording suggestions​

The AI drafting controls only whether an authorized hirer can ask for proposed wording. AI cannot select applicants, decide who to reject, replace the current draft without approval, or send a response.

When a suggestion is available, the hirer must choose Use suggestion, may edit it, and can undo it before confirming the rejection.

Customize a role or opening​

Use an override when one hiring context needs different wording from the company default.

  1. Open the role or opening editor and select Details.
  2. Scroll below Offer Defaults to Candidate response defaults.
  3. Check the source badge to see whether the current wording comes from the company, role, opening, or RoleSage fallback.
  4. Select Customize.
  5. Edit the subject and message for each response category.
  6. Select Save override.

An opening override takes priority over a role override, which takes priority over the company default. Select Reset to inherited defaults to remove the current override.

Changes affect future rejection actions only. A message that has already been prepared or scheduled keeps the exact saved wording it had at confirmation time.

If the settings are missing​

  • Ask an employer admin to confirm that you can manage the company workflow.
  • Role and opening overrides require both editing access and application-rejection access.
  • If the page says the workflow is not enabled, the feature is not available in that environment yet.

For the action workflow, see Reject applicants and track candidate responses.