Writing a Rejection Letter

Digital Editor on July 31, 2023

Writing a Rejection Letter

As hiring managers, it is crucial to handle the recruitment process with utmost professionalism and empathy. Writing a rejection letter is an integral part of this process. It is an opportunity to leave a positive impression on applicants, even if they didn’t make it to the next round. Here are some of the insights shared by entrepreneur Shalom Lamm, guiding hiring managers on how to compose a proper rejection letter that reflects respect, appreciation, and encouragement.

Personalization is Key

Entrepreneur Lamm emphasizes the significance of personalizing rejection letters. Avoid generic templates that leave candidates feeling like just another number in the pile. Address the candidate by name and mention specific elements from their application that stood out. By doing so, you show applicants that you invested time and effort in reviewing their qualifications.

Promptness and Timeliness

Timely communication is essential in the hiring process. Delaying a rejection letter can lead to increased anxiety and uncertainty for applicants. As hiring managers, ensure that you promptly send out rejection letters after making your decision.

Positive Tone and Gratitude

Entrepreneur Lamm advises expressing gratitude in the rejection letter. Thank the applicant for their interest in the position and for applying to the company. Recognize the time and energy they invested in the application process and acknowledge any achievements or qualifications they possess.

Encouragement for Future Applications

Entrepreneur Lamm encourages hiring managers to extend an invitation for applicants to apply for other suitable positions within the company. This approach conveys that their application was not disregarded entirely and that they remain in consideration for future opportunities.

Maintain Professionalism

It is vital to maintain a professional tone throughout the rejection letter. Even if the candidate did not meet the qualifications or expectations, avoid negative or discouraging language. Remember that your rejection letter is an extension of your company’s brand and reputation.

Proofreading and Error-Free Writing

Nothing damages a rejection letter’s credibility more than typos and grammatical errors. Take the time to proofread the letter and ensure that it is error-free. A well-written rejection letter reflects the attention to detail and professionalism of your organization.

Encourage Networking

Suggest that the candidate keeps in touch or connects on professional platforms like LinkedIn. Networking can lead to future opportunities, and you never know when their skills may align with another role within the company.

Constructive Feedback

While not mandatory, providing constructive feedback can be highly valuable for candidates. Lamm suggests offering feedback that highlights the applicant’s strengths and areas for improvement. Focus on specific skills or experiences that could make them a stronger candidate in the future. However, be careful not to criticize or demoralize the applicant.

Base-line

Crafting a proper rejection letter is a crucial aspect of the hiring process. By following the insights of entrepreneur Shalom Lamm, hiring managers can create rejection letters that leave a positive impact on applicants. Personalization, promptness, positive tone, constructive feedback, clarity, and professionalism are essential elements to incorporate. Encouraging future applications and networking also helps build a positive and lasting impression, ensuring that candidates continue to view your company in a favorable light.

Alexander Payne Discusses Why He Likes All His Characters

Article Editor on October 11, 2022

Alexander Payne is interested in wordless storytelling, which is a bit ironic for a filmmaker who has won two Academy Awards for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay). However, it takes strong characters brought to life by talented actors to tell these captivating stories without words. And Payne is proud of all the characters he’s helped create during his career. “I like all of the characters in my films,” he says. 

There’s a big difference between what people will tolerate about a character in a movie compared to what they’ll put up with in real life. “You have to make a distinction. If you knew that human being in real life, separate from whether you love this person as a literary character,” says Alexander Payne. “Take, for example, Michael Corleone from The Godfather or Alex from A Clockwork Orange. Would you like them in real life? I don’t know — might be kind of tough. But you do love them as characters.” 

Payne has zero desire to solely create sympathetic characters. “I hate when movie people say, ‘Your lead character has to be sympathetic,’ which for them means ‘likable.’ We shouldn’t care about ‘liking’ a character as a person. We have to love them as characters, or at least be fascinated by them.”

A Cast of Characters

Alexander Payne and Bruce Dern working on the set of "Nebraska".
Alexander Payne directs Bruce Dern on the set of “Nebraska”.

Payne says he “has a soft spot for all the characters in my movies, and Tracy Flick was a special one.” He’s referring, of course, to the overly ambitious teenage antagonist of Election. The film, adapted from Tom Perrotta’s book of the same name, premiered on April 23, 1999. It stars Reese Witherspoon as the titular character in the dark, edgy comedy that cemented Payne as a master of satirical storytelling. 

“As driven as Tracy Flick was — and her name has entered popular culture as a very driven person, typically a female — I still wanted to give her understanding and depth,” explains the filmmaker. “There’s a scene in the movie where she’s really weeping, and you see how much she’s been manipulated by her mother. Everyone’s got a story.”

In addition to Ms. Flick, these are some of Alexander Payne’s most memorable characters:

— Ruth Stoops in Citizen Ruth

— Jim McAllister in Election

— Warren Schmidt in About Schmidt 

— Miles Raymond in Sideways 

— Matt King in The Descendants 

— Woody Grant in Nebraska 

— Paul Safranek in Downsizing

“I’ve been very fortunate to work with excellent actors throughout my career,” says Payne. Matt Damon is one of them. They worked together on 2016’s Downsizing. “I’m proud of that film,” says the director. “That was the first chance I had to work with Alexander Payne,” Damon said. “He is very sure of himself and the shots he needs to make. I am not saying he is controlling; instead, he knows when he’s got the shot. It makes you feel like you are in the hands of a master director.” Payne felt the same way, noting, “Many of us put a lot of heart, soul, and love into that film. Even though it tanked.”

People who have worked with Payne say that he treats everyone on set with the same care and support. However, he considers the secondary characters to be the real heart and soul of the films. “It is easier on leads because they have the landscape of the entire film to build their characters,” says Alexander Payne. “It is tougher for the bit players or smaller character parts because they have to suggest an entire human being in one or two or three scenes.”

The filmmaker has shot four of his eight films in Nebraska and has a knack for casting locals to help lend a sense of realism to the scene. That tactic paid off while making the 2013 comedy-drama Nebraska. “Bruce Dern’s character’s brothers and their wives have spent their entire lives in rural Nebraska and had never even been in a high school play,” says Payne.

Alexander Payne Makes the Movies He Wants To Watch

Alexander Payne says, “I desperately love movies and am so glad that my love of watching movies as a film geek was able to translate into a career.” Indeed, it’s a dream come true for the 61-year-old, who grew up watching as many movies as he could as a boy in Omaha, Nebraska, and fantasized about being a film projectionist.

Today, he’s content to create quality cinema he hopes will be enjoyed for generations to come. “Of course, I have to make a movie that I feel connected to on some level so that I can feel it. I have to feel what’s going on in the movie to be able to direct it halfway decently,” he says. “I’m just trying to find the movie that I myself would want to see. That’s my job. Even on the set, when the actors are doing it and I have the camera watching their performance, I’m watching them projected on a movie screen in my brain. Of the tens or even hundreds of people on set, only one is actually sitting in the theater, watching the movie.”

Why Children Should Have Diaries

Article Editor on September 18, 2020

Self-expression is something that all people have to go through. By developing a sense of establishment for oneself and other children can grow into more distinguished people. Writing is a great way to express oneself . Children should utilize their writing skills to create diaries or stories that help them conquer certain emotions. Ken Kurson, a dad and journalist, encourages his children to express themselves through literature.

Diaries are very personal and shouldn’t be read by parents. However, if a child is in therapy, sometimes the diaries help gage a better perception of where the child’s head is at. Children are ultra-sensitive and produce content straight from the heart. By doing this they can reveal struggles they’ve been through and how they overcome it. Everyone seems to forget that adults were children once too. Some of the most famous writers have developed extremely throughout stories about childhood traumas and other events that they consider life-changing. By starting at a young age, children can develop techniques and parts of literature that some adults don’t even access. Ken Kurson loves introducing his kids to the Magnificent world of writing and reading, and you should too!