Deny candidate
Reject a candidate for this specific job, with a reason and an optional rejection email built from your template.
“Deny” records that your team rejected the candidate for this job — not the other way around. It captures a reason and, optionally, sends the candidate a rejection email built from a template.
When to use this
Use Deny when you’re passing on the candidate for this specific job — they don’t match the role, lack required experience, didn’t pass the interview, etc. The candidate is moved to a “Denied” status type with the deny order number you’ve configured.
If the candidate told you they’re not interested, use Decline instead.
How to open it
- Find the candidate on the kanban.
- Open the applicant menu on the card.
- Pick Deny. The sidebar slides in from the right.
What you fill in
Candidate
Read-only list of the candidates being denied. Multi-select from the kanban is supported.
Deny reason
Dropdown of deny reasons your organization configured. Common entries: skills mismatch, experience too low, failed technical interview, culture fit, missing certifications. These reasons feed the Deny reasons chart in the job’s Reports tab.
Send deny email toggle
If your organization has an active “deniedApplicationClosingJob” email template, you’ll see a Send deny email toggle. When on, the Deny email column appears with:
- Subject — prefilled from the template; editable.
- Content — a rich-text editor prefilled with the template body; editable. Type
$to pick a variable, replaced when the email is sent. Both fields are required if you’re sending the email. - Attachments — the template’s files, plus any you add from your computer (paperclip) or the Document Center.
Your edits apply to this send only; the template itself is unchanged.
Language tabs. If your organization supports several languages, one tab per language sits above the subject — fill in each version you want to send. Each candidate receives the version matching their preferred language; a candidate with no preferred language on file receives every version, one after the other. When every selected candidate has a known language, the tabs are narrowed to those languages and a notice above the editor says so. Organizations with a single language see one editor and no tabs.
What happens when you click Save (or Save and Send)
The candidate’s status changes to “Denied” and the deny reason is recorded. If you had the email toggle on, an email is sent to the candidate using the subject and content you left, in the candidate’s language. If something is missing, the footer names the field — click it to jump there.
The kanban refreshes and the card lands in the denied column / position.
Who can do what
| What you want to do | What you need |
|---|---|
| Deny a candidate | Edit access to applications on this job |
| Send the rejection email | Email-send access plus an active deny template configured for the organization |
| Add or edit the deny reason list | Administrator on the customization page |
Tips
- The email is a candidate touchpoint. The default template is professional but plain; have a colleague review it before relying on it for every rejection.
- Pick the most specific reason. “Other” weakens your analytics; specific reasons (e.g. “lacks 3+ years experience”) point to real sourcing or job-description fixes.
- Deny ≠ Decline. You denying the candidate is a different report from the candidate declining you. Keep them separate.
- If you change your mind later, move the candidate back to an earlier status via the kanban or the Move sidebar. The deny reason stays on record.