How to cancel an interview as an employer (with email samples)

Plans change and sometimes interviews need to be canceled. It’s not ideal for either party, but it happens! And when it does, it's important to handle it with care and consideration to maintain a positive candidate experience (even if the candidate is no longer moving forward in the hiring process).

After all, how you handle the cancelation can impact the candidate's impression of you and your company, including their willingness to apply for future opportunities. That’s why we’ve rounded up some tips on how to cancel an interview professionally and most importantly, three interview cancellation email templates that will go a long way in showing candidates you care even if you have to cancel. 🙈

How to politely cancel an interview with a candidate

It’s simple! When canceling a job interview, focus on being clear, transparent and considerate of how the candidate might feel missing out on this job opportunity. Here are three cancelation email templates employers can use for different situations that do just that:

Email #1: How to cancel an interview when you’ve paused hiring for this role

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<div class="inpage-callout-container"><p class="inpage-banner-text">💡 Want to make recruitment emails even easier? Pop this email template into Homerun's ATS and communicate with candidates like a pro.</div></p>

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Email #2: How to cancel an interview when you need to reschedule

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📣 Once you've rescheduled your interview, be sure to check out the best practices on how to conduct a job interview!

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Email #3: How to cancel a job interview when the position has been filled

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📣 Find more hiring templates for the best candidate experience like this schedule email template.

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Is it unprofessional to cancel an interview as an employer?

No, it’s not. Plans change, mistakes happen and unforeseen circumstances come up. So it’s completely okay to cancel an interview with a candidate as long as it’s done with care, consideration and respect.

Here are the most important things to keep in mind when canceling interviews as a hiring manager:

• Be timely: Cancel the scheduled interview as soon as possible. This allows candidates to readjust their calendars and prioritize interviews with other companies.
• Be considerate: Canceling an interview can be disappointing for the candidate, so it's important to be respectful and empathetic. You should thank the candidate for their interest in the position and the time and effort they took to apply. You should also apologize for any inconvenience caused.
• Be clear: Clearly communicate the reason for the cancelation, whether it's due to a change in hiring plans, internal reorganization or due to a mistake. Candidates will appreciate the transparency — vagueness is a no-go. Also, be sure to make clear that the interview is being canceled in your subject line so that candidates are sure to see the message on time.
• Offer to stay in touch: Ask the candidate if it’s okay to keep their application on file for a set amount of time (it is necessary to get their consent for GDPR reasons) and let them know that you will reach out to them if any future opportunities arise. This helps maintain a positive relationship and keeps the door open for future collaborations.

A hiring software like Homerun can help you reduce interview cancellations by organizing your hiring process in one clear overview.

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Hiring software to make recruitment emails a breeze

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