ghosted
Sign up free
Sign in

How to decline a job offer by email

Turn down a written offer with a clear answer and a short thank-you. Includes wording for a team you’d like to hear from again.

Ghosted editorialPublished 11 min read

On this page

The email

Give your answer in the first two sentences

Reply in the thread the offer came in, and replace everything in square brackets:

SubjectRe: their thread

Hi [Name],

Thank you for offering me the [Role] role. I’ve decided to decline the offer.

I really appreciated [something specific from the process, such as a person or a conversation].

Thanks again for your time, [Your name]

Filled in, it reads like this:

SubjectRe: their thread

Hi Jo,

Thank you for offering me the Support Engineer role. I’ve decided to decline the offer.

I really appreciated Sam walking me through how your team handles customer incidents.

Thanks again for your time, Alex

Made-up details

Four sentences. The thanks and the role, so they know which offer you mean. The decision, in plain words. One specific thing you valued. A sign-off. Jo can stop reading after the second line and know what to do next.

The answer before the warmth

A paragraph of kind words before the no makes them read three lines to find it. Say it early; the thank-you lands better after the news than in front of it.

Keep in touch

If you’d work with them another time

Add a line only if you mean it: “I’d be glad to hear from you if a fully remote role opens up on Sam’s team.” That tells them exactly when it would make sense to reach out.

Here’s the whole email with that line in, so you can copy whichever version is yours:

SubjectRe: their thread

Hi [Name],

Thank you for offering me the [Role] role. I’ve decided to decline the offer.

I really appreciated [something specific from the process]. I’d be glad to hear from you if [the kind of role you’d say yes to] opens up on [Name]’s team.

Thanks again for your time, [Your name]

“Let’s stay in touch” is polite and means nothing. “If a fully remote role opens up” is a condition they can act on. It also explains, without a word of complaint, the one thing about this offer that didn’t fit.

Only if it’s true

If they call in six months with exactly that role, you should want to pick up. If you wouldn’t, leave the line out. The plain decline is just as gracious.

Start here

A clear no is a favour

An offer you’re about to decline is a role the team still needs to fill. They may have a second candidate waiting to hear, a start date to plan and a hiring manager asking for news. Every day you hold it open is a day they can’t move. The kindest thing you can send is a clear answer, soon.

  1. It frees the role

    Once they know, they can call the next person on their list while that person is still available.

  2. It ends on good terms

    Hiring teams remember who answered on time and who went quiet. Industries are small, and people move between companies.

  3. It keeps the door open

    A short, warm no leaves room to apply again, or to be the person they think of when the right role comes up.

Offers that are accepted

69%

The share of job offers that students accepted, in NACE’s 2023 survey of 334 organisations that hire graduates. Roughly three in ten were not. Teams that make offers are used to hearing no; what they need is to hear it in time.

Source: NACE, 2023 Recruiting Benchmarks Report

Line by line

The four parts of a decline

Thanks, and the role

“Thank you for offering me the Support Engineer role.” Naming the role matters when the person who made the offer is hiring for several.

The decision, in plain words

“I’ve decided to decline the offer.” Not “I don’t think it’s quite right at this time”, which sounds like an opening for a new offer. If the answer is no, use the word that means no.

One specific thank-you

“I really appreciated Sam walking me through how your team handles customer incidents.” A real moment from the process, with a name if you have one. It shows you were paying attention, and it’s the line they’ll pass on.

A short sign-off

“Thanks again for your time.” No need to wish them luck finding someone; they will.

Write to whoever made the offer

Usually the recruiter or the hiring manager who sent it. If you got to know someone else during the process, a separate note to them is a kind touch, but the answer goes to the person waiting for it.

Your reason

How much to say about why

You don’t owe them a reason. Many people give one anyway, because it helps the team understand and it feels warmer. Pick the amount you’re comfortable with.

Say nothing

  • The email above works as it is
  • Nobody will think less of you
  • Best when the reason is personal

A few words

  • “I’ve accepted another role”
  • “The commute wouldn’t work for me”
  • Enough to close the question

A sentence or two

  • “I’ve accepted another role that fits the hours I’m looking for”
  • Useful if you’d like them to know what would work next time
  • Keep it about your needs, not their offer’s faults

Whatever you say, keep it true and keep it short. “The salary was too low” is honest, but it reads as an invitation to negotiate. If it would change your mind, negotiate before you decline. If it wouldn’t, there’s no need to say it.

Do I have to name the company I’m joining?

You can keep that detail private. “I’ve accepted another role that fits the hours I’m looking for” is enough if you want to share a reason.

If they push back

If they ask what would change your mind

Some teams reply with a question, or a better offer. If nothing they could add would change your answer, say so kindly, once:

SubjectRe: their thread

Hi [Name],

Thank you, that’s generous of you to ask. My decision is final, but I’m grateful for the time you and the team spent with me.

All the best, [Your name]

If something would change your mind, that isn’t a decline. It’s a negotiation, and it deserves its own message, sent before you turn the offer down. If you need a few days to work out which it is, ask for more time on the offer instead.

Other situations

Three more emails you can copy

The offer came on a call. Decline in writing too, in a new email, so there’s a record of your answer:

Subject[Role] offer: my decision

Hi [Name],

Thank you again for calling on [Day] with the offer for the [Role] role. I’ve decided to decline it.

I really enjoyed [something specific from the process]. Thank you for your time and for making the process so clear.

Best wishes, [Your name]

You said yes, then changed your mind. Tell them as soon as you’re sure, apologise once and keep it short:

SubjectRe: their thread

Hi [Name],

I’m sorry to write this after accepting the [Role] offer on [Date]. I’ve thought it over carefully, and I’ve decided not to join. I wanted to tell you as soon as I was certain, so the team has as much time as possible.

Thank you for your understanding, and again I’m sorry for the change.

[Your name]

Someone referred you. They’re part of the story, so let them hear it from you:

SubjectThe [Role] offer at [Company]

Hi [Name],

I wanted you to hear it from me first: I’ve decided to decline the [Role] offer at [Company]. Thank you for putting me forward. I really appreciated it, and I’ve told [the hiring contact’s name] how much I enjoyed meeting the team.

Thanks, [Your name]

Before you send

Four things to settle first

That you’re sure

A decline is hard to take back. If you’re still weighing it up, you need more time, not a quicker no. Choosing between two? Put them side by side first.

That the other offer is in writing

If you’re turning this down for another job, make sure that offer is confirmed in writing first. A verbal yes from the other company isn’t the same thing.

Who else needs to hear

The person who referred you, a recruiter who put you forward, anyone you’d told you were keen. They should hear it from you.

Whether you’d come back

Decide before you write, because it changes which version you send.

Timing

Send it the day you decide

Before the deadline, and as soon as you’re certain. There’s no advantage in waiting until the last day: the answer won’t change, and the team loses time it could have spent on the next candidate.

  • The offer came by email: reply in that thread.
  • The offer came by phone: a short call back is a kind touch if you got on well. Follow it with an email the same day, so your answer is in writing.
  • You were dealing with a recruiter: tell the recruiter. They’ll pass it on, and they may have other roles for you later.

Weekend decisions

If you decide on a Saturday, it’s fine to send it then. Nobody expects a reply until Monday, and they’ll be glad to know first thing.

What goes wrong

The mistakes people make most often

Going quiet

No answer by the deadline is still an answer, and it’s the one they remember. Send the email, even if it’s late.

A vague no

“I’m not sure it’s the right time” leaves them guessing whether to try again. Say “decline” if that’s what you mean.

Apologising for a paragraph

One sorry is plenty, and most declines don’t need any. Offers get turned down every day.

Listing what was wrong with the offer

If it wouldn’t change your mind, it won’t help. If it would, negotiate instead.

Declining before the other offer is signed

If the other job falls through, you’ve lost both. Wait for the second offer in writing, and ask for more time on this one if you need it.

Forgetting the people around it

The person who referred you, or the recruiter who found you, shouldn’t hear the news from someone else.

Last look

A checklist before you send

After you send

What to do once it’s gone

Mark the application closed, with the date and your reason, in whatever you use to keep track. If you’ve accepted another job, this is also the moment to tell the other companies still interviewing you. The withdrawal email has the words, and it takes three lines.

If they reply, a thank-you is enough. If you said you’d like to hear about a future role, save the hiring contact’s name and email with a note of the role you named. Months from now, it’s easier to write “we spoke when I declined the Support Engineer offer” than to remember who Jo was.

Questions

Questions people ask about declining a job offer

Is it OK to decline a job offer by email?

Yes. Email is the normal way to give an answer, and it gives you both a record. If the offer came on a call and you got on well, a quick call back first is a nice touch, followed by the email.

Do I have to give a reason?

No. “I’ve decided to decline the offer” is complete on its own. If you’d like to share a reason, a few words is enough.

Do I have to name the company I’m joining?

You can keep that detail private. “I’ve accepted another role that fits the hours I’m looking for” is enough if you want to share a reason.

What if they make a counter-offer?

If nothing would change your mind, thank them and say your decision is final, once. If a better offer would change it, that’s a negotiation, and it’s better to have it before you decline.

Will declining an offer hurt my chances there later?

A prompt, polite decline rarely does. What people remember badly is silence past the deadline, or a yes that turns into a no. A clear answer with a real thank-you leaves the door open.

Can I decline after accepting?

You can, but tell them as soon as you’re certain, by email, with one apology. If you’ve signed a contract, read it first, as it may say how much notice you need to give.

How soon should I reply?

As soon as you’ve decided, and before the deadline. Waiting doesn’t help either side, and the team may have someone else to call.

Decided? Keep how it ended.

Keep every application with its offer, its deadline and your answer, in one place.

Try Ghosted freeFree plan · no card needed

Related

Template · Copy and editWithdraw a job applicationLeave a hiring process politely, before or after an interview.Guide · 13 min readCompare two job offersPut both offers side by side and find what to ask.Template · Copy and editAsk for more time on a job offerAsk for a specific new decision date before the deadline.