Does [Company] Send Rejection Emails? The Truth for Every Major Tech Firm (2026)

You have been sitting in silence for two weeks. You have refreshed your inbox 300 times. You are starting to wonder: does this company even send rejection emails, or do they just ghost you forever?

The answer is yes - every major tech company sends rejection emails eventually. But the timing, format, and what it means when they don't send one is completely different depending on who you interviewed with. Here is the complete breakdown for every company you are probably waiting on.

Does Google Send Rejection Emails?

Yes. Google sends rejection emails at every stage, but the timing is notoriously slow.

After a failed phone screen, you will typically get an automated rejection within 3-5 business days. After a failed onsite, the rejection email can take 2-4 weeks to arrive, because Google waits for the Hiring Committee to formally close your file before notifying you. This is frustrating but deliberate - the committee process takes time even for No decisions.

The subject line is usually: "Your Google Application" or "Update on your application to Google."

One important nuance: if your packet is still "In Review" by the Hiring Committee, you may not hear anything for 3-4 weeks. That is not a rejection - it is just the committee taking time. After 4 weeks of silence without any portal update, it likely means your packet was passed over but not formally closed yet.

What silence means at Google: Silence past 4 weeks is a soft rejection. Silence past 6 weeks means you can safely assume the role was filled or your packet expired.

Does Meta Send Rejection Emails?

Yes. Meta is one of the better companies at providing prompt rejection notifications - especially at the early stages.

If you failed the phone screen or coding round, you will receive an automated rejection within 48-72 hours. This is Meta's "Fast No" policy - they do not let candidates linger at early stages.

After a failed final Loop, the rejection takes 5-10 business days to arrive once the Hiring Committee meets on Thursday. Here is the key: if the Thursday HC passes and you hear nothing for two days, that is actually a good sign. It means your packet was not immediately rejected and may still be under review.

The subject line is typically: "Your Meta Application."

What silence means at Meta: Silence after Thursday of the week following your Loop almost always means your packet is still being reviewed, not that you were rejected. If you hit 3 weeks with no contact, you may be a "hold" candidate waiting for a headcount decision.

Does Apple Send Rejection Emails?

Yes, but they are famous for being very slow about it.

Apple sends rejections in two batches:

• Post phone screen: Usually within 5-7 days, automated.
• Post onsite: This is where candidates get the longest silence. Apple's Hiring Committee is bi-weekly (not weekly like Meta's), which means your file may sit for 2 weeks before a decision is even reached. Rejections land 2-5 weeks after the final interview.

The subject line is blunt: "Your Application at Apple."

What makes Apple uniquely painful is their policy around feedback - they provide almost none. You get the rejection email, and that is the end of the communication. Do not expect a call.

What silence means at Apple: 3 weeks of silence post-onsite is still within normal range. At 5 weeks with no portal update and no email, you have likely been silently deprioritized while Apple decides between you and another candidate.

Does Microsoft Send Rejection Emails?

Yes. Microsoft is one of the most consistent communicators in big tech.

At every stage, Microsoft sends rejection emails within 3-5 business days of a decision being reached. Their process has a unique stage called the "As-Appropriate" (AA) round, where a senior hiring bar-raiser evaluates your final loop debrief. If you fail the AA review, the rejection email arrives 5-10 days after your final interview.

The subject line is: "Update on your Microsoft interview."

One thing that catches candidates off guard: Microsoft's "AA Round Debrief" adds a delay. Unlike Google's HC which is centralized, Microsoft's review is more decentralized, meaning rejections can sometimes take up to 3 weeks post-onsite for senior roles.

What silence means at Microsoft: More than 3 weeks of complete silence is unusual for Microsoft and typically indicates a role that was paused, headcount that was frozen, or an AA review that is still being debated. Send a polite check-in at week 3.

Does Anthropic Send Rejection Emails?

Yes. Anthropic is generally good at closing the loop, though slower than OpenAI.

After failed technical screens, you receive automated rejections within 3-5 days. After failed final rounds, Anthropic sends rejections within 1-2 weeks. Their Safety and Policy roles sometimes take longer because the review process involves more senior sign-off.

One thing unique to Anthropic: they send a reference check request before extending an offer. If you are asked for references, you are very close to an offer. If you have not been asked for references after your final round, you are either still under review or you did not pass.

What silence means at Anthropic: Silence past 2 weeks post-final is a soft rejection signal. Unlike Google or Meta, Anthropic does not have a formal Hiring Committee delay system, so decisions are made faster. More than 3 weeks of silence is not normal.

Does Netflix Send Rejection Emails?

Yes - and Netflix is the fastest of all FAANG companies to send them.

Netflix operates on the "Keeper Test" philosophy: they decide fast and communicate fast. Rejections arrive within 3-5 business days post-interview at every stage. If you passed the final round, you will typically have an offer within 3-7 days. If you did not, the rejection lands in roughly the same timeframe.

The subject line: "Your Netflix Application."

Netflix is also notable for often sending the portal update before the email arrives. If your Netflix portal suddenly shows the role as "closed" or "no longer active" while your application is still listed, check your email immediately - a rejection is likely incoming within 24 hours.

What silence means at Netflix: Silence past 7 days at Netflix is a red flag. Unlike Google or Oracle, Netflix does not have long committee review cycles. If it has been 10+ days with no communication, send a follow-up immediately. More than 2 weeks is highly unusual.

Does OpenAI Send Rejection Emails?

Yes. OpenAI is consistent about closing the loop, though sometimes slow on rejections after final rounds.

Offer decisions land within 48-72 hours of the final onsite. However, rejection emails can take 2-4 weeks - not because of committee delays, but because OpenAI sometimes keeps candidate files open as backup while finalizing their primary candidate. When you eventually receive the rejection, it is a standard automated message.

From our coaching experience, OpenAI's silence in the 1-2 week window post-onsite is genuinely ambiguous - they could be about to send an offer or they could be finishing paperwork on another candidate. At Day 5, send a brief follow-up. At Day 10, assume the probability of an offer is low and intensify your other pipelines.

What silence means at OpenAI: Silence past Day 5 means you are in the secondary pool or have been passed over. Silence past 2 weeks almost always means rejection.

Does Salesforce Send Rejection Emails?

Yes, but they are often very late.

Salesforce is notorious for slow follow-through on candidate communication. Their process involves multiple layers of HR approval, and rejections sometimes take 4-8 weeks post-final interview to arrive - especially for enterprise sales and senior technical roles.

In the meantime, candidates often see no portal update and receive no response to follow-ups. This is a Salesforce-specific issue driven by a large, decentralized HR org and slow approval cycles.

What silence means at Salesforce: Do not interpret Salesforce's silence as ghosting. Their internal process is genuinely slow. At week 4 with no update, send a check-in. At week 6, you can safely deprioritize the opportunity while keeping the application technically open.

The General Pattern: What Every Company's Silence Actually Means

Here is the rule across the entire industry, in order of how fast companies typically communicate:

If silence is worrying you right now, here is your action plan:

1. Under your "red flag" threshold above: Do nothing. Continue other applications.
2. At your threshold: Send a single check-in to your recruiter referencing your timeline.
3. Past your threshold: Send a closure email asking for a definitive update. These get responses 50% of the time and free your attention the other 50%.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I don't get a rejection email, does that mean I got the job? Not necessarily. Some companies simply close your file without emailing you. Google and Salesforce are the worst offenders here - candidates have waited months only to discover the role was filled weeks earlier.

Can I call HR instead of waiting for the rejection email? Yes, but a LinkedIn message to your recruiter is more effective than a cold call. Keep it professional: "I wanted to follow up on the [role] interview. Could you share an update on the timeline?" Most recruiters respond to this within 24-48 hours.

Does getting a rejection mean I can never reapply? No. Most tech companies have a cooldown period of 6-12 months for the same role. Google allows reapplication after 90 days for the same role type. Netflix has no hard policy but applying to the same role twice in quick succession flags you as spam in their ATS.

What do I do after getting a rejection email? Reply and ask for feedback. Less than 20% of companies provide specific interview feedback, but asking costs you nothing and occasionally yields genuinely useful notes. More importantly, reply thanking them for the process - recruiters remember gracious candidates and sometimes reach back out when new roles open.