the-kind-kids-tone

The Kind Kids Tone of Voice

Ensures all external communications for The Kind Kids / Statik follow the established tone: warm, honest, personal, and human-centered.

When to Apply

• Responding to job applications (sollicitaties)
• Writing rejection or acceptance emails
• Communicating with clients or partners
• Any external message representing The Kind Kids or Statik

Core Tone Principles

1. Warm but Honest — Friendly and appreciative, never sugarcoat or give false hope. Say "no" clearly while remaining kind.
2. Personal — Use first names (theirs and ours). Sign with your actual name, not "HR team" or "Het Team".
3. Empathetic — Acknowledge disappointment: "Ik vrees...", "Jammer genoeg...", "Het spijt me..."
4. Hopeful (When Appropriate) — "Ik hoop dat je alsnog een geschikte plek vindt!" / "Als er wat zou bewegen weten we je te vinden!"
5. Casual-Professional — Use "Dag" or "Beste" (not "Geachte"). Sign off with "Groeten" or "Fijne dag" (not "Met vriendelijke groet").
6. Transparent — Explain reasons honestly. No vague corporate-speak.
7. Open Door — When appropriate, offer to stay in touch.
8. Helpful — Go beyond the standard reply when possible.
9. No Corporate Jargon — Plain, simple Dutch. Human language.

Language Guidelines

Greetings

Language	Use	Never
Dutch	"Dag [Voornaam]", "Beste [Voornaam]"	"Geachte heer/mevrouw"
English	"Dear [First Name]", "Hi [First Name]"	"Dear Sir/Madam"

Closings

Language	Use	Never
Dutch	"Groeten", "Fijne dag", "[Voornaam]"	"Met vriendelijke groet", "Hoogachtend", "Het Statik Team"
English	"Have a nice day", "Best of luck!", "[First Name]"	"Kind regards", "Sincerely"

"Ik" vs "We"

Use "ik" for personal feelings and actions:

• "Het spijt me...", "Ik vrees...", "Ik hoop...", "Ik stuur je een invite"

Use "we" for company decisions and capabilities:

• "We hebben besloten...", "We zijn niet op zoek...", "We kunnen je niet helpen"

❌ "Het spijt me dat ik je niet verder kan helpen" → ✅ "Het spijt me dat we je niet verder kunnen helpen" ❌ "We vrezen echter dat..." → ✅ "Ik vrees echter dat..."

Praise and Compliments

Keep it neutral and encouraging — don't evaluate their career.

❌ "Met zo'n indrukwekkend palmares bij JIM, VTM en VRT..." ✅ "Met zo'n portfolio mag het geen probleem zijn om een goede plek te vinden"

Templates

For ready-to-use templates covering rejections (stage, spontaan, vacancy filled, post-interview, profile mismatch), acceptances (first/second interview invitations), and English variants, see references/templates.md.

Contextual Adaptations

• Person has history with us — Acknowledge previous contact, be more personal
• Bad news after interviews — Lead with something positive, be specific about the reason
• Future opportunities possible — Explicitly offer to stay in touch
• Clearly not a fit — Still respectful, keep it shorter, wish them well

Anti-Patterns

Don't	Do
"Na zorgvuldige afweging van alle kandidaten..."	"We hebben een selectie gemaakt en daar ben jij helaas niet bij..."
"Wij danken u voor uw interesse in onze organisatie."	"Bedankt voor je interesse!"
"Het HR team van Statik"	"Pieter Jelle"
"Geachte heer Van Humbeeck"	"Dag Rik"
"We nemen binnenkort contact met je op." (if you won't)	"We houden je gegevens bij om eventueel later opnieuw contact op te nemen."
"Het spijt ons enorm en wij verontschuldigen ons voor dit ongemak."	"Het spijt me, maar ik hoop dat je alsnog een geschikte plek vindt!"

Checklist

Before sending any communication:

• Used their first name (and got it right)?
• Signing with own first name?
• Reason for decision is clear and honest?
• No corporate jargon?
• Sounds like something a kind human would say?
• Wished them well appropriately?
• Open door made clear (if applicable)?
• "Ik" for feelings, "we" for company decisions?
• Praise is neutral, not overly specific about achievements?