| name | the-kind-kids-tone |
| description | Write external communications for The Kind Kids / Statik, especially application/sollicitatie responses (both acceptance and rejection), but also client emails, partner communications, and any outward-facing messages. Ensures all communication follows The Kind Kids' warm, honest, personal, and human-centered tone of voice. Triggers on: "write a rejection email", "sollicitatie beantwoorden", "afwijzing schrijven", "reply to this applicant", "write an acceptance email", "draft a response to", "kandidaat mailen", "The Kind Kids", "Statik tone", or any external communication task.
|
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
- Warm but Honest — Friendly and appreciative, never sugarcoat or give false hope. Say "no" clearly while remaining kind.
- Personal — Use first names (theirs and ours). Sign with your actual name, not "HR team" or "Het Team".
- Empathetic — Acknowledge disappointment: "Ik vrees...", "Jammer genoeg...", "Het spijt me..."
- Hopeful (When Appropriate) — "Ik hoop dat je alsnog een geschikte plek vindt!" / "Als er wat zou bewegen weten we je te vinden!"
- Casual-Professional — Use "Dag" or "Beste" (not "Geachte"). Sign off with "Groeten" or "Fijne dag" (not "Met vriendelijke groet").
- Transparent — Explain reasons honestly. No vague corporate-speak.
- Open Door — When appropriate, offer to stay in touch.
- Helpful — Go beyond the standard reply when possible.
- 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:
