diff --git a/addons/hr_recruitment/data/mail_templates.xml b/addons/hr_recruitment/data/mail_templates.xml
index a4f41f9deb9..4f67ca62708 100644
--- a/addons/hr_recruitment/data/mail_templates.xml
+++ b/addons/hr_recruitment/data/mail_templates.xml
@@ -5,4 +5,10 @@
 Employee created: <a href="#" t-att-data-oe-id="applicant.emp_id.id" data-oe-model="hr.employee"><t t-esc="applicant.emp_id.name"/></a>
     </template>
 
+    <template id="mail_notification_light_without_background" inherit_id="mail.mail_notification_light">
+        <xpath expr="//t//table[@role='presentation']" position="attributes">
+            <attribute name="style" add="background-color: white;" separator=" "/>
+        </xpath>
+    </template>
+
 </data></odoo>
diff --git a/addons/hr_recruitment/models/hr_applicant.py b/addons/hr_recruitment/models/hr_applicant.py
index 9e26a9584aa..465178a241d 100644
--- a/addons/hr_recruitment/models/hr_applicant.py
+++ b/addons/hr_recruitment/models/hr_applicant.py
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ class Applicant(models.Model):
             res['stage_id'] = (applicant.stage_id.template_id, {
                 'auto_delete_keep_log': False,
                 'subtype_id': self.env['ir.model.data']._xmlid_to_res_id('mail.mt_note'),
-                'email_layout_xmlid': 'mail.mail_notification_light'
+                'email_layout_xmlid': 'hr_recruitment.mail_notification_light_without_background'
             })
         return res
 
diff --git a/addons/hr_recruitment/wizard/applicant_refuse_reason.py b/addons/hr_recruitment/wizard/applicant_refuse_reason.py
index f348532b00c..fe453b26dbd 100644
--- a/addons/hr_recruitment/wizard/applicant_refuse_reason.py
+++ b/addons/hr_recruitment/wizard/applicant_refuse_reason.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class ApplicantGetRefuseReason(models.TransientModel):
             applicants = self.applicant_ids.filtered(lambda x: x.email_from or x.partner_id.email)
             # TDE note: keeping 16.0 behavior, clean me please
             message_values = {
-                'email_layout_xmlid' : 'mail.mail_notification_light',
+                'email_layout_xmlid' : 'hr_recruitment.mail_notification_light_without_background',
             }
             if len(applicants) > 1:
                 applicants.with_context(active_test=True).message_mail_with_source(