Recruiting Strategy
Best practices for rejecting candidates
Orla Hodnett
HireHive
Orla Hodnett
HireHive
Orla Hodnett
HireHive
Orla Hodnett
HireHive
Rejecting candidates is horrible. You will have built a good relationship with candidates through the recruiting process, so rejecting them is tough. Letting them down easy and giving them feedback is the best way of ensuring a continued good relationship and is essential for your employer brand.
The difference between a positive and negative experience is pretty black and white for recruiter as well as candidate
The difference between a positive and negative experience is pretty black and white for recruiter as well as candidate. But what makes the biggest difference to candidate experience? A simple set of do's and don’ts, coupled with the help of recruiting software, will help you with rejecting candidates.
What you should do: Let candidates know as soon as possible if you are not continuing with their application. A timely response ensures that you part on good terms and a candidate will not become frustrated. Recruiting software makes communication with candidates very efficient.
What not to do: Do not leave a candidate waiting. Sometimes you can't avoid this, so if a candidate makes their own follow up inquiries, do not ignore them. Respond in the same way as a regular rejection call.
No bueno: Not sending any kind of response. This is the worst. If you are sending a response, avoid sending a letter or email. An impersonal “Dear applicant” stock email is as bad as no email.
Bueno: A call is probably the best way of rejecting candidates. It is personal, respectful and you and your candidate can part on good terms. A personal touch makes a candidate feel that you carefully considered their application and reflects the work you put into processing it.
Never: Avoid giving little detail to your applicants. Be very careful about how you formulate your response and don't allow room for ambiguity or misunderstanding. If a candidate even thinks that they have been discriminated against, the process has gone wrong somewhere.
Always: Give a candidate some kind of constructive feedback on their application. It can be pretty frustrating if you get a basic no and it can be difficult to understand what was good or bad about their application.
Parting on good terms is essential for a combination of reasons
10/10 would recommend: Parting on good terms is essential for a combination of reasons. Ensuring your candidate had a positive experience with your company makes it easier to approach them again if a suitable role comes up. As well as that, they will share their experiences with other passive candidates.
0/10 no way: Set realistic expectations for your candidates. Do not string them along nor reject them too harshly. As stated above, the word will spread quickly if a candidate has a negative experience, which hampers future recruiting efforts.
Bad idea: Keeping inadequate records of your recruiting projects is a very bad idea. If you do not keep note of why candidates were hired or rejected, you may place yourself in a precarious legal position. Should you be investigated by any employment authorities, you do not have a leg to stand on without records.
Genius: Simply keep record of your recruiting efforts. It puts you in a good position legally and it makes giving feedback super easy. Recruiting software can really help with this stage in the process.
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