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The art of saying “no”: how to let candidates know they haven’t got the job

Businesswoman says no or hold on at her office.

As recruiters, finding a candidate who is the right fit is often one of the most important aspects of the job. But what about the other side of the coin, when you have to reject candidates who have put time and effort into your recruiting process?

With most companies rejecting far more candidates than they hire, it’s just as important to skillfully turn down candidates as it is to find the right one for the role. After all, in today’s interconnected world, every candidate who has an experience with your organisation, whether they are successful or not, can impact your company’s reputation and employer brand. And with 96% of job seekers considering insight into a company’s reputation as important when deciding to apply for an open role there, the repercussions of not providing a positive candidate experience for all can be detrimental to your hiring process. 

So, how can you master the art of saying “no”, so that rejected candidates still have a positive experience and possibly even turn them into advocates for your company? Here are some tips:

  1. Never ghost candidates 

First gaining traction in the dating world, “ghosting” is also becoming more common in recruiting for both job seekers and employers. 

As a recruiter, sometimes it’s easy to justify ghosting candidates, especially in high-volume hiring situations. But with 44%2 of job seekers saying that waiting to hear back from a potential employer is their number-one pain point while job searching, and almost half (45%3) of them sharing these negative experiences with their in-person and online networks, dropping out of contact with candidates could have a serious impact on your company’s reputation. 

So if you have a “no answer means no” rejection strategy, it’s time to stop ghosting candidates. 

  1. Remember, everyone who applied for the job deserves a response

Whether someone was rejected at the start of the recruiting process or after a series of interviews, it’s important to communicate the outcome of an application to each candidate. This can help prevent bad candidate experiences, and possibly even turn rejected candidates into advocates for your organisation.  

While this can seem daunting, especially if you’ve received a large number of applicants, it can be done. Trello, the web-based project management firm, has a strict policy of responding to every candidate. They even make an effort to keep the line of communication open with applicants by sending out detailed and playful automated messages to keep them engaged until a Trello employee reaches out.

So at the very least, create a standard rejection email to send to candidates who don’t make it past the resume or phone screen stages of the hiring process. 

  1. Provide feedback to unsuccessful candidates 

While sending an automated rejection email to unsuccessful candidates is a good first step, if you can also personalise the message and provide constructive feedback on why they didn’t get the job, all the better. 

For example, did they simply not have enough experience, or were they missing skills that are essential to the role? Whatever the reason is, let the candidate know why they were unsuccessful and what training or certifications they would need to be better suited for the role. 

If the company has decided to put a pause on recruiting for the role, let the candidate know this is the reason why they were unsuccessful. And if you think they would be right for this role, or any other roles within the organisation, let them know you will keep their resume on file for future openings. 

By building empathy into your rejection process, there’s a greater chance that candidates will have a positive experience with your company, and possibly share that with their inner circle, helping to improve your reputation. 

  1. How to handle combative candidates

Despite putting time and effort into skillfully rejecting candidates, some may still have an emotional response. If this does happen, it’s important to remember that the job search journey can be a stressful and frustrating process for many candidates, so don’t take it personally. 

First and foremost, stay calm and keep things brief with candidates who become difficult or hostile. Don’t play into their combative behaviour as that will likely heighten the situation. Instead, try to continue being empathic and respectful as it may help keep the situation from spiraling into something regretful. 

Turning down candidates might not be the most glamorous part of a recruiter’s job, but it is important to your company’s reputation. After all, every job seeker who applies for a role at your organisation has a candidate experience with your company. And by providing a great experience for all candidates, whether they are successful or not, you can help turn rejected applicants into potential ambassadors for your company. 

Methodology: This research was conducted by Lonergan Research on behalf of Indeed, among 1,033 Australian job seekers in January 2019

Methodology: This research was conducted by Decipher/FocusVision on behalf of Indeed, among 500 Australian job seekers in 2017

Methodology: This research was conducted by Lucid on behalf of Indeed, among 1,000 Australian job seekers in 2019

Ricky Fritsch

Ricky Fritsch is the Managing Director of Indeed for Australia, the #1 global search engine for jobs. He oversees Indeed’s strong momentum in the marketplace and finds ways to accelerate their revenue growth.

 Fritsch has been in the recruitment industry for 11 years, the last 8 of them being the Senior Director of Sales in the US. His speciality lies in leading businesses at Indeed, most recently the sizable Enterprise Sales Business on the East Coast (US), and building and growing relationships with F1000 companies. One of Fritsch’s biggest achievements is being named Indeed Head of Sales for ANZ.

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