How to reject candidates

BAD NEWS AND COMMENTS TRAVEL TWICE FASTER THAN GOOD ONES

How to Reject Candidates

With the speed of digital communication, is more important that ever was to have a process that works perfectly when having to reject candidates that have taken their time to summit their application to your job openings. The most common complaint job seekers have is not receiving a reply after their interview or application. If part of your company strategy is placing your own adverts instead of using our services, we recommend following a few simple steps to keep the candidate informed:

If part of your company strategy is placing your own adverts instead of using our services, we would always recommend following the below simple steps to have the candidate always informed:

• Use automated recognition receipt after they have submitted their application
• Include timings for the entire duration of the recruitment process
• Clearly state a cut-off date after which they can assume they have not been successful

It’s considerate to also provide a telephone number, perhaps with certain times when the candidate can call to get feedback. This can be a good motivational indicator that puts the ball in their court.

If you’re dealing with high volumes of applications throughout the year for repeatedly vacant positions, we recommend that you implement an “Experience Questionnaire” with each application to give candidates the opportunity to supplement their application. This way, they can think about how appropriate their level of experience and skills are for the specific role. It also creates a filter for those who don’t think it’s necessary and therefore remove themselves from the application process at this point.

After a candidate has attended the interview, your relationship has already reached a different level and the professional courtesy of interview feedback is expected in the form of a personal phone call or at least a very customized email.

Videos communicating all of this information are now quite popular, as the candidate feels that the message is personal, even if it isn’t.

Some employers are still not in a position to prioritize the importance of rejecting candidates in a way that makes them feel the experience has been positive despite the result of the interview or application. Nonetheless, we feel it’s important to remind these employers how powerful social media is, and how damaging it can be if the top talent they are trying to attract reads online about negative experiences with their company.