Rejection stinks. The whole “it’s me, not you” schpiel just doesn’t cut it these days, and giving candidates a negative experience through the interview process is like adding salt to the wound.
Forget about how recruiting is a lot like dating. Let's talk about what it's like to get the short end of the stick and how recruiters, too, were once candidates themselves. But don’t take it from us. We chatted with six industry professionals about their own dire stories of rejection to learn about what recruiters shouldn’t do when breaking ties with unsuitable contenders.
Here’s what they had to say:
Lesson 1: Don’t be a tease...or a flake.
If you approach a candidate with a job opportunity, follow up accordingly.
"After leaving the corporate world, I went back into entrepreneur mode. There were, however, instances where LinkedIn or Mashable or Facebook and Twitter would lure me to some enticing jobs. So, I did what I could: I applied directly to the jobs through myriad applicant tracking systems, endured the frustrations of filling out clunky forms, reached out to the recruiters directly via email or message, and then, the big cyber black hole void. Nothing — not even responses to follow-up emails. And these are positions I know I am qualified for.
Where did my résumé go? Did anyone look at it? And if so, is the person looking at my résumé actually well-versed in truly identifying top talent based on a résumé? Can he or she see potential in a candidate and actually follow up with them to gauge for cultural fit and experience?
Like a hiring manager once told me: 'The toughest position to hire for is for great recruiters.'"
— Suzy Tonini, @Infosourcer, Social Media, Sourcing, and CI Lead at Careeradex
Lesson 2: If you say you’re going to call, then call.
Follow up with candidates appropriately, especially if you end up stringing them along through multiple levels of the interview process.
"I went through three quite intense interview stages with a large automotive manufacturer. First, an hour long telephone interview, followed by a 90 minute face-to-face interview, then an hour long meeting with the line manager, a direct report, and the head of human resources. I felt I had nailed it. After the last meeting, the line manager told me how great a team she thought we would make, what value my skills and experience would bring to the business, and how she would come back to me before the end of the day with a decision.
She all but told me there and then that I had the job. Then I never heard from them again.
Not only did they not come back to me, they also failed to respond to any of my efforts to contact them, despite my polite request for feedback regardless of their decision. All three contacts remain connected to me on LinkedIn and whenever I see their activity, I am reminded me of how unprofessional they were. It has tainted my view of them as individuals and of the business. I do not think I would trust either again in the future either as a hiring manager, employee, or as a consumer."
— Kate Ball, @Gorkana, Group Recruitment Manager at Gorkana
Lesson 3: The real world is nothing like “The Bachelor” — you can’t toy with those you want and those you don’t want.
Leaving your candidates hanging by a thread of hope is cowardly and it ruins your credibility.
"A number of years ago I applied for a rep job with a large travel company. I was successful at the first sift and telephone interview, and I was invited to an interview and assessment day in London, the following week. As I lived near Leeds at the time, this meant an overnight stay and me having to buy train tickets — all at short notice, which meant that the cheaper tickets had gone!
I arrived early for the assessment center and we eventually got started, having a delayed start due to a candidate turning up late. All seemed to go well in the group assessments and presentations, which we had been asked to prepare. Having come from a sales background I was fairly confident in this part!
After a panel interview with three recruitment managers, we were left for an hour to look after ourselves. At the time this meant going out and smoking an alarming amount of cigarettes to settle the nerves! We were called back in and split into two groups, three of the "older" candidates, myself included, and nine others who were in the age range of recent college graduates. The three of us were taken into an interview room and it was explained to us that although we had “interviewed and presented ourselves well,” there were concerns that we may be “overqualified for the role and be bored.”
We had a group assessment, and then we had a group rejection! This could have been made clear at the CV sift or telephone interview stages. Needless to say, it was a waste having to spend time and money traveling all that distance! All was not lost though, according to the recruitment manager who had obviously drawn the short straw on giving feedback. Cue whoops and cheers from the “successful” room next door.
We were told we were going to be considered for some management roles that were coming up, which would be more in line with what we had done before, and said they would be contacting us again over the next couple of weeks to progress on this. Naively I thought that this might be a real opportunity.
Three weeks later and no contact. I tried to call the contact from before. Lo and behold, that person was on holiday and knew nothing about the jobs mentioned! I was told that they would be back in touch in a couple of weeks though.
Lessons learned that I now bear in mind in my current job:
- If someone isn’t right for a role, have the guts to tell them to their face.
- Don’t beat around the bush. Be straight and be honest
- If you tell someone that they’ll be contacted, contact them!"
— Tony Melling, @BigT76, Talent Attraction and Selection Advisor at Swinton Careers
Lesson 4: Work to build the relationship, even if the honeymoon phase is over.
The onboarding experience doesn’t wane away after the hire.
"After working evenings at KFC, through the end of school, I went for a casual job at McDonald’s because it was nearer home. The manager was hesitant to take someone on who was only 18 but went ahead because of my three years experience. From the moment I started, the barbs flew. For example when I was changing a bin liner, he said, 'You may have done that at KFC, but we don’t do that here.' I mean seriously, how do you get that wrong? It was unnecessary and it was humiliating, I was working hard and being rejected at every turn. I left. In retrospect, if he’d paid heed to his hesitancy, I could have avoided the whole horrible episode."
— Katrina Collier, @WinningImpress, Social Recruiting Trainer and Speaker at Winning Impression
Lesson 5: Don’t be afraid to hurt a candidate’s feelings. Give ‘em closure.
Let the candidate know early on that you won’t be moving forward with them if you don’t think they’re a right fit for the team.
"A few years ago, I was one of the final two candidates for a regional HR job with a large, well-known oil company. They flew me to my interview where a black town car picked me up. The interview went great. I felt I connected with my soon-to-be boss, and I flew back home excited at the prospect of receiving a job offer.
One week later, I went on my honeymoon to Europe. Having not heard back from the hiring manager by email or voicemail, I paid over $75 to make a call from my cruise ship in the middle of the Mediterranean to check in and answer any questions my future boss might have. He gave me the runaround and told me someone would be in touch with me soon. I never heard back from anyone there. I didn't get the job, and no one ever knew the length I went to check in after my interview. Their loss.
Companies need to follow up with job seekers and give them straight talk. It provides closure and allows the job seeker to emotionally move on and take a realistic assessment of how they did in the interview as well as why they were not selected. I took extreme measures to understand how I could improve in the interview process. I often took a tape recorder into my interview so I could listen to myself and develop a plan to improve how I answered interview questions for next time. Recruiters can consider doing the same to improve their interview technique."
— Jessica Miller-Merrell, @blogging4jobs, CEO at Xceptional HR
Lesson 6: Sometimes, it’s okay to give an ex another chance.
A candidate’s second round of interviewing just might be the charm.
"Shortly after graduating from college, I interviewed with a well-known recruitment agency. I was super keen to be a recruitment consultant and was convinced I’d be marvelous at it. However, the branch manager who interviewed me wasn’t so convinced. She (politely) rejected me saying that I wasn’t 'sales-y enough.' I was devastated, but undeterred! Six weeks later I went back, re-interviewed, got the job, and ended up being their highest biller. Hurrah!"
— Joy Matthews, @DMWGroup, HR and Recruitment Manager at DMW Group
On behalf of the great sourcing and hiring community, don’t be that recruiter. To the False Hope Hannahs, the Pipe Dream Peters, the Disappearing Debbies: Please stop. Rejecting a candidate is already a tough enough experience. You’re making us all look bad.
