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With advances in social media, and everyone becoming attached to their phone, there’s more than one way to tell candidates they didn’t get the job. But what’s the best way of rejecting candidates?
It’s never easy breaking the news to a candidate that they haven’t been successful, so it’s vital to make the process as painless as possible for the jobseeker. The phone and the formal letter have been used for a while, and now, of course, there’s email, while other digital methods are breaking onto the scene. Each has a role to play, but it’s all about how they are used and the approach taken when using them to reject a candidate.
The formal letter
These are typically only sent out directly from employers in the case of a job applicant being unsuccessful and not usually from recruitment consultants, according to Lisa Haynes, manager at Morgan McKinley Public Practice Team in London. “The application submission stage of the process is when a letter is the most appropriate option from an employer,” she explains.
With respect to how such a letter should be structured, Haynes adds: “When rejecting a candidate by letter, it is best for the employer to keep it short and to the point, giving a clear reason for the rejection. If applicable, it is also an opportunity for them to suggest that the candidate may apply for future roles.”
However, these days formal letters tend to be used when an applicant is successful, as a confirmation of employment. So if the oldest form of rejection is no longer relevant, what about email?
The rather impersonal, ubiquitous and somewhat throwaway nature of email, means that it’s not the most appropriate medium to deliver crushing blows to candidates. In fact, it could even be construed as insensitive in the extreme.
Haynes offers a warning to recruiters who may be tempted to short-cut the feedback process by using methods such as text messaging, email, LinkedIn or formal letters rather than making direct contact.
“Such approaches take away the relationship-building aspect of recruitment,†she says.”Ultimately, this will lessen the credibility that a recruiter has with a candidate and they will be less likely to seek advice or work with that recruitment consultant in the future, either as a candidate or a client.
However, email can be used to confirm in writing what has been discussed verbally, to ensure that the candidate is given a concrete record of the feedback given to help them in the future.
But its verbal communication, primarily over the phone, that gets the thumbs up from recruiters as the most appropriate way to deliver a message of rejection…
The phone call
Although digital communications have increased the ways jobseekers can be told they haven’t been successful, the direct and personal nature of a phone call make it the firm favourite among recruiters.
What’s more, recent research carried out by Morgan Mckinley showed that candidates want to be given constructive feedback and prefer it to be delivered face-to-face or at least over the phone. For RecruiterHub’s Judith Armatage, who was formerly director of professional development at the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, this really is the only option.
“The recruiter should call the candidate directly and give them honest and constructive feedback. The bad news must be delivered in a sensitive and constructive way. The recruiter should choose a time the candidate can speak freely, but make it as soon after they have received the news themselves as is practically possible.”
It should also be made clear to the unsuccessful candidate, who is likely to be feeling very down, that this is not the end, and there will be plenty of other opportunities. Part of this ‘recovery’ process should also involve fully explaining not only what areas the candidate can look at improving, but also highlighting the areas where they performed well, so they continue these traits in future interviews.
Meanwhile, for Lisa Holmes, IT recruitment director at Assured Recruitment Solutions, close contact with candidates is vital throughout the entire recruitment process. “So if a candidate is unsuccessful, it’s important to maintain that level of communication and give them the news directly by phone, with as much feedback from the prospective employer as possible,” she says.
“I structure the call so I can give the candidate both the positive and negative feedback from the employer, and talk through any issues if the candidate wants to. This way, I can make suggestions and offer pointers that may help them in future interviews.”
“Companies need to consider that the applicant may have really put themselves out to go through the recruitment process, such as taken holiday to attend an interview, as well as having incurred travel costs,” says Holmes. “Consequently, courtesy is vital, and it’s key for both recruiters and employers to think about their brand. Companies rejecting candidates may also want to consider reimbursing travel costs.”