Telling Them No: The Art of Rejecting Candidates
Posted August 5th, 2013
It’s never a fun task to send out a rejection letter to a job applicant. But it can be done in such a way that the blow is not too harsh, so that the person may retain some goodwill toward your company and might apply for other positions later.
The first thing to keep in mind is that you want to avoid using a form letter. That will definitely leave a bad taste in the candidate’s mouth. You need to add a personal touch to the letter. You can do this by first expressing your gratitude to the person for applying and for her interest in your company.
You can follow this with the reasons for rejecting the candidate and give a more detailed explanation. What you need to explain is that there were other applicants whose qualifications were a better match for the job, but do it in a polite way. For example, you might say something like, “the position requires someone with 15 years of managerial experience, and the job was filled with someone who met the requirements.” You do not want to say that the candidate was not hired because she didn’t meet the requirements. It’s implied in your explanation that another person had more experience and this is a more tactful way of expressing it.
You may also want to tell the candidate that you will be keeping her resume on file if she should choose to apply for another position. You can encourage her to keep in touch and apply again. Try to avoid using words like “unfortunately” or “regret,” which are too downbeat.
You should close the letter on a positive note, such as wishing the candidate luck in her job search. This will be the last communication you will have with the applicant and you want to leave a good impression with her.
You should also send out rejection letters promptly – it is a sign of professionalism. Use formal company letterhead for the letter. Address the candidate by name. You can personalize the letter further by referring to the particular job the candidate was applying for and with a complimentary comment about the candidate’s qualifications, experience or enthusiasm. Close the letter formally, with “sincerely” or” best wishes.”
As for candidates who were interviewed but not selected for the job, they should get a phone call notifying them that someone else was selected for the job. This is just a professional and courteous thing to do – to show your appreciation to those who took the time and effort to travel to your firm to interview.
If your firm is looking for reliable and skilled workers in the construction, manufacturing, green scientific, high tech and managed services arena for your Bay Area firm, contact us, Bayside Solutions. We know where to find these tough-to-source professionals. Contact us today!
