Telling them they are not getting the job .

From ERE Network  | July 22, 2009  | posted by David Szary 

One of the toughest things to do as a recruiter is telling a candidate they are not getting the job, especially in this economy. This becomes even a bigger challenge when:

1. A hiring manager does not provide objective reasons for not selecting them.


2. There are multiple positions to fill, so you will continue to source candidates after you have rejected them.


3. They are just super nice, friendly, etc.

Of course it should go without mention (but I will mention it) that if there are objective, technical/skill related reasons for not selecting them - - you should address them in your debrief with the candidate. Examples:

"In this role, we need someone that has experience developing new JAVA software".
"The selected candidate must be a CPA."

But what if the reason they were not selected was because of personality, demeanor/disposition, attitude, etc. Those squishy "soft skills" are tougher to address, and let's be honest - - can open you (and your organization) up to litigation.

I know I have often tried to honestly address these type of issues with candidates, only to have it turn out to be a "he said, she said" argument with them denying my "allegations".

So what can you do to objectively, politely decline a candidate for consideration?

In your debrief discussion with the candidate after the interview, weave these questions into the discussion:

"If you were the hiring manager, why might you not select yourself as a candidate?"
"If the hiring manager does not select you, why might you think that would be?"
"Playing devil's advocate - - what competency/skills might you be lacking that the hiring manager really would like the person hired to have?"

98 times out of 100, they will objectively identify a few things that they might be lacking, did or didn't say in the interview, etc.

This information can be used to politely decline them as a candidate if/when you get to that point. The closing conversation might go something like this:

"Remember when you told me that the reason you might not be selected was because you didn't have Java, well unfortunately - - you were right. With the tight deadline, he needs someone to quickly come up to speed on the project."

Use the most objective information they provide in the debrief session during this conversation. To make sure you are doing everything possible to make the right hiring decision, you can also use this information with the hiring manager. When they say "I will pass on Dave" and you ask "Why?" and they say "I just don't have a good gut feeling" . . . you can mention some of the things the candidate said to see if it helps to objectively "close the loop".

While in a perfect world, we would always have very objective reasons (based on competency/skills) to decline a candidate for consideration, the reality is that it is often times difficult.

This tactic might help bring closure when providing bad news in a difficult economy.

8 comments

•  Jacolien VanderValk 1 point 3 days ago
  

  I agree that it's nicer for us to bring candidates the news that they've progressed to the next round, but since bringing bad news is part of our job, I want to give rejects the best feedback they can have.

  
  

  
  For me, this means asking (and persuing in that!) hiring managers for objective reasons for rejecting the candidate and getting that message across the best possible way, with respect for the candidate who did invest time and effort in their application. After all, today's reject might be tomorrow's customer.
  And the farther progressed in the procedure, the more personal the message is being delivered: rejects who were not interviewed get short(er) messages by email, and candidates who get rejected after first-round interviews will receive an email but with more in-depth reasoning. Rejects after second-round interviews (usually two out of three candidates) will receive a telephone call, or will be emailed with an offer for feedback by phone with either myself or the HR Consultant.
  Nobody likes to be rejected, but I like to think that when done respectfully, a rejection message will assist candidates in their future applications. Thank you-messages and -cards from rejected candidates testify to that.

  
  

  Jacolien van der Valk, Recruitment Coordinator, Swets Information Services, www.swets.com

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Agree with all of the above, but I do have one rule:  tell the candidate as soon as I know it's a pass.  The longer it hangs out there, the more difficult the conversation is likely to be.  Even if the reason is "They simply felt you weren't the best fit for the role at this time".  Most candidates handle getting bad news better than getting no news.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   Jim Sullivan 1 point 4 days ago
  

  Sybil,

  
  

  Great rule - HR and recruiting is the "face of the company" and communication is the key to goodwill.  Informing the candidate that they are out is the just right thing to do.  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   Phil McCutchen 1 point 4 days ago
  

  Good and timely topic. Perhaps even more distrubing in today's employment market is when your candidate has the skills and interviews well, is offered the job, given a start date, and then you never get confirmation from your client's HR department.

  
  

  The job just disappears and the offer is essentially rescinded. WTF!

  
  

  Imagine the PR disaster in the making: You've presumably dealt in good faith with both the candidate and the client. The candidate may have quit another job to take the job offered -- and surely made a lot of plans and situational changes to accommodate their supposed new employer.

  
  

  Now you've got one seriously P.O.'d candidate -- who has every right to drag you and the client through the mud through all those social networks they and you are connected to and perhaps into court in some circumstances.

  
  

  I know, "stuff happens". And there are no winners in this scenerio. Just food for thought -- I believe that it is vitally important for recruiters to require clients to deal in good faith from the moment they get the order as well -- or assume that they can personally take the "unintended consequences" of their part in the play.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   Jim Sullivan 1 point 5 days ago
  

  As a third party recruiter we often have the task of telling candidates that they were not selected (not my favorite part of the job).  This is even more difficult when "our partners" in HR refuse to tell us the "why".   I understand that sometimes they don't know, as the manager just says "Pass", I also understand that sometimes it's a "chemistry issue" or as simple as something the candidate said that sits poorly with the hiring team. 

  
  

  I always tell candidates the reason when it it specifically a skill based issue otherwise I say that "you weren't selected" I don't have to give a reason.  Often times a client will tell me the reason and ask that I not pass it along - and since as a recruiter I work for the company - I don't, but keep it in my file for future reference in case I get another interview for that candidate and then make sure I prep them better and make sure I hit on that point. 

  
  

  Just had a situation like that - the candidate was a good fit in every way EXCEPT he wouldn't shut up.  He did the typical oversell that often afflicts nervous candidates and answered every question with a dissertation and refused to be interrupted.  I won't tell him that but I will make sure to cover it if I every get another opportunity for him in the future.

  
  

  The biggest issue I see for corporate recruiters is that in our current litigious society ANY reason beyond a skill based issue could come back at you and you don't want to leave that door open.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   Eliot Axelrod 1 point 5 days ago
  

  I'd have to say this is a timely subject. I recruited for a few years and I'm now actively looking myself, and most interviews processes are ended poorly.

  
  

  Rejection generally causes a short term shock. No answer, or a fuzzy answer can lead to anguish. Not good for the candidate, not good for the company - which may have long term bad feelings from the candidate, not good for the recruiter who's left holding the bag.

  
  

  I don't think that giving a specific reason is necessary in most cases, especially if the rejection is based on personality or style. Hurting someone's feelings about something they probably can't change (e.g. their eyebrows, their name, the fact that they reminded the hiring manager of their  brother-in-law) doesn't seem to be productive

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   Stephanie Huff 1 point 5 days ago
  

  I would have to agree with William. There is nothing that states you have to give a candidate any specific feedback. And while sometimes candidates will appreciate it, more times than not it opens up a can or worms that were best left closed. Especially for corporate recruiters and hiring professionals. The best is to keep it plain and simple and let the candidate know that many strong candidates were interviewed and that it was a difficult decision but in the end we went with a candidate whose experience and skill set were more closely aligned with what the hiring manager was looking for. It is best to keep it at that. It frees a company from any legal implications.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   William Uranga 1 point 5 days ago
  

  Hopefully you are trying to advocate what a third party recruiter can/ought to do.

  
  

  From the corporate side of things, it doesn't make sense to play "devil's advocate" with previously phone screened or interviewed candidate.  A simple "At this time in the search, we're pursuing x number of candidates that have even more years of java experience" is clean and truthful (the assumption is that this is based on fact of course).  If delivered live, not by email or mail, it garners positive response and even on occassion referrals.  No one likes to receive bad news/rejection - as a recruiter, however, you should have the moxy to do so professionally.  You took up their time to begin with, honor it with a follow up call.

  
  

  On the soft-skill deficit item... it is just a quagmire.  I can't say it strong enough, just "don't go there".  Keep to the fact requirements of the role in question.

  
  


•  Sybil Hudson Wermert 1 point 4 days ago