How to reject candidates and give feedback correctly?
In this article you will learn how to correctly reject candidates and give feedback:
First, let’s briefly discuss rejections.
It is always better to send a template rejection letter than to say nothing. At least because the candidate may keep other offers on hold while waiting for your response.
In addition, if you ignore candidates once, they probably will ignore you the next time. Furthermore, it’s really bad for company’s HR brand.
Now for a more controversial point. Feedback.
What is feedback? How is it different from criticism or opinion?
Criticism focuses on the problem, while feedback often includes comments about something positive. Unlike an opinion, feedback is specific and objective. For example, "the test assignment was sloppy" is an opinion. It does not give specifics, an outsider does not understand what is meant by "sloppy", it seems that the feedback is based not on facts, but on impressions.
When a recruiter gives feedback:
- To explain the rejection.
Not all companies think giving feedback is worth the time if they are no longer interested in the candidate.
We definitely think it's worth it, and here's why.
First, to maintain a good relationship with the candidate. A template rejection instantly destroys any trust between the recruiter and the candidate and makes future collaboration difficult.
Second, the candidate can work on the challenges you told them about, in which case specialist might become a more successful candidate over time.
Thirdly, good feedback is part of quality communication. And communication is the most important part of a company's HR brand. As an external agent, we make sure that our actions benefit the company's HR brand.
- For the culture of transparency.
Just keep the candidates informed at all times. Is the teamleader delayed in making a decision? Write to the candidate and tell them you haven't forgotten about him, why the delay is happening, and when you'll get back to him with a final decision. Ask for feedback from him too - find out if candidate's willing to wait a few more days, if they already have other offers.
Everyone loves clarity - because it's good when the candidate understands what's going on and what stage they're at, and you understand the candidate's disposition and their willingness to accept an offer in case of a positive decision.
So, how do you give good feedback when rejecting?
Make sure there is more than just criticism. Tell what the candidate succeeded in, what you liked about their performance, what was good about their experience and skills.
Be specific about why you decided to turn them down. This should be a reason based on facts, not opinions.
Good feedback is simple and clear - there should be no babbling, only facts. The message should also be friendly and offer to keep in touch. As an agency, we often encounter cases where one person, who didn't even make it to technical interview at one company, turns out to be a dream candidate for another.
So we take a template:
Hello!
At this time the company .... is not ready to invite you for an interview.
If anything changes, as well as in the case of new relevant vacancies, we will definitely contact you.
Thank you for your time, and good luck with your job search.
And we rewrite it:
Jane, good morning, I'm here with feedback asap, as promised. 🙌
Right now .... is not ready to invite you to the next interview because a good level of spoken German is very important for this job (due to the fact that most of the communication is done in it). In addition, the company is now giving priority to candidates with experience with the … framework currently being used on the project.
That said, I want to point out that you have really great experience in the … industry. So I want to ask if you wouldn't mind if in the future I might suggest other interesting jobs, especially since I already know a lot of details about your experience and interests. :)
By the way, in this regard I want to clarify, are you interested in working only for inhouse companies or do you consider outsourcing companies as well?
Ta-da! We've turned the template into an adequate feedback that fits into our communication with the candidate, rather than ending it.
