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There are good and not-so-good ways to professionally reject job applicants. Although you may think that this is not a necessary condition for learning to do well, it is not the case. Once you learn to reject job applicants correctly, you will be able to apply for a job in a more professional manner while keeping your company in top condition.
Why it is worthwhile to study professionally and reject job applicants
Imagine this: you work in the human resources department, or you are a start-up company with a limited budget, hoping to find a talented candidate to fill your vacant position. Applications began to flood in, and the number exceeded your expectations. There were many promising candidates for this position, but in the end only one succeeded.
What will happen to your rapport with other unsuccessful candidates? Will you cut them off suddenly? If you do this every time you deal with potential job candidates, what does this mean for your reputation as a company? As you might imagine, it is in your best interest to professionally reject candidates who have not advanced.
If you don’t keep candidates in the dark, but “reject” them through proper notice, you will build goodwill. Candidates who did not succeed this time may be encouraged to reapply in the future. Your brand recognition will increase, and you will not connect with high-quality candidates. In short, learning to reject candidates in the right way has many benefits.
Reject the investment required by job applicants
Fortunately, rejecting job applicants professionally is not necessarily a long and lengthy process. At least, this is not the case when you use the right tools to help you automate as much as possible.
Use similar recruitment software feasible, You can easily automate the rejection process. What does that look like? Well, it can start by using the personalized template you send to the applicant through the recruitment platform. Once you have a batch of applicants who have not passed the review, you can choose to contact them through a personalized rejection message.
Workable is a great tool because it comes with many recruiting features to make the rejection process easier. With automation and scheduling features, you can simplify the recruitment and rejection process for each vacancy.Learn more about It works here and its best function.
7 steps to reject job applicants
Rejecting candidates is not necessarily terrible (or a total drag). Here are five simple steps you can take next time you need to notify promising candidates that they are not advanced.
#1-Choose a tool
We have already mentioned using recruitment tools like Workable to help you deal with rejected candidates. It comes with many applicant tracking functions, making it easier to contact job applicants individually or collectively.
However, this is not your only choice. There are many recruitment solutions you can use to help you integrate the rejection process into your recruitment workflow.
We spent hours researching and ranking some of the best recruitment tools. View our list Learn more about each recruitment tool and its best use.
Choosing a tool that can help you complete the rejection process may require trial and error. You may want to demonstrate some and try their free trial versions to learn more about how they meet your business needs.
Another method is to manually send an email to each applicant who did not get a job. As you have already guessed, this can quickly become messy and tedious. This is why we recommend that you use recruitment tools. You will save time. Therefore, you can also save money in the long run.
#2-Use a rejection letter template
Once you have selected a tool that can simplify the entire recruitment process, you need to decide what you want the rejection letter to be. What will be included in the letter? Do you want it to have multiple sexualizations?
You don’t have to start from scratch when making these decisions. There are many rejection message templates that you can use as a reliable starting point.For example, Workable provides you with a large number of recruitment templates, including A rejection letter.
The general elements of an elegant rejection letter are:
- Thank you for applying for this position
- What is your final decision (go forward with another candidate)
- Feedback or praise for interview performance
- Do you think they are suitable for future or tangential locations
- One or two warm concluding remarks I wish them all the best
- Your signature and company contact information
Your rejection letter does not have to follow a rigid template. The more you personalize the rejection letter, the better it matches your company’s brand.
#3-Contact rejected candidates as soon as possible
During the candidate search process, you don’t want to wait in the dark for candidates who have not passed. It is a good practice to let them know as soon as you decide who gets a job offer. The less time your candidates have to wait, the more positive your candidate experience will be.
Let them know as soon as possible that they did not get the job, which also shows that you value the energy and time they invested in the application process. If possible, you should try to avoid staying out of contact with a group of candidates for long periods of time.
A good way to ensure that waiting does not become a recurring problem is to schedule a time to send rejection letters. Using recruitment tools such as Workable, you can easily automate the reminder process. After receiving the automatic alert, you can ensure that all applicants are contacted.
Remember, sending rejection messages via email is not the only way to professionally reject candidates. For candidates who have gone through a more complicated recruitment process, you can set aside time to contact them over the phone and talk to them in person.
Picking up the phone and talking to them in person further expresses your gratitude for their participation in the recruitment process. You can discuss any special skills that impress you or provide feedback.
#4 – Personalize your disapproval message
Generally speaking, the more personalized your rejection letter, the more memorable and positive the experience of the candidate you rejected.
This can include feedback. The amount of personalized feedback you provide in your rejection letter ultimately depends on how your company wants to manage each candidate. While some rejection letters include comments or compliments on specific skills that potential candidates bring or are impressive, others will not bother to personalize rejection letters to that level.
You can personalize your rejection letter in the following ways:
- Address candidates by name
- Point out any skills and assets that stand out during the interview
- End with a statement related to their field and provide online contact
#5-Avoid negative connotations
In other words, use professional language, but stay away from words with negative connotations. For example, you don’t want to say “We are sorry to inform you that you have been rejected…” This sounds too harsh.
Another way to avoid negative connotations? In the feedback process. If you decide to provide feedback—whether you call candidates or email them—you want to stay away from providing negative or overly critical feedback. On the contrary, if you want to include feedback, stay positive and constructive.
You want to avoid comparative feedback, such as in feedback that compares their skills with those of other candidates. Rather than delve into what candidates could have done better, highlight what they do best.
Are their outstanding skills worth mentioning? Was it a pleasant experience to interview them? Candidates, especially those you reject, do not want to receive calls or letters full of negative feedback from potential employers. This is counterproductive to the whole idea of rejecting candidates professionally from the beginning.
Avoiding negative connotations allows you to maintain a good attitude towards potential future candidates, and if your words are misunderstood, you can avoid any possible employment lawsuits.
#6 – Proactively notify them
There are many ways to keep in touch with candidates you have not hired. You can contact them via social media, ask them to sign up for your newsletter, or send them occasional emails with the help of recruitment software.
This is why it is a good idea to end rejection messages by providing candidates with a way to stay in touch. Following up with job applicants ensures that you will not burn any bridges and keep communication open. If they have vacancies or job fairs to attend in the future, you can let them know.
Keeping rejected candidates informed is another way to build rapport and create a positive brand experience. Even if you end up not hiring candidates, they will still have a positive view of your company, whether as a contact or as a customer.
You always hire fewer candidates than you reject. This is why it is so important to ensure that you reject promising candidates in an elegant, positive and professional manner. If interacting with your recruitment process does not leave bad taste in their mouths, then qualified candidates who have not been promoted this time will not hesitate to apply for future vacancies.
#7-End everything in a positive way
The fact that you are communicating with rejected job applicants has put you at an advantage compared to companies that don’t care about processes. For all to go well, it is important to remember that you want to do your best to end every interaction with the rejected candidate in a positive way.
To do this, you can:
- I sincerely wish them all the best in their future contacts
- Proposal to provide additional job opportunity information
- Thank them for taking the time to apply
- Proactively answer any other questions they may have
- Provides to keep in touch through social platforms
- Let them know about any job fairs or upcoming events
- Give them an opportunity to provide feedback
- Tell them that you want them to consider applying for future opportunities (if they are valuable candidates)
If you really want to work harder during the rejection process, you can choose to call them and send them follow-up emails. Although this may be a more time-consuming process, it can create a positive experience without burning the bridge.
One more option? Video message. Although rare, this is another way to reject candidates in a more personalized way. They can hear your voice changes and interpret your gestures more accurately. Although this is by no means a requirement for job applicants to be rejected, it is an option that can be considered, especially if the recruitment process is remote and more complicated than usual.
Next step
The right rejection of job applicants can set the tone for future employees. Doing your best to ensure that you reject candidates carefully and professionally will help you create a better brand experience, additional goodwill, and keep you in touch with valuable candidates. But gracefully rejecting job candidates is only a small part of the hiring process.
That’s why we created A guide with a five-step process Conduct an excellent job interview. It is always a good idea to know how to scan your resume-what to pay attention to and how to simplify the process.you can Take a look at this guide learn more.
Want to simplify your HR process? We also have a guide in this regard. It will guide you through the process of selecting HR tools based on your company’s unique needs. If you find these guides helpful, don’t forget to bookmark any (or all) of these guides for future reference.
