2nd July 2021 3 MIN READ •Talos Attract •Employer Advice
Recruiting is a rewarding career – putting talented people in touch with relevant opportunities, and bringing strong new employees to your team. One of the less favourable tasks, however, is telling candidates that they haven’t been offered the role. Here we discuss how recruiters should let applicants know that they didn’t get the job.
How to notify unsuccessful applicants:
Here’s how to politely tell unsuccessful candidates that they didn’t get the job:
– Thank them for their application
Courtesy is crucial when notifying unsuccessful applicants. Make sure to thank them for choosing to pursue your brand’s opportunities.
Make this the first thing on your mind when calling unsuccessful candidates. If you’re notifying them by email or text, be sure to personalise the message – including their name and referring specifically to their application.
– Give useful & honest feedback on their application
While you may feel like the bearer of bad news, it’s important to make the ‘regret’ conversation as positive as possible for your candidates. Be sure to praise them on the things they did well (e.g. their interview performance, portfolio pitches, the strength of their application).
Give honest feedback, as this can be a valuable learning experience – especially for first-time applicants. Let them know where their application fell short of stronger candidates, and give them tips for pursuing similar opportunities in future. This adds developmental value to an otherwise negative situation.
– Keep them engaged with your employer brand & opportunities
Consider your employer brand reputation when giving feedback to unsuccessful applicants. While they may have reached the end of this hiring journey, it’s important to keep them engaged with your brand for future interactions.
Ask candidates if they would like to be updated about future opportunities with your company. This not only adds a positive light to an undesirable situation, but gives you a pool of previously engaged applicants for future hiring campaigns.
Why it’s important to let unsuccessful candidates down gently
Letting candidates down gently isn’t just about courtesy – it’s a key part of maintaining a sustainable hiring process. Here’s why you should always keep things amicable with unsuccessful applicants:
1 – They might be a valuable candidate for future vacancies
Not every candidate can get the job the first time around. This doesn’t mean, however, that they won’t be a strong fit for future opportunities.
Maintaining a positive relationship with unsuccessful applicants increases the chance of them applying for your vacancies in future. This gives you a greater reach over more strong talent in your sector – enabling you to attract high-quality applications every time.
2 – It protects the reputation of your employer brand
Your employer brand is the reason applicants apply to join your company, and why existing employees stay with you. Maintaining positive contact with unsuccessful applicants is vital for upholding your brand’s reputation in the job market.
This increases the chance of strong talent applying for your future vacancies, and helps to promote your business as an ‘employer of choice’.
3 – It’s part of providing a positive candidate hiring journey
The candidate journey is an integral part of any successful recruitment strategy. A positive journey for candidates means a more enjoyable hiring experience for your HR team.
This also helps you to maintain a strong reputation with job-seekers. When candidates are met with a negative hiring journey, they’re more likely to dissuade talent in their networks from pursuing your opportunities.
This creates a negative association with your employer brand, limiting the potential of future hiring campaigns.
Introducing…
Talos ATS: Discover easier hiring
Want to make recruitment easier for your HR team, and more positive for your candidates?
Talos ATS is our all-in-one talent-acquisition suite, giving employers all the tools they need to achieve streamlined, cost-effective hiring.
The platform has you covered throughout every step of the hiring process – from attracting the best candidates, to interviewing, selecting, hiring, and onboarding!
Talos ATS includes:
- Next-generation Applicant Tracking System
- Automated candidate communication (SMS/Email)
- Multi-platform job posting & advertising suite
- Video screening & interview tools
- Automatic progression of your strongest applicants
- Fully-branded careers page included
- Employee onboarding & welcome tools
Discover an enjoyable way to manage & hire top talent:
