Behind the Brand: Joe

Welcome to Behind the Brand - a series that highlights our employees and the topics within talent acquisition and HR that they are passionate about. In this edition, Recruitment Consultant, Joe, talks about all things candidate rejection. In other words, how to say "Thanks, but no thanks."

We’ve always felt that the people are really what makes Amby, Amby.

Which is why we wanted to create our Behind the Brand - a written series that highlights our employees and the topics within talent acquisition and HR that they are passionate about.

In this edition, we're talking to Joe. As a Recruitment Consultant at Amby, he has a proven track record of spearheading recruitment projects from A-Z and driving tactical and strategic improvements related to talent acquisition.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

I’m Joe, and I’m from Sheffield, a city in the North of England. I work remotely from the UK, having joined Amby when I lived in Oslo. I’m a recruitment consultant, which means I help our clients find great talent and design great recruitment processes.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve helped hire senior developers, business development superstars, and environmental consultants. I love that my job gives me the chance to learn about a pretty diverse range of industries and meet tons of new people.

Outside of work I spend most of my free time with my wife and young son, although I’m also fond of running and trips to the movies.

What’s one of your favorite things about recruitment?

It’s that feeling when you’ve just hired a star candidate, the ink on the contract is drying, and now you’re drawing up the onboarding plan and inviting them to some afterwork drinks to get to know the team. 

There’s something about the excitement of the “new” - someone’s life is going to change, and your organisation is going to get a fresh face who will contribute to that magical, continual evolution that the best organisations have.

But even though that’s a fantastic feeling, recruiters and hiring managers will be very familiar with a certain feeling - something on your to-do list you can’t ignore - something nagging at your conscience.

That’s right - it’s the 15 candidates you didn’t hire, who need to hear the bad news!

Nothing takes the buzz out of a new hire like turning down a bunch of great people who have invested their time and shown you how excited they are about joining your company. But, rejections don’t have to be such a buzzkill (for either you or the candidates) if you approach it the right way.

Why do you think candidate rejection is so important?

Well, there’s your employer brand, for one thing. If your candidate was interested in your organization this time, they could be again. And if they are not, their friends might be. If the market knows you treat candidates poorly, will they take the time to apply with you or a company that treats them well? (This is a rhetorical question - if you don’t know the answer to this, I don’t think this blog will be much help).

But perhaps most of all, because it’s kind, it’s fair, and it’s how you would hope to be treated.

You can try to put it off or even ignore it (please, please don’t), or you can take the time and pay candidates the courtesy of treating them like people.

That’s my “why”.

So, how do you reject candidates without destroying your employer brand (or your humanity)?

I think there are some important guiding principles.

A bad process makes for a bad lasting impression.

You can be as proactive, concrete, and generous in your feedback as you want, but if your process sucks, so will the candidate’s lasting experience. If a candidate has waited weeks without hearing anything, if they have to chase a response, if you demand that they prepare a presentation with 12 hours notice, they will be left with a bad lasting impression. Even the best-delivered feedback isn’t going to fix this.

Prompt is better than perfect.

It’s easy to “um” and “ah” about what to say and how your words will affect the candidate. But this can quickly turn into indecision and delays. Once you’ve decided to turn down a candidate, it’s best to communicate it to the candidate as soon as you reasonably can. If, for whatever reason, you can’t do it within a day or two (let’s say you need to complete other interviews before making the decision), make sure you communicate a reasonable timeline to the candidate beforehand, preferably in the interview itself.

But bad is… well, bad.

That said, rushing into giving feedback unprepared is going to cause problems. Take some time to gather your thoughts, decide what you want to say (or write - more on this later), how you want to deliver it, and think about how you will answer follow-up questions the candidate might have.

What’s your take on declining candidates by phone vs. email?

There are different schools of thought here. Some prefer the telephone, thinking it offers a more personal, considerate alternative and allows the candidate to ask for follow-ups. Others prefer email, as this gives the candidate more time to process the decision and feedback. Neither is necessarily right or wrong. Email can sometimes seem impersonal, but calling can sometimes catch people at a terrible moment.

A couple of solutions:

1) ask candidates what they prefer. At the end of the interview, you could say something like, “we need some time to make our decision, but not everybody we have interviewed will get the role, unfortunately. If you aren’t successful this time, would you prefer us to call to let you know or email you?”.

2) Send the candidate an email or SMS, letting them know you have an update on their application and scheduling a time for a chat.

In your opinion, what does a “good” rejection look like?

I think there are some central and fairly basic things you can do.

Cut to the chase

Whether you’re calling or emailing, don’t beat around the bush (or “go around the porridge” for any Norwegian readers). Let them know that you’re contacting them regarding their application, and that unfortunately they haven’t been successful this time around. A candidate shouldn’t have to read through two or three paragraphs to learn that they haven’t got the job.

Offer, or give the chance for, feedback

If you have interviewed a candidate, there should be no question - that candidate should get feedback.

If you haven’t, then things get a little more grey.

One thing is for sure: If you have 100 applicants, you won’t have time to give them all in-depth, personalised feedback. What you can do, though, is give them the chance for feedback. In the email letting applicants know they haven’t been successful, let them know they can contact you with any questions. Not every candidate will, but those who do will appreciate the opportunity.

And if you don’t have time to respond to all the candidates who get back in touch? It might be time to start considering bringing in some help.

And how about great feedback? What does that look like?

Be concrete

It’s no help to say, “We had better candidates” or “You weren’t the right fit.” Candidates deserve something that they can actually work on. If you’re finding it hard to be specific, get feedback from others who were part of the interview or assessment process.

Was “cultural fit” a part of why they didn’t get the job? If so, be really careful that you know what this actually means. Does it mean your organization values thoroughness, and the candidate demonstrated a quick and messy approach? That’s fine. Or is it that the person’s background differs from the rest of your team? If so, it’s time to rethink.

Be honest

Vague feedback or false positivity isn’t going to help the candidate. If you’re honest, you give them the opportunity for professional growth. It also shows respect for their time and effort. If their technical skills weren’t up to scratch, tell them that, and how they could improve. If their communication style wasn’t in line with your organisation, let them know.

Share the good and the bad

Don’t just tell the candidate where they need to improve. Give them also some feedback on what you liked about their application, what came across well in the interview, and areas of strength that they demonstrated.

Sometimes, it’s simply that another candidate pipped them to the post, and it’s okay to let them know this. If this was the case, you could even offer to contact them the next time a role becomes available (as long as you’re willing to follow through on this). Likewise, if they could be an ideal candidate if they worked on a couple of specific areas, let them know!

Be kind

For some candidates, this will be one of many “irons in the fire”, and they won’t lose any sleep over not getting the job. For others though, it may be rejection #208, after a months-long job hunt. Understand that the candidate may be frustrated, sad, or uncertain about not getting the job. Give space for this. And if they react negatively, remain professional and understanding. Although it’s not always pleasant delivering this news, ultimately, it’s the candidate’s career on the line, not yours. I’ve had a couple of experiences where a manager has centered the conversation on their own feelings and how hard it is for them to turn down the candidate. It’s neither the time nor the place for that.

Any final thoughts?

Declining candidates is an important thing to get right.

The candidates you don’t hire will be just as important for your employer brand as the candidates you do. Maybe more so - after all, there will be more of them!

Ultimately you can’t control how people will receive the bad news, but you can control how you deliver it. Focus on being constructive, honest, and kind, and you have done the best you can to ensure a good outcome.