At the end of the recruitment process, have you ever been so excited about new hires that you inadvertently forgot about the unqualified candidates? Rejecting this group of applicants while maintaining goodwill and relationships is a real challenge for many recruiters.

Here are 5 tips to help you solve this problem:

5 WAYS TO REJECT CANDIDATES TALENTEDLY

1. NOTIFY AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE

Typically, recruiters wait until they have found a suitable candidate before officially notifying those who have been rejected. Meanwhile, these candidates may have already turned down other job offers, or even paused their job search to wait for good news from you.

They invested time and skills in applying to your company, so they deserve to hear from you as quickly as possible. Promptly rejecting their application also shows respect for their efforts.

2. PERSONALIZE YOUR COMMUNICATION
Start conversations with these candidates by name and thank them for their interest in the position you're hiring for. You're delivering bad news, so at least be polite.

Additionally, for candidates who progressed further in the interview process, you should dedicate more time to showing your respect. If you've only just conducted a quick phone interview, a short rejection email will save you time while maintaining professionalism. However, for candidates who have already participated in an in-person interview, you should call them directly to inform them of your decision.

3. KEEP IT BRIEF
You can give reasons for your decision; however, don't waste time and make the conversation worse by discussing their performance during the recruitment process in depth and detail.

Instead, you should keep it brief with one or two sentences to highlight the candidate's strengths and state why they are not a good fit for the position at your company. For example: “We were really impressed with your practical knowledge and skills. However, at this stage, we are looking for a candidate with more leadership experience.” Your candidate will realize areas they need to improve, and you can end the conversation quickly.

4. ALWAYS BE HONEST
Don't reluctantly console candidates with insincere compliments. If you can't find any strengths in a candidate, simply thank them for their enthusiasm for positions at your company.

Sometimes, it's clear a candidate isn't a good fit for the company culture or for any position. In this case, don't try to promise to contact them in the future.

5. CONNECT WITH POTENTIAL CANDIDATES
If you have to reject a candidate who you believe could be a potential employee for another position, let them know that you genuinely want to stay in touch for future opportunities. Don't forget to save their information and connect with them via LinkedIn or company events to effectively build rapport for future talent recruitment.

Source: Adecco