4 Tips on How to Turn Down the Candidates You Don’t Hire

According to Glassdoor, each corporate job posting attracts 250 resumes. Of those candidates, 4 to 6 will get called for an interview, and only one will get the job. With such a great response rate comes great responsibility. The way you treat candidates throughout the hiring process, even those you turn down, will reflect on your company in a positive or negative way. The candidate experience matters more and more. There are now websites like Glassdoor that are dedicated to collecting reviews on a company– including the candidate experience. Everything is there, from application response time to specific questions asked during an interview. If your company’s page is covered in negative reviews, a good candidate might be more likely to avoid applying to your job posting. Ignoring the candidate experience and the candidates you turn down can be damaging for your company’s image and could mean missing out on building good professional connections. Below are our best tips to avoid leaving a bad impression with the candidates who don’t get the job.

1. Overcommunicate

The top complaint we receive from candidates is the fact that they receive little or no communication from hiring managers or human resources professionals during the application and interview process. Applicants who never hear back when they aren’t considered often feel they deserve some small communication in exchange for the time they’ve invested in their application or interview. Often candidates spend hours on their applications, ensuring every detail is correct. An open stream of communication is important to maintain a professional image and it helps to cultivate relationships. If you do not have time to call each candidate personally, a polite and personalized e-mail goes a long way. In our experience, candidates would rather hear the bad news that they didn’t receive an offer than to remain in ignorance because you’ve failed to follow up. The finality of turning them down allows them to move on with their search and seek employment elsewhere. Leaving your applicants in limbo is not recommended. Your candidates deserve some sort of acknowledgement for their interest in your company. You should welcome applicants to apply for future openings in your organization.

2. Invest in Technology

We are sometimes shocked by the number of companies both large and small that have not invested in an HRIS system. These systems make it much easier to maintain communication and keep applicants organized throughout the hiring process. Certain HRIS systems will email updates automatically if the function is enabled. With a system in place there is hardly any excuse not to update candidates on the status of their application. Virtual phone answering services can be utilized to answer basic questions from candidates and email messages to hiring mangers when needed. However, keep in mind that people typically want to be able to speak with someone versus leaving message after message in a generic HR voicemail box. Candidates can be emailed in a personal manner after receiving their message from an answering service.

3. Shorten your hiring process

According to the SHRM the average time to fill a position is 36 days, and increasing. Hiring processes that are quick and efficient will lower the amount of communication that your department will need to make in order to clarify the next steps in the process. Timeliness is important to maintain interest. If your first choice candidate does not accept the position, you will have a greater chance of having your second choice candidate still available and excited to accept the role. If your hiring process is several weeks from start to finish, the candidates will have less of a chance to overthink the process and become very attached to the role, making it more difficult for them to move on after they’ve invested so much time. Especially after spending time and resources on interviews, candidates should be given the courtesy of clear and attentive communication. We recommend keeping your hiring process as simple and streamlined as possible.

4. Be selective on where you post your job openings

Candidates often get upset when they interview for a job, are rejected, and see the same job posted for months following. This can be especially frustrating without some sort of follow-up explaining why it was they weren’t chosen. Keep in mind: If your first post didn’t attract the right person, it may have to do with your positioning. With a more targeted post, you will have fewer candidates who are far outside of the requirements of the position and therefore you will have fewer candidates you need to turn down. Know how to best reach the candidates you’re looking for, and post where you’ll attract their attention. You want to attract quality over quantity, and posting in the proper place will help you to achieve that.

To get a sense of how people feel about your company and the way you handle the candidate experience, you can read reviews on Google and Glassdoor. If you see a bad review, don’t be afraid to jump in and acknowledge it. According to Glassdoor, 62% of users agree their perception of a company improves after seeing an employer respond to a review. Communication is key when it comes to how much a company succeeds in the eyes of its candidates, and the best way to improve the experience is to simplify your process with the proper tools. Even though you may only end up hiring one person, it’s worth acknowledging the hundreds of others who applied. Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. We do this all day!

Bradley Staffing Group is a full-service staffing firm based in Wayne, PA. We are committed to matching A-level talent with best-in-class businesses. Our knowledgeable and well-trained staff brings a combined 70+ years of staffing experience to our clients and candidates alike. http://useful-sock.flywheelsites.com/contact-us/