Sep 09, 2021

How to Tell Someone They Didn't Get the Job

Being a hiring manager has its perks. You get to give some amazing hiring advice and talk to some interesting people during your interviews as a part of your job. But it also comes with its own set of challenges and one of the harder parts of the job is having to deliver bad news! This includes informing a hopeful candidate that they did not land the job of their dreams. Today we’d like to talk to you about how to tell someone that they didn’t get the job, and how to explain why you didn’t hire someone while still protecting the business and maintaining your own mental balance.

How to tell a candidate they were not selected over email

Simply ghosting a candidate might seem like the easy way out, and unfortunately, this is a path that some companies take. A lack of response, however, leaves the candidate with a negative impression and can even lead them to leave negative word-of-mouth reviews about your organization. So how do you tell a candidate that they were not selected? Let’s look at some of the ways in which you can break the bad news without leaving a poor impression.

As soon as you know that a position has been filled or that this is not the candidate for your role, inform them right away. When you are sending an email to break the news, get to the point immediately and don’t leave them hanging by making small talk. Remember to use words that soften the blow of not being selected for a job. For example, instead of saying ‘rejected’, you could say, ‘declined’ and add a genuine compliment so that you can help lessen the sting.

Here’s an example of a rejection email that might be helpful:

“Hello, Bob,

This is Alison from ABC Company. It was great meeting you at the interview last week. We really appreciate the time and effort you put in throughout our selection process.

Your resume and work experience are truly impressive; however, in a difficult decision, we ultimately chose to go with another candidate who has more (insert reason for selecting the other candidate). However, we were impressed with your background and industry knowledge and feel you would be a great culture fit for our company. We would like to retain your details in the event other positions open up in the future.

We will be posting a few XYZ positions in the coming weeks, and hope you’ll consider applying again. Otherwise, we wish you the best of luck in your career endeavors.

Thank you, Alison”

Instead of simply giving the standard line of, “we went in a different direction”, let them know why they didn’t get the job. Offer feedback in a polite and respectful way, and this will not only help the candidate improve for their next interview, but you will also acquire their respect. Remember to be honest, straightforward and most importantly - be kind!

How to tell someone they didn’t get the job over the phone

As a hiring manager you may need to send out several emails to let them know that they have not been selected for a job. One of the times you may need to make the “you’re not hired” call would be if you have gone through multiple rounds of in-depth interviews. In this case, the candidate is invested in the position, and it is vital that you break the news over a phone or video call, as an email is the equivalent of getting divorced via text message!

The crucial thing to remember is the delivery of the message. Thank them for their time and effort throughout the interview and application process and give the highlights and positives of the interview. Remember to provide constructive feedback and get to the point without feeling the need to talk about the weather or discussing the last episode of Money Heist! Keep the bad news short but end the call by letting them know that you are open to discussing other opportunities should the candidate be interested.

If the candidate asks you why they had not been chosen even though they performed well, or they felt like they were the perfect fit for the role, remember that you’re not obligated to provide reasons for hiring someone else. If you do wish to answer the question, keep your answers limited to the role in question and remind them that you’re only legally allowed to reveal that much information anyway.

Just in case you do need a little more help, here’s a template for reference. You may add/edit details as you see fit as no conversation can go exactly the way you script it out.

“Hi Jane, this is Robert Jones at XYZ Company. I wanted to thank you for taking the time to interview with us on Monday regarding the ABC position. We enjoyed meeting you and thought you had strong qualifications for the job. However, we've decided to extend the job offer to another candidate whose qualifications and education better match what we're looking for.”

Keep the conversation under ten minutes and if you feel like the candidate may be a fit for other roles at your company, let them know and leave the door open for future interactions. If you feel like they’re not a fit, don’t give them false hope, but rather end the conversation with a polite “best of luck for the future”.

We know that making the “you’re not hired” phone call or sending that email can be a major hiring challenge for you, but here’s some helpful hiring advice that might make the process easier for you – when you inform a candidate of your decision, you’re building a strong employer brand and you’re expanding your talent pool with candidates for future consideration. At the end of the day, if a declined candidate has had a positive experience with you and the company, they will feel inclined to reach out to you at a later date for other opportunities.