It’s true that most people in general dislike confrontation, so they avoid it at all costs. Sadly, the same usually goes for businesses.
When job candidates are brought in for an interview, companies typically don’t contact the person to let them know they decided to hire another candidate.
I completely disagree with this approach. It’s inauthentic for companies to operate in this manner.
If a job candidate takes time out of his schedule to come into your office for an interview, he deserves the courtesy of at least a follow-up call or e-mail letting him know what your hiring decision is.
When you don’t follow-up with a candidate:
- It makes him/her feel bad.
- It makes your company look bad.
- It lessens the chance that the person will reapply at your company or tell his/her friends to apply at your company.
- It increases the chance of negative word-of-mouth being spread about your company.
- It’s just unfair overall; the person is waiting to hear back from you.
Yes, it can be awkward and uncomfortable to contact a job candidate and tell him you don’t plan to hire him. But the ethical approach is to contact the candidate anyhow.
One thing that’s especially rude is when an HR person tells a job candidate, “We’ll contact you either way,” and then the candidate never hears another word from the company.
Remember, your employees—even the people you don’t hire—are like spokespeople for your company. Treat them poorly and you may end up with some bad publicity.
How Not To Treat Job Candidates Poorly
Let’s face it—most companies don’t take the responsibility and courtesy of letting job candidates know they didn’t get the job. But just because other companies don’t do it, doesn’t mean your company should follow suit.
Here are suggestions for how to be a better employer:
- Follow-up!—It’s easy enough. A phone call, e-mail or, at minimum, a letter in the mail letting the candidate know he/she didn’t get the job doesn’t take much effort, but it will be appreciated. This kind of response will keep the candidate from holding out on applying for other jobs or thinking that he/she is getting the job.
- Tell candidates why they didn’t get hired—OK, so most companies probably wouldn’t do this, but letting a candidate know he/she didn’t have enough experience or that his/her references didn’t check out may seem harsh, but it’s actually eye-opening. And it will allow the candidate to think about how to do a better job the next time he/she applies and interviews for a job.
- Be timely—The few companies that do follow-up with candidates oftentimes wait way too long to inform the candidate that he/she didn’t get the job. Don’t do this. Don’t make people wait or anticipate a job they’re not going to get. If you know after the first interview the candidate isn’t right for the job, send a regrets letter immediately. Or better yet, tell him/her after the interview is completed. Say, “I appreciate you taking the time to come in, but you’re not what we’re looking for.” Yes, it can be awkward, but the candidate will appreciate it immensely.
- Be appreciative—When you bring someone in for an interview, the person sometimes has to jump through hoops just to make it in—from taking time off from work to driving a long distance. Be appreciative of all the effort the person went through to interview with your company and follow-up.
Never underestimate what following up can do for your company. Be a stand-out employer and take the time to let candidates know your decision—whether you’re going to hire them or not.