How do you handle candidate rejection and maintain a positive employer brand?

Handling candidate rejection in a way that maintains a positive employer brand is crucial for preserving your reputation and ensuring that candidates continue to view your organization favorably, even if they weren't selected for a particular position. Here are some key strategies to achieve this- Timely and Respectful Communication: Provide Constructive Feedback: Maintain Professionalism: Express Interest in Future Opportunities: Offer Resources for Continued Engagement: Encourage Positive Reviews and Referrals: Maintain Transparency: Follow Up as Needed:

In my opinion Closing the loop by giving timely feedback about rejection with honesty is the only way. Irony is we talk about this but the truth is most of the recruitment agencies or Talent advisors never do this.

Rejection is inbounded with the hiring process. Sharing feedback is the respect shown by us to the resource for the time and effort they invested. Feedback will enlighten the resource ability and areas that the applicant needs to be groomed. It is always advised to share the feedback constructively. ? First, check on their experience on the interview process they appeared for; this will give them valued and inclusion. ? Communicate the positive points. ? While sharing the negative points, it’s always suggested to share them with a positive approach. This constructive feedback will give them a positive impression of the organization and help us to build our self-esteem.

Turning Rejection into Respect: Mastering Candidate Experience ??? Facing candidate rejection head-on isn't just about filling a position—it's about upholding your employer brand. ??? Learn how to turn a 'no' into a positive experience, fostering respect and goodwill. From personalized feedback to clear communication, discover the key steps to maintaining a stellar employer reputation. ?? Let's build a culture where every interaction counts! ?? #CandidateExperience #EmployerBrand #HRInsights

Nothing is worse than being "ghosted." People long for some sort of closure when they put in the time and effort to interview with your company. As recruiters, we are not only representatives of our employer brand, but also of the Recruiter job title. Creating some sort of Service Level Agreement within your team can help hold Recruiters accountable for providing timely feedback and rejection calls. Aim to give an update to your candidate on the status of their application within 48-hours (or sooner!) of their last interview. The longer you wait to give them an update, the less likely you are to follow-up with them.

Rejection is part of the hiring process, and if we're thoughtful about it we can building positive relationships even through rejection. ?? Build Job Descriptions that focus on results the role should achieve - Many candidates feel they're rejected without proper consideration because they have the skills. Stating concrete results more accurately communicates needs for the role. ??? Be transparent about your hiring process Showing the clear path to get the offer, and the points of "move forward" or "receive rejection" helps candidates manage anxiety around rejection. ??? Set dates for communication and stick to them Let candidates know how often they will hear from you throughout the process to ease anxiety around rejection.

A through job description with clear expectations of the skills needed to perform is essential. Ideally any candidate who doesn't pass the fitment analysis by a recruiter should be rejected with 3 business days of application. Longer it takes, more negative the candidate experience

In today’s world with such great technology tools, there is no reason, for any company, to not respond at all. However, I still hear so many candidates who say they never heard anything back. And I also still see companies writing on their job ads “we only respond to relevant candidates”. This is not ok. An automated “no thank you” message is way better than ghosting or leaving someone hanging forever.

As a job seeker who is actually experienced in recruiting/HR, don't wait weeks to respond they have been rejected especially for higher level positions. The candidate may be holding out on accepting other offers because of not lnowing and still hoping. When they are informed a month later they were not selected, they may have missed other opportunities which could have afforded them a position that met their essential needs. I speak from experience on both sides. I have been the recruiter and try to give feedback within 48 hours of interviews, even if I don't have an answer. I am the job seeker currently and been ghosted for weeks with no feedback. Be the change you want to see in the industry.

I believe in notifying candidates of their rejection as soon as possible. Waiting too long to provide feedback can create unnecessary stress and frustration for candidates.

In my experience prompt feedback over the phone once all interviews are completed is important. Specific feedback on how they approached the conversation, quality of the answers and how their delivery was interpreted will be highly useful information. I think you have no choice but to compare to other applicants. You are ultimately making a decision to progress with another person based on experience, skill set and interview performance. The complete picture with the appropriate context will be powerful insight. Empathy/appreciation for the likely disappointment must be shown and if you thank them for their efforts and consideration you have done all you can to provide a positive and candid experience that the applicant can learn from.

Every interviewed candidate has the potential to be an ambassador for the organization, hence it's vital to provide very good candidate experience. Not every candidate who comes through the interview pipeline to clear the interviews, hence it's important to provide detailed, growth oriented feedback on reasons for rejection so they can continue to develop. Ghosting candidate with "We will get back to you" or not giving detailed enough feedback is roadblock for a great candidate experience.

As an experienced Recruiter and Job Search Strategist I get to see both sides of this in real time! ?? My philosophy is anytime I have to share rejection communications I always try to pick up the phone and deliver the news personally and professionally. Because I have ALWAYS prioritized the candidate experience I offer as much feedback, insight or guidance I can without putting myself or the organization I represent at risk. I have witnessed first hand HR and Talent leaders scolding Recruiters for giving “feedback.” If I have done or facilitated an interview, always try to communicate 1:1. 2nd resort is to follow up via text or email to schedule a call. If that falls through I may send an email with news but offer and follow up call.

I once had a Director of TA tell our group, "Always leave the candidate wanting to work for us, even if they don't get the job." This means leave them with such a great experience that they have a positive opinion of your firm and you as the representative, that though they might be disappointed, they can only speak positively about their interactions with the firm. Some ways to do this include, demonstrating meaningful touch points from application to the close of the process, expressing care for them by eliminating inconveniences, providing timely responses to their inquiries, being honest about their fit for role, etc. As a matter of fact, why wouldn't you just treat them the way you expect to be treated in the same circumstance?

A key in rejecting candidates after an interview is ensuring they feel respected and valued. They are taking time out of their schedule, not only to interview with you, but depending on the level of the role prepare for the interview, through research and other time intensive tasks. The least we can do is ensure our response to them is personal and makes them feel valued. At a previous employer, we would send swag to any candidate who was rejected during the interview stage of our process. This was an additional cost, but it created a memorable candidate experience that they shared with people they knew and would apply for our organization in the future.

10 days following final disposition candidates receive an automated email survey with 1. cNPS 2. open text feedback Keep it simple, actionable, and enough latency to have thoughtful, measured responses from candidates.

I have had countless (we are talking thousands) interviews on both sides (hiring manager/ recruiter and as the job seeker). The companies and recruiters I remember the most and would do business with again are the ones that provided me feedback on how I could improve. I would stay loyal to a brand who I had a positive experience with and would recommend others for their open roles. No feedback, it's like receiving bas customer service. I won't just go back with my business professionally or personally.

Feedback and follow-up are game changers in the hiring process. They not only enhance the candidate experience but also strengthen your employer brand. When candidates feel valued, even after rejection, they are more likely to share their positive experiences, which can attract future talent. Transparency is key. Providing constructive feedback helps candidates grow and keeps the door open for future opportunities. This proactive approach fosters a community of advocates who can refer others or even return as applicants, ultimately enriching your talent pipeline.

Transparency is vital to any company in any field or industry. Even if the news is "not good" or you were not the right fit, people appreciate the updates. This can be a time consuming task for Recruiters but essential. Some companies send surveys out after the interview process and for those that do, the information received is critical to improve the journey and process. This will also allow companies to track or visualize areas of improvement or to continue doing great work in the areas that come back positive. Overall this accomplishes several things: feedback on the process, feedback on the recruiter and hiring leaders, and efficiency of the process. This info will allow companies to fix the areas that they scored lower in.

Your employer brand should be a realistic depiction of your organization as an employer, not the ultimate vision of who you are striving to be, or what the organization’s leaders say it is. It is about the experience your employees have when working for your organization. You can gather insights into your employer brand from employee engagement surveys and conducting listening sessions throughout your organization. Once you gather that information, you can start to craft an authentic, realistic employer brand to help attract the right talent to your organization. The more aligned the employer brand and the messaging around it is, the more likely you are to attract and retain the right talent in your organization.

Right now the job market is considered on the wild side. We hear about all these lay offs and people looking for jobs. We've heard about tech companies laying off thousands-- yet people still want to work for these companies. Why? Because the company has a strong employer brand which benefits the company to receive applications from top talent. They don't even have to pay better because of their employment brand being so strong that people want to list their company on their resumes as they feel it would open doors for them.