Are you responsible for hiring?  Can you remember what is was like when you were looking for a job?  Yes, it may be uncomfortable and most people would prefer to avoid the thought of being unemployed.  However, it is important in order to identify and enhance a key area of the candidate experience; the rejection letter.  

Reflection on Rejection

Almost 60% of job seekers report having a poor candidate experience. (Source: Future Workplace and WorkplaceTrends.com)

Many candidates report no follow-up or acknowledgment of their progress during the application or job interview process. 

Additionally, many job seekers have been frustrated by the “cookie cutter” automatic reply that has little or no empathy or understanding of their experience in the process.  It is not uncommon that a rejection letter is received immediately (as little as 20 minutes) after spending time applying online and in the worst case scenario, no feedback or followup after preparing for and executing the phone screen or face-to-face job interview.

With the use of applicant tracking software and standard generated replies, it appears something has been lost;  hiring managers and organizations have failed to put themselves in the shoes of the job seeker.  Hiring with Heart™.

While it is true that everyone must be treated equally and with no hint of discrimination or bias in the hiring process…does it mean that solutions cannot be formulated to meet compliance and enhance the candidate experience while leaving your company brand in good standing with those seeking to be a part of your team? 

The team at the  Society for Human Resource Management offer several resources and tools for crafting thoughtful responses using the Interview Rejection Letter or the No Interview Rejection Letter you may find the templates of value and here is one example from their site:

Dear [Insert Name]

It was a pleasure meeting with you to discuss your background and interest in the [Job Title] position within our organization. We appreciate your time, attentiveness and patience throughout the interview process. We did have several highly qualified candidates for the position and it has been a difficult decision, but we have chosen to pursue another candidate for this position who we feel is best qualified.

We value your interest in [Company Name] and we wish you good luck in your future endeavors.

Sincerely,

[Name]

[Title]

[Company Name]         (Source: Society for Human Resource Management, May 2016)

Final Thoughts.  Delivering rejection can be difficult and uncomfortable and the idea of hiding behind technology may be easier to manage than seeing people for more than a bullet point or task…isn’t time to rethink the conversation as shifting talent markets and increased competition make it more challenging to engage qualified candidates?  

Are you a job seeker?  Do you have a story regarding your experience with rejection in the hiring process?  If so, share, and help hiring managers understand the value of Hiring with Heart™.