We’ve all experienced working with candidates who are truly good people with great skills and who would be a great “catch” for the right company…. just not the one we are working for or representing in THIS search assignment. Everyone on the interview team agreed on he/she having all of the requisite functional skills – the candidate (on paper) met most of the specifications in the position profile. The problem is they just don’t fit in with the culture and the current environment. It could have been their energy level, their “Bull in a China shop” personality or just their overall demeanor. Regardless of the reasons, the consensus vote by the team is…NO.
NOT NOW, NOT EVER.
Now, it’s time to “let the candidate down” and let them know this is just not a “good fit”.
Many recruiters (internal and external) loathe the thought of having to call a candidate and tell them NO. It’s a tough conversation for the person delivering the message as well as the candidate who has to hear they have been excluded from the process. There are lots of ways to deliver the message….”NOT THIS TIME” or “THIS ONE IS NOT GOING TO WORK” or simply that “We’ve decided to go a different direction”. BOTTOM LINE: YOU ARE NO LONGER IN CONTENTION and it’s over.
Depending on how direct you want to be or the tone you use, you know in your heart you have conveyed the message clearly and concisely and left no ambiguity as to where things stand. GUESS WHAT? Everybody gets it EXCEPT…the candidate! They have decided for whatever reason they are NOT ready to throw in the towel yet! Furthermore, they firmly believe in the old sales axiom that “the selling begins when the customer says No.” OMG!
They call you, or worse, your client, to just “touch base” and see how things are going. I’ve actually had them call my client and say they have NOT heard from me and are just curious to see where things stand. They call back, and then call again! WHAT?
It is really embarrassing when a client calls to inform you that the candidate has contacted them directly and they ask you to intervene and tell the candidate what you have already told them. It’s proof that when it comes to delivering the message you have to be direct and candid with the candidate. You must make sure the candidate understands that it’s OVER. Don’t water it down and sugar coat it. The Great and Powerful OZ has spoken (your client) and they have made a decision to pursue other candidates.
Got it? You don’t get to go to to Kansas and you are NO LONGER a candidate for this position. Period. End of discussion. Still don’t get it? (somebody please help me here…).
Don’t mince words – be understanding, empathetic – but be completely honest. This will save everyone a lot of time and grief. In the end, candidates are just like you and me. They are human and they have feelings. Unfortunately, sometimes they only hear what they want to hear.
SO BE CLEAR!!! NO MEANS NO!
Aw, man…I’ve met this guy, before. I even had one throw in some guilt. “My girlfriend is pregnant and I’m would really like to get hired before the baby is born.”
I have told a couple candidates that they have officially moved from “persistant” to “annoying” in my book. That’s usually when they get it and stop calling.
The view from the other side. Mr./Ms. Recruiter you were my best friend returning my calls and emails immediately, friendly and helpful through the 5 phone screens and 3 in-person interviews. When I’m not selected, it takes you three weeks to email me a canned rejection note. Then you’re offended when I follow-up with a phone call?
It’s more than a fair comment. I too, have been guilty of not following up properly to candidates that were in the funnel and had a candidate call me out last year on a search assignment I was working on. No recruiter should be offended when they get a call from a candidate under consideration for a position they were working on. Once the final decision is made and the candidate actually “shows up” the courtesy is to contact the other candidates that were in the final slate and let them know the outcome/status of the search. Fair comment and a good one!
Tim -
Good post – I liked the comment from battered as well. It’s hard to give good feedback, because it feels like confrontation, even though we are in control as recruiters. You’ve got to tell someone they aren’t good enough, and as you point out in your post, if you aren’t clear enough, so think there’s still hope.
And that means you’re going to have another conversation many times…..