The Worst Types of Rejection Emails from Recruiters

There’s only one worse thing than ghosting a candidate – rejecting them in an unprofessional way so they avoid your company (and you) at all costs in the future. Not only that, but they will tell their friends and close colleagues, which can ruin your reputation in certain circles.

Job hunting, like recruiting, is not for the faint of heart. You have to manage expectations, be content with radio silence, and at times, have incredibly thick skin as talent acquisition teams tear apart your resume or interview skills.

Recruiters: here are some big no-nos to avoid when you are sending out automated rejection emails to candidates.

THE FAKE OUT

There’s nothing like reading a headline of an email only to read that the plot twist is that you were rejected. When you are choosing your words when rejecting a candidate, make sure you are not leading them on – like this CEO and Founder saying “thanks, but no thanks” to a candidate:

u/DarkSensei3 / Via reddit.com

LOGIN TO SEE YOUR RESULTS 🙂

Give it to a candidate straight. ATS’ and recruitment marketing communications software are used to streamline the candidate acquisition process and ensure everyone is moved through the pipeline accordingly. But these shouldn’t be used like a patient portal where people have to login to view awaited test results (which can’t be emailed for confidential reasons). This HR team has decided to avoid being explicit over email and ask candidates to login to ‘view their results’:

u/Mjs923 / Via reddit.com

BOASTING IS NOT CUTE

Whether the candidate you are rejecting was not a fit technically, culturally, or timing wise, bragging about the candidate you actually went with will not be received well over a rejection email. The candidate you were rejecting couldn’t have deserved it anyway, if you decided to move forward with a phone screen or interview after seeing their resume:

u/Timely-Sheepherder44 / Via reddit.com

HOW TO WRITE THE PERFECT REJECTION EMAIL

1. Thank the candidate for their time and patience with the process.
2. Humanize it by using the applicant’s first name, and making sure whatever CRM you are using got all of the other information correct (check the filler items like job, position, location, AND ESPECIALLY THE NAME etc.)
3. If you’ve spent a lot of time with this candidate through phone screens, interviews, and government approval, give specific feedback for why they are rejected.
4. Invite the candidate to apply again or keep in touch for future opportunities.

In many instances where you have built rapport with candidates, and especially over long periods, a rejection email should start with a heads-up phone call. The follow-up email should reiterate what you discussed and enunciate the thank you and stay in touch.

THE CLEARED RECRUITING CHRONICLES: YOUR WEEKLY DoD RECRUITING TIPS TO OUT COMPETE THE NEXT NATIONAL SECURITY STAFFER.