Throughout the hiring process, you may have to make the tough decision of who gets the job between two experienced and qualified candidates. A common misconception in the hiring process is that rejecting candidates means the end of the road for opportunities between them and your company. It does not have to be. In fact, keeping in touch with past candidates can bring several benefits to your company.
Provide Candidates Future Opportunities
Staying in contact with unselected candidates creates an already-warm candidate pipeline for future roles at your company. If your hiring leaders must decide between two top candidates, be sure to stay in touch with the rejected candidate to inform them of the difficult decision and your interest in staying connected for future job opportunities.
According to SHRM, only about 25% of talent management professionals stay engaged with unselected applicants. By ending communication with these potentially great employees, companies are missing out on prime opportunities to build relationships with an expansive candidate talent pool. A beneficial way to keep in touch with rejected candidates can be through newsletters, social media interactions such as LinkedIn engagement and inviting these candidates to company events.
Maintain a Positive Brand Image
Maintaining a positive brand image is essential for attracting top candidates. One crucial way to uphold a positive brand image is by staying in touch with inactive candidates. Poor communication with rejected candidates can lead them to share these negative instances online, potentially discouraging future candidates from applying. In fact, a study from HCI reported 72% of rejected candidates report their negative experiences online. Furthermore, 55% of job seekers report avoiding certain companies after reading negative online reviews.
Rejected candidates often talk about their experiences to not only other candidates but other job seekers in general. Unfortunately, being rejected isn’t normally associated with a positive experience. Candidates have large professional networks, and having negative experiences shared with other job seekers and candidates can negatively impact potential networking opportunities. On the other hand, if you handle the rejection process sincerely and professionally, you can provide these candidates with adequate information, encouraging respect of your company and its process. As candidates share their positive experiences with their professional networks, it can encourage many potential candidates to become interested in your company.
Be sure to let rejected candidates down easily, with honesty and transparency about why they were not selected at that time. Establish ongoing communication with unselected candidates, ensuring they keep your company top of mind while encouraging candidates to continue applying for positions at the company.
The hiring process is never simple; there are often many great candidates in the talent pool. Even if they don’t fit the current position as well as another candidate, it should not be the end of the relationship. Professionals grow and evolve every day, and so does your company. Be sure to relay that sentiment to all your candidates and provide them with information, sincerity and transparency. Staying in touch with your rejected candidates can provide great opportunities to grow your networking base, relationships and your overall company brand.
For more information on hiring candidates, check out our blog on What You Need to Know About Internal vs. External Hiring!
Recent Comments