Rejection letter

CRLuebke · March 2009

If we are in the process of interviewing and we know that 5 candidates are NOT going to work for our position, is it appropriate for us to send a rejection letter before we've extended an offer to a more qualified candidate?

Thanks!

CL

4612155 · March 2009

We send out rejection letters if we KNOW we aren't going to hire them - otherwise they are constantly calling us and driving us insane....... Seriously, if I was a weaker person it would drive me to drink..... I get the phone calls from people who say, "I am calling to check on the status of my application." And I have to tell them it's the same status as it was when they called two hours ago...... I admire people who have the courage to take initiative and follow-up on their application, but there's a fine line between assertiveness and annoyance - hence the application rejection letters. We are a retail business and require entry level new hires to work the hours that need to be filled. So when we get applications from people wanting to work M-F 9:00-5:00 they automatically go to the rejection pile. And we tell them in the letter that we do not have a position available to accommodate their requested hours - and to submit a new application if those hours change. We keep it short, simple and professional - and never rude. I always talk to them when they call and I am always nice, but man, it gets irritating.

6337604 · March 2009

I agree the phone calls are so over whelming! We send out letters before we make an official offer,we word it to say something like...We are presently pursuing more qualified candidates at this time.

CRLuebke · March 2009

Thanks for the feedback.

Another quick question...what do you say when the applicant calls and asks for feedback on why they didn't get the job? Is there some generic thing that people say - like "We had a more qualified applicant" or does anyone ever get into specifics? I suppose there are or could be ramifications to getting into specifics...legally, but am not sure.

Look forward to your thoughts.

TXHRGuy · March 2009

[quote user="CRLuebke"]

Thanks for the feedback.

Another quick question...what do you say when the applicant calls and asks for feedback on why they didn't get the job? Is there some generic thing that people say - like "We had a more qualified applicant" or does anyone ever get into specifics? I suppose there are or could be ramifications to getting into specifics...legally, but am not sure.

Look forward to your thoughts. [/quote]

"It's a complicated decision and we had a lot of really good candidates. In the end, we looked for the person who, on balance, would be able to get up and running fastest. There is no one reason and I really can't go into the details because I would have to discuss other candidates to do that."

Alternatively, "In the end, we were chose someone with specific experience in and knowledge of a different industry" "...of a different company in our industry" "...of core business function in our industry" etc. etc.

IT HR · April 2009

I don't ever give out specifics. The moment you start to do that you will have a candidate begin to argue with you about what skills they do have and why you should have picked them. Also candidates may try to use some of that information to build a case against you if they try to pursue an EEO claim as to why they were not selected.

tanksleyj · April 2009

Total agreement that the phone calls checking on the status of a job can get annoying/frustrating. I respond that a decision has not been made and that everyone will be contacted as soon as a decision is made. Rejection letters go out to everyone when the hiring decision has been made.

While we were very impressed with your qualifications, we were faced with a difficult decision. We have selected another candidate who we believe more closely matches what we are looking for in the position. However, we will be glad to keep your resume on file should we become aware of any other appropriate positions in the near future.

Thank you again for your interest and good luck in all your future endeavors.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

We never give out specifics about why one person was hired rather than another. That's just a can of worms waiting to spill.

bsaxton · April 2009

yes, we send a "no thank you" to every candidate that is not being considered for a phone screen. We simply say:

Thank you for your interest. At this time we have chosen to pursue candidates whose backgrounds more closely meet our needs for this role.

Best of luck to you in your job search.

bevhunt · April 2009

Regarding all the phone calls checking on resumes, my daughter graduated from college last year and most of the books, websites, etc. aimed at helping grads finds jobs tell them to do exactly this--call.

Rejection letter

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