Rejection

One of the harder parts of recruitment is calling a very good candidate to tell them they didn’t get the job.

Especially when they did almost everything right.

Three interviews.

A case study that took hours to prepare.

A final-stage interview with four senior people.

Good feedback throughout.

And still a no.

I’ve had a lot of those conversations over the years, and I don’t think recruiters or employers should underestimate how disappointing they can be.

Because by the final stage, a candidate hasn’t just invested a few hours in a process.

They’ve started imagining what getting the job might actually mean for their life.

Maybe the extra money gets the family out of a difficult financial situation.

Maybe it finally allows them to apply for the house they desperately need.

Maybe it means their partner can go part-time, take parental leave or spend more time with young children.

Maybe it means a shorter commute, more stability or simply a fresh start after a difficult year.

They’ve probably discussed it at home.

They may have mentally resigned from their current employer.

They’ve pictured themselves doing the job.

After three interviews and a case study, they reasonably think they have a real chance.

Then someone calls and tells them they came second.

The difficult reality is that sometimes there is nothing particularly useful to criticise.

You can have two or three candidates who could genuinely do the job.

But only one person can get it.

The person who misses out might have interviewed extremely well, had the right experience, prepared properly and made a very strong impression.

Another candidate was simply a slightly better fit for that particular team, manager or situation.

That distinction matters.

A rejection at final interview isn’t necessarily evidence that there is something you need to “fix”.

Sometimes the process confirms you are pitching at the right level.

You just happened to be competing against somebody else who was too.

As recruiters, I think we have a responsibility to give people proper feedback where we can.

But we can only do that if the company gives it to us.

I have stopped working with clients in the past because candidates were repeatedly left waiting without meaningful feedback.

I find it particularly strange because, when the shoe is on the other foot, employers are understandably frustrated when candidates disappear, stop returning calls, or fail to answer.

Yet some companies forget what it feels like to be the person looking for work.

To invest weeks in a process.

To prepare presentations and case studies.

To take time away from work and family.

To start believing this could genuinely change something for you.

And then hear nothing.

There will always be disappointed candidates in recruitment. That is unavoidable when only one person can get the job.

Leaving people in the dark isn’t.

If you are hiring, give your recruiter the feedback.

Let them make the call.

Even disappointing news is better than silence.