Have you ever met someone and immediately thought, “wow!”? They make a great first impression, you got along well, and then you realize soon after that they just weren’t the one? Yeah, me too.

The most difficult part of my job is the break-up. I interview every single day and meet some pretty amazing people. They make a great first impression and are so easy to talk to. They have great people skills and they have all of the right answers to the questions that I ask. But then I get that gut feeling… The one that tells me, “I like them as a person, but not as an employee for this company”.

Being a Recruiter at Plan A is everything that I could want in a job. I work with the most amazing people, I get to deal with people every day (which I love!), and I’m able to see how quickly Plan A is growing into the change that the long-term care sector has needed for so long. But it’s also the first (and only) job I’ve held where denying people a job is an expectation that’s written in my job description. It’s so crucial to the success and the reputation of Plan A that I hire the best person for the job. We pride ourselves on only hiring the absolute best healthcare professionals to add to our staff pool, so when I meet that person who just isn’t “the one”, it’s part of my job to explain to them why. So how do I turn a candidate down in a professional, respectable way?

TELL THEM.
Many Recruiters conduct interviews and know that they will not be continuing with the hiring process, but never actually relay that message to the candidate. It’s very unprofessional to leave someone without an answer. Candidates often apply and wait to hear back after an interview to continue with their job search. By waiting to tell them they were unsuccessful, you are putting their chance for employment at risk with other organizations.

Tell them right away.
There’s no need to wait days or weeks to tell someone that they aren’t successful if you know right away. Everyone leaves interviews wondering how they did, so easing their minds as soon as possible, whether that be with a yes or a no, is appreciated.

Personalize the message.
Many organizations tend to use a general email or phone call dialogue when they have an unsuccessful candidate, but it’s very impersonal. Try to touch on one of the reasons that led you to say no, be more specific to make it known that you paid attention to and considered their answers. You don’t have to go into grave detail, but giving them a reason will answer the “why?” question that will be running through their minds.