Help candidates with meaningful feedback. The last thing anyone wants is to waste time and effort.
Dear Hiring Managers,
Please be honest with candidates who have gone through multiple stages of the hiring process but were not selected in the end. These individuals have invested a significant amount of time and effort over days or even weeks. Give something back in return.
We empathize with you. Thank you for the hard work you do. The weight you carry is heavy and complex. You face the expectations of your company or project, often with increasingly limited resources, and you’re tasked with finding the perfect candidate. We understand the challenges.
Honesty for the candidates.
It’s unrealistic to expect personalized communication for hundreds or thousands of applicants. However, for those who made it past the initial filters—or whom you specifically invited to participate in the process—please consider this request: honesty.
Take an extra moment to personalize the message generated by your system. It won’t take long, but it can provide immense value. Be brutally honest. At this stage, candidates are mature enough to understand the competitive nature of the process. But let’s ensure that the time and effort invested lead to something valuable: clarity.
Candidates need to know what to improve, what they’re missing, or why they didn’t qualify. Generic phrases like “your resume impressed us, but we chose someone else” are overused and unhelpful. Instead, consider providing specific feedback: “Your salary expectations exceed our budget,” or “We’re looking for someone with a stronger technical background in X technology.”
Help candidates with meaningful feedback. The last thing anyone wants is to waste time and effort. Your processes already required their investment—give a little back by being sincere.
Thank you for your empathy and transparency. It goes a long way.
Warm regards,
