How to Decline Candidates After Interview

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<h2>Key Takeaways</h2>
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<li>Only decline candidates after receiving a written acceptance: Except in cases where candidates need immediate closure for competing offers.</li>
<li>Professionally declining candidates is crucial: It helps maintain your company’s reputation, ensuring future candidate attraction. Providing feedback, even if generic, is essential for a positive candidate experience.</li>
<li>There are three options: (1) Sending a generic email is practical when you cannot provide specific feedback. The message should be respectful and recognise the effort of the candidate. (2) Calling with generic information offers a more personal touch and is suitable when detailed feedback is unavailable. (3) Calling with constructive feedback is the preferred approach, providing valuable insights detailing objective, evidence-based reasons for non-selection.</li>
<li>Special considerations: Internal candidates require clear feedback and growth opportunities; referred candidates need careful communication to preserve internal relationships; and feedback to recruitment agencies should be specific to refine the search process.</li>
<li>Be ready for various candidate responses: It’s important to remain empathetic yet firm in the decision and encourage future applications when appropriate.</li>
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Most hiring managers never get professional training about declining a candidate. Consequently, many candidates receive zero feedback, or at best get a cringe-worthy apology from someone saying, “Sorry” a lot.

If a candidate has attended an interview, they deserve to get a few minutes of feedback about why they were unsuccessful. Where possible, go beyond a generic email/call saying, “Sorry, we had more relevant candidates”; give constructive feedback that is specific and actionable.

It is important to professionally decline candidates because:

• It’s the right thing to do: Put yourself in the candidate’s shoes. Even if they didn’t want the job, they knew the interview went badly, or they got another job – they will feel disappointed because you’ve rejected them. You’re challenging their “identity”, and this is even worse if they need to explain it to family and friends. Show some compassion.
• It gives the candidate the best experience it can be, under these circumstances: Even (or especially) at this final point, you should be striving to deliver a good candidate experience.
• You’ll get a bad reputation: If you continuously recruit you’ll compound the problem further.
• Candidates can leave bad reviews: This is particularly easy on social media and sites including Glassdoor. (If you want to have fun, read your competitors’ poor reviews!)
• You want to be an employer of choice: Perception is grounded in reality, so you must treat candidates professionally.
• Employee referrals will drop: Employees won’t damage their reputation by recommending the business again.
• You never know when you might meet the candidate again: Who knows if they’ll be a future employee, employer, competitor, or customer?
• Finish on a positive note: This is likely a candidate’s last touchpoint with your company, so make it a memorable one, especially as people generally prioritise the beginning and end of an event (Kahneman, 1993).

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<span class="grey-callout"><p><span class="text-color-purple">Tip:</span> If you use a recruitment consultant, they will give feedback to candidates, so you don’t have to.</p>
<p>However, I’m often wary about giving specific feedback if other interviews are scheduled with the same agency. Otherwise, recruitment consultants can prime pending candidates on what you’re looking for. Future candidates won’t necessarily be any better for the job, but they will artificially be better prepared for an interview.</p>
<p>But if interviews have concluded and you haven’t hired anyone, I would give very specific and direct feedback. This will help the recruitment consultant adapt their search and send better candidates. But be warned; contingency recruiters are working on a success-only basis, so if they sense they’re being mucked around, their commitment to fill the job may wane.</p></span>

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<span class="grey-callout"><span class="text-color-purple">Warning:</span> Typically, you should not decline any qualified candidates until you have a written acceptance from your first choice. However, if a candidate has a competing offer and needs closure to move forward, you don’t want to prevent them from getting a job!</span>

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Here are three options for declining a candidate:

1. Send a generic “You’ve been unsuccessful” email: Okay, but not ideal.
2. Call the candidate and provide generic information: Better, but still room for improvement.
3. Call the candidate and give constructive feedback: The best option. This may be your only option if you decline an internal candidate or those from employee referrals.

Notice how there isn’t an option for saying nothing!

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Send a Generic Email (Okay)

Some employers prefer emailing unsuccessful candidates because:

• It doesn’t take much time if you use the same email template.
• It avoids getting into a debate.
• You may be unable to get specific feedback from the hiring manager.
• The justification may be weak or contentious.
• There is less chance of inadvertently saying something that may be considered discriminatory.

That doesn’t mean it’s a good option, and crucially it is not recommended when: 

• The process became protracted, or the candidate was messed around.
• They were an internal candidate.
• They were referred by an employee.
• The candidate was applying for a senior position.
• The candidate could be suitable for a future role.

When writing an email, my simple advice is never to write anything you wouldn’t want to read yourself and avoid making it feel like a personal rejection. An example email I recommend is:

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<p>Subject: Job application - update</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>Dear {candidate’s name},</p>
<p>Thank you for meeting with us to discuss our vacancy for {job title}. We enjoyed meeting you and have now had the chance to consider your application alongside other applications.</p>
<p>Sadly, other candidates appeared to have more relevant skills and experience on this occasion. </p>
<p>I recognise the time and effort that was involved in attending the interview and that there is no easy way to pass on negative news, but I hope you appreciate being updated.<p>
<p>All I would add is that this certainly does not mean you could not make an excellent contribution to another company, and I wish you all the very best with your job hunt.</p>
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<span class="purple-callout"><p>If you could do with some assistance, get a free consultation.</p><p>You'll find my best-selling recruiting book full of valuable tips.</p><p>For just £199 I can also help post a job across the leading job sites in the UK.</p></span>

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Calling the Candidate: Giving Generic Information (Better)

Whilst calling and giving generic information isn’t a great candidate experience, it is still a lot better than a generic email.

This style of one-way dialogue is suitable when you:

• Don’t have a lot of specific information to share.
• It isn’t backed with particular evidence.
• Your legal team restricts what you can say. 
• You have a candidate who is unqualified and bad at interviews.

The main exceptions to this generic call would be if they are an internal candidate or if they were referred by an employee. Both situations require a more personal touch to negate any impact on office politics, which I’ll cover later in the article.

Here are a few tips to structure your call:

• Use a semi-formal, warm, and friendly tone: The candidate will feel disappointed, so your tone is fundamentally important. You’re not going to debate the decision or your rationale because it isn’t going to change (if this happens, be more formal and assertive).
• Ask if they have time to talk: It’s very awkward if you interrupt them and they don’t have the chance to focus on such a meaningful conversation.
• Give them bad news immediately: The candidate is likely anxious, so don’t make it worse.
• Avoid “feelings”: These are less credible and open to bias. For example, avoid saying, “In this instance, we feel other applicants are…”
• Keep it at the company level: Use words such as “we” or “the company” and avoid using “I” or “the hiring manager”.
• Don’t ask if they have any questions or check acceptance: It is unlikely to affect the decision. As a golden rule, never allow questions from candidates who are defensive or don’t seem self-aware.
• Know in advance if you’ll consider them for another job: If you will, let them know.
• Don’t leave voicemails! If you can’t reach the candidate after multiple attempts, resort to sending a generic email.

Here is an example of how a call may go:

“Hi, this is {interviewer’s name} calling with an update about your interview. Do you have a few minutes to chat now?” ..

“I’m sorry to say that we won’t be moving ahead with your application at this time. We’ve decided to pursue another candidate for this job. I appreciate your time though, so I wanted to call you personally instead of emailing you. I know you might have other opportunities you’re pursuing, so I wanted to let you know right away and wish you all the best in your job search. Thanks again for your time.

If you don’t feel confident making this phone call, consider role-playing with a colleague.

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Calling The Candidate: Giving Constructive Feedback (Best!)

This is my preferred option, but it is slightly riskier as a candidate might ask questions.

Your goal is to give the candidate your decision, help them understand the reasons for this decision, and make them feel like they were treated fairly.

When explaining your decision, there are two types of evidence you could provide:

• Hard skills: Examples include needing more technical skill, knowledge, or experience. 
• Soft skills: Examples include adaptability or communication skills.

A key problem with providing feedback on soft skills is that it can be open to bias. Additionally, it is easy for candidates to get defensive, misinterpret, or challenge your interpretation. In contrast, feedback on hard skills is more objective and easier for a candidate to understand. So, generally, I focus only on objective hard skills, even if that doesn’t give a candidate the complete picture.

Before you start the conversation, review your information, and anticipate common issues. Are you comfortable with the feedback you’ll be providing? Is it evidence-based, objective, and neutrally worded? If you think they are going to want more feedback or the candidate is going to contest it, perhaps get the information before you start the call.

Ideally, the conversation should finish positively, adding value by giving career guidance and advice. For example, are there some books the candidate should read, courses worth attending, or experiences gained? Sometimes, they won’t even get this level of feedback from their current employer!

Here is an example of how the call might go:

“Hi, this is {interviewer’s name} calling with an update about your interview. Do you have a few minutes to chat now?”...

“I’m sorry to say that we won’t be moving ahead with your application at this time. Would you like to hear some specific feedback I’ve got?”...

“The team needed more specific examples of how you could {hard skill} in your past jobs.

If it is any consolation, we would be interested in speaking with you in the future if you have gained {hard skill} experience. So, because of that, I’d like to stay connected with you if that is okay and I encourage you to contact me if you see another job advertised that is a better match.

I appreciate your time and wanted to call you personally instead of sending a generic email. I imagine you might have other opportunities you’re pursuing, so I wanted to let you know right away and wish you all the best in your job search. Thank you again for your time.”

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Declining Candidates from Employee Referrals

Referred candidates should be treated with great care because of their connection with your existing staff, so I recommend making a constructive feedback phone call.

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<span class="grey-callout"><span class="text-color-purple">Warning:</span> Referred candidates will likely share specific details with the employee who referred them. Certain aspects of the conversation can get lost in translation and lead to very upset employees. Your employee may even have been anticipating a referral bonus and mentally spent it! Therefore, afterwards I recommend speaking with the referrer, outlining the decision without giving specific details.</span>

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Declining Internal Candidates

Declining internal candidates is potentially complicated because they are more likely to challenge a decision and could disengage or leave.

Ideally, feedback should be given during a face-to-face meeting. Following a similar format to the constructive feedback phone call but giving a deeper level of insight so the internal candidate knows how to improve. They must leave the meeting with a clear understanding and direction about how they can grow with your company. You must avoid comparing them to other colleagues or new employees, as this may generate animosity. 

I also recommend assigning them a mentor to help develop their skills and career and, most importantly, listening for signs that the employee is considering leaving.

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<span class="grey-callout"><span class="text-color-purple">Tip:</span> I recommend role-playing with a senior manager because this is such an important meeting.</span>

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Common Candidate Responses & Questions

Here are some common responses and questions a candidate may have:

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The candidate wants more information

This situation usually arises if you give generic information or the candidate wants to learn and improve:

• If you’re willing to take the time to get the information, get it, and get back to them.
• If you want to end the conversation, say, “Sorry, I don’t have any more information other than the final decision to pursue another candidate. I’m sorry that isn’t what you want to hear and that this role isn’t a good fit for you”.

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You’re declining a candidate because they don’t have a skill/experience that was obvious from their CV (eg. requiring a degree)

It is tough for the candidate and embarrassing for yourself if you invite a candidate to interview, and later decline them because you didn’t properly read their CV. In these situations, it is better to decline them for a different reason. But if you make this mistake, consider saying, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have emphasised that as much in this call. The final decision was more than just that. I’m sorry we have decided this role isn’t a good fit for you”.

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The candidate doesn’t accept the feedback

A minority of candidates won’t accept the decision. The candidate doesn’t need to like the decision; just understand what it is. I would typically reply, “You may not like the decision, but the reality is that we’re moving forward with other candidates who more closely align with our requirements. I’m sorry that you’re disappointed by that. I understand it’s important to you, but that is the company’s decision, and we need to accept that and move forward”.

If the candidate keeps asking for justification, clarify, “What is the specific issue?” Often this will uncover an issue that you can address. Explain, “The challenge for you is that you never know who else applied, and I can’t be indiscreet about them and their experience, in the same way you wouldn’t expect me to be indiscreet about you. Other candidates were stronger, and you’ve not been successful on this occasion”. Ultimately, the candidate has no frame of reference and can’t challenge that. Don’t get dragged into a conversation about what the other candidates have; the decision has been made.

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The candidate challenges the assessment

Because I don’t usually recommend psychometric and ability tests, this rarely happens. But a candidate may not understand how a test is valid, particularly some creativity and logical thinking tests which appear quite abstract.

I recommend probing before answering, “What is the specific issue?” If they raise a reasonable point, it is often best to avoid deep conversations; empathise without accepting liability and ask for time to validate and respond to the candidate’s concerns. If the candidate provides a legitimate concern, flag it with a manager or HR professional to resolve it.

If you’re happy with the assessment, explain, “We used a legally valid process where lots of evidence was gained, and no single key element influenced a decision. Therefore, we are not changing our assessment because we trust it, and know it works for us”.

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The candidate challenges someone on the Interview Team

Because I recommend having multiple members of staff on the Interview Team, it should be relatively difficult for a candidate to have this concern. If it does occur, it is usually the “fault” of a junior member of the Interview Team, who is easier to criticise.

Again, I recommend probing before answering, “What is the specific issue?” If the candidate provides a valid concern, empathise without accepting liability and ask for time to validate and respond to their concerns. If the assessor was wrong, offer training to help them improve, or don’t involve them in recruitment again.

If you’re satisfied with the assessor, explain, “The Interview Team is chosen on their ability to contribute to the recruitment process, and a final decision was based on every assessor, with no single person overtly influencing the process. Therefore, we are happy with our assessment because we trust and know it works for us”.

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The hiring manager assured the candidate they were a strong contender!

It is very awkward when a hiring manager gives this impression, and I’d usually discuss it with them afterwards so they are better at managing candidates’ expectations. In this case I would say, “I’m sorry if you were given that impression. We had several high-quality candidates, and the final decision was made”.

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The candidate wants to apply again in the future

If the candidate wants to apply again to future vacancies, I will rarely say, “No”. However, this can reopen the conversation, so I’d stress, “NEXT TIME, I’d suggest you...”

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The candidate gets emotional

Some candidates are heavily invested in your job, especially if they are desperate to change jobs or are unemployed. Or they could have had a lot of things go wrong recently and this is the final straw.

Empathise, give them time to compose themselves so they can absorb the information, and finally explain that nothing more can be done.

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The candidate asks for another chance

As a rule, don’t! You will undermine the integrity of your recruitment process and give yourself extra work.

Simply explain that a decision has been made and that they are welcome to reapply to future vacancies after developing themselves.

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Additional Resources

More help and advice are available including:

• Recruiting Book; The Secrets of Great Recruitment - How to Recruitment Great Employees.
• Downloadable PDF guide; 3 Techniques for Declining Candidates Professionally.
• Downloadable template; Template for Declining Unsuccessful Candidates by Email.
• Downloadable script; Script for Declining a Candidate (Generic Feedback).
• Downloadable script; Script for Declining a Candidate (Constructive Feedback).
• Article; How to Reject a Candidate After Interview.