How to Reject a Candidate After Interview

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<h2>Key Takeaways</h2>
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<li>Only decline candidates after receiving a written acceptance from your first choice, unless a candidate needs immediate closure.</li>
<li>Professionally declining candidates is essential for maintaining your company’s reputation and ensuring a positive candidate experience.</li>
<li>Choose the appropriate method for delivering the decline message: generic email, phone call with generic information, or phone call with constructive feedback.</li>
<li>The candidate might get upset, be surprised or angry. Tread carefully, and reiterate that the decision has been made and is out of your hands.</li>
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Declining candidates after an interview is a critical part of the recruitment process. Most hiring managers lack professional training in this area, often resulting in poor candidate experiences. It’s essential to handle rejections with professionalism and compassion.

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!

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Declining Candidates Professionally Matters

• Ethical responsibility: Candidates invest time and effort in the interview process; they deserve respectful and constructive feedback.
• Candidate experience: Maintaining a positive experience even in rejection can uphold your status as an employer of choice.
• Reputation management: Poor handling of rejections can lead to negative reviews on platforms like Glassdoor.
• Future opportunities: A well-handled rejection can keep doors open for future interactions, whether as potential employees, customers, or business partners.

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3 Techniques to Decline Candidates

1. Send a generic email (Okay)

This is the least preferred method. A generic email is quick to send if you use the same template and it avoids getting into conversation with the candidate, which is useful if there is no specific feedback from the Interview Team. But it is only suitable for external candidates who applied for a low-level position in the company, and must be used as soon as possible after the interview.

Start by thanking the candidate for their time and interest in the position. Explain that after careful consideration, the decision has been made to move forward with other candidates who more closely match the required skills and experience. Conclude by wishing them success in their job search.

An example email template is available to download in the Guides & Checklists section of our website.

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2. Call with generic information (Better)

A personal call shows respect and can be more engaging than a generic email. As with all phone calls in the recruitment process, they require skill to perform and it might be worth role-playing them with a colleague until you feel confident.

Begin the call by expressing appreciation for the candidate’s effort and time, then immediately inform them of the decision to proceed with another candidate. Keep the conversation concise but warm, ensuring the candidate feels acknowledged and respected, but avoid asking if they have any questions.

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3. Call with constructive feedback (Best)

This is my preferred option, but it is slightly riskier as a candidate might ask questions, and it is easy for candidates to get defensive, misinterpret, or challenge your interpretation. Ideally, the conversation should finish positively, adding value by giving career guidance and advice.

Providing specific, constructive feedback helps candidates understand why they were not selected and how they can improve. 

When calling, start by thanking the candidate for their participation. Briefly explain the decision, highlighting the candidate’s strengths and areas where they fell short. Offer constructive feedback on how they can improve for future opportunities. Encourage them to reapply if appropriate and maintain a positive tone throughout the conversation.

This technique is really your only option in the following situations:

• Internal candidates
  • Handle with extra care to maintain their engagement within the company.
  • Begin by expressing appreciation for their application and effort. Clearly explain why the decision was made to select another candidate, focusing on specific areas for development. Reassure them of their value to the company and outline a plan for their growth, including training or mentorship opportunities.‍
• Referred candidates‍
  • Communicate carefully to preserve internal relationships.
  • Start by thanking the candidate for their interest and participation. Explain the decision respectfully and professionally, ensuring the conversation remains positive. Afterwards, inform the referring employee about the decision and the reasons behind it to maintain transparency and trust.‍
• Candidates for senior roles‍
  • Provide feedback regarding their hard skills, such as needing more technical skill, knowledge, or experience. 
  • Keep it at the company level. Use words such as “we” or “the company” and avoid using “I” or “the hiring manager”.

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Common Candidate Reactions & How to Respond

• The candidate wants more information: If you’re able and willing to get additional information about the hiring decision, get it, and get back to them. Otherwise, reiterate that you don’t have any more information other than the final decision to pursue another candidate.‍
• The candidate doesn’t accept the decision: The candidate doesn’t need to like the decision; just understand what it is. I would typically empathise with the candidate that they never knew who else applied, and that in this instance other candidates were stronger.‍
• 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. I would explain that 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.‍
• The hiring manager assured the candidate they were a strong contender!: It’s very awkward when a hiring manager gives this impression, and I’d discuss it with them afterwards so they are better at managing candidates’ expectations. I would apologise to the candidate if they were given that impression, explain that we had several high-quality candidates, and that the final decision was made.
• ‍The candidate gets emotional: This does happen as candidates can be heavily invested in your job, especially if they are desperate to change jobs, are unemployed, or 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.‍
• 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 the decision has been made. If the candidate wants to apply again in the future, I will generally be positive and say that they are welcome to.

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Additional Resources

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