Time and again this truth remains – that your organization can deliver the greatest candidate experience in the world, but at the point when you tell a job candidate, “After careful consideration of all applicants, we’ve decided to move forward with candidates whose experience more closely aligns with the requirements of this role,” then the candidates’ perception of fairness and overall sentiment skews negative.
Usually very negative. Every single time. This is especially true at the point of application where a majority of candidates who are deemed not qualified for the role are dispositioned, rejected, or regretted (which was a new one I heard a few months ago and really like). Negative sentiment really skews at this point because most applicants believe that automation, and today artificial intelligence, screens them out automatically.
Which isn’t true for most employers, at least for now. Humans are still making most of those “regretting” decisions across the candidate journey. This is also an uphill battle for most employers that have a regular application volume.
But what do you say to those rejected candidates you aren’t going to pursue any further? How do you say it? How do CandE Winners say it (those companies with the highest ratings in our annual benchmark research)?
The reality is that there are only so many ways to say, “Thank you, but no thank you.” Most of which will never console those candidates who really needed and/or wanted the job and felt that they were qualified.
Today over 50% of participating employers in the CandE Benchmark Research are using generative AI to help them write and/or improve their candidate communications. And I’ll bet AI is drawing on all the companies that have already done the same manually, highlighting what works the best.
But the best isn’t good enough for rejected job candidates if they don’t get the offer. For those who don’t, if they’re dispositioned in a positive, personable, and timely manner, they may still continue to engage the businesses and their brands they were interested in in the first place. This includes applying again, referring others, being a brand advocate, and for consumer-based employers, a willingness to make purchases.
There’s not a lot that talent acquisition teams can do beyond the personable and timely early disposition messaging, unless the candidates are getting screened and interviewed further. That’s why these regretting messages make all the difference in the end.
Below are four examples of application-stage regretting messages from our CandE Community, all of whom are CandE Winners. Many of them also have multiple variations of this messaging and also try to add personal touches if and when possible (e.g., specific feedback as to why they’re regretting them, acknowledging their service to our country, etc.).
Example #1
Dear [m_applicant_first_name],
Thank you for your interest in the [m_job_title] position and going through our application process. We appreciate your interest in Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories and considering our company as a potential employer.
At this time, your qualifications and achievements do not exactly align with our current hiring needs. There are three main reasons why it may have not worked out:
– There was a change in priorities and we might have decided to go in a different direction with the position, based on shifting business needs
– The timing was not right based on the available role and where we were in the selection process when you applied
– There might have been a more qualified candidate for the position
We hope that your relationship with Dr. Reddy’s does not end here, and we encourage you to search and apply for other job openings that may be a fit. Please visit our
Career Site.
We wish you success in your job search.
Sincerely,
Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Recruiting Team
Example #2
Dear (First name).
Thank you for your recent application to Doane Grant Thornton for the role of (role title, role location). We appreciate your interest in our firm and the position.
I’ve personally reviewed your application and at this time the skills & experiences of other candidates provide a closer match for this particular opening. Please note that this is only with respect to the position noted above and is not related to any other applications that you may have in process.
I know that job hunting can be challenging and time consuming but I encourage you to continue to visit our career site and sign up for job alerts at www.discoveryourpurple.ca so we can share new and exciting opportunities with you!
Thanks again for your time and interest in Doane Grant Thornton.
Sincerely,
(Recruiter name and title)
Example #3
Hello Recipient: First Name,
Thank you for your interest in a career with Room & Board. We appreciate the opportunity to consider you and for your time and thoughtful consideration in completing your application.
I reviewed your resume and carefully considered your qualifications and experiences for our [Recruiting Workflow: Job Title] role with our [Location : City] location. Your background and experiences – [in particular, the recruiter may choose to add specifics], however, at this time we have decided to pursue other candidates [recruiter may choose to provide specifics as to why]..
We wish you the best as you continue your job search. The Muse might offer valuable resources and inspiration to help you find that perfect fit.
Your experience as a candidate matters to us at every step of your journey! We truly value your feedback and would love to hear your thoughts. Please take a moment to tell us about your experience – start your confidential survey now!
Sincerely,
Sender: First Name Sender: Last Name Sender: Personal Pronoun
Sender: Job Title
Example #4
Hi [[CANDIDATE_FIRST_NAME]] ,
We appreciate your interest in the [[JOB_REQ_TITLE]] position. At this time, we do not have an ideal role suited to your requirements. However, please check in with us from time to time as our needs do evolve.
We wish you the best of luck in your job search and please feel free to apply for future job opportunities with YKK AP America Inc.
We strive to provide an exceptional candidate experience, and we would appreciate your feedback. Please take a moment to complete our short post-interview survey, thank you for your valuable input!
Best regards,
YKK AP America Inc. Talent Team
