You didn’t get the job, well I didn’t want the job anyway.
This is a really emotive blog, and this is not aimed at anybody so if you are reading it and thinking it is, I assure you it isn’t. This is written about conversations I have had over many years, but it is also written in light of conversations that I have with other recruiters. And every time I hear about these calls, it blows my mind and not for the right reasons.
Rejecting a candidate for a job is really tough. It is the one aspect that of the job that I don’t like. I’ve had candidates cry down the phone to me, I’ve had candidates never call me back after I’ve left many messages saying I have news, I’ve had people revert back to email communication after we’ve had very good conversations on the phone, I’ve had it all. As have all recruiters no doubt. But the one that confuses the life out of me is when the candidate says, “Well I didn’t want the job anyway”. This can then be followed up with a curt goodbye or usually the latter, a whole load of reasons why. Mostly none of which were mentioned after the debrief of the interview. Some are absolute genuine reasons but when it starts to sound like a shopping list, that is when a recruiter usually raises an eyebrow. It is at that point where the recruiter maybe sees the real candidate? It is at that point where a recruiter sees that absolutely the right decision has been made? Because quite simply, the candidate working for that client was not the right match. But I for one, wish the candidate well as they move on to either a new job, or they continue their search, and I always remember the reaction.
We all hate receiving bad news, no matter at what level. Whether your online food shop did not have your favourite hot cross buns or whether it’s life changing news, we all hate bad news. And everybody has the right to react how they want to but remember, in a professional conversation, you still need to be professional. Whether the last bit of communication with the recruiter is being offered the job, or being rejected for a job, it is still part of the recruitment process.
And in the current climate, interview styles and techniques are being challenged more than we have ever known. No longer can we do face to face interviews, they are either conducted entirely through technology, or part technology and then put on hold until people can meet face to face. And whether you are the interviewee or interviewer, it is all really tough at the moment. When you can’t see the whites of people’s eyes, when you can’t sit in a reception and watch how people interact with other, when you can’t pick up on peoples body language, when you can’t physically shake somebody’s hand to greet them…….recruitment is hard work, and some people are finding it impossible and have put it on hold.
But no matter what the process, from the moment you apply for a job to the moment you find out if you succeeded or did not, please be professional. You absolutely can challenge back, give feedback, explain why you didn’t want the job, if you felt it did not gel, if you didn’t like the environment, whatever didn’t sit comfortably with you. I say this all the time, recruitment is a two process. But always be professional with it. If we learn anything in 2020, be kind, and be nice. Bad news does not have to mean a bad attitude does it?
Please sign this to help my business and other businesses who are in the same situation. Thank you.
Email: jo@winhurstrecruitment.co.uk
Tel: 0115 972 6513
@winhurstrec