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For as long as anyone can remember a key piece of advice for job seekers and employees has been not to burn any bridges. We expect candidates to act graciously and professionally when they are in the job market so it is equally as important for companies do to the same. What should you say to the candidates that you don’t hire? Here are four things you can do today to make your hiring process easier and better for all of our candidates.

  • Be Prompt. Don’t allow a candidate to wait weeks or even months without a response from you. This is especially true if you decide not to hire them for your open position. As soon as you’ve made a decision let the other candidates know that you appreciate their time and encourage them to continue their job hunt.
  • Share your selection criteria. It is also good for a candidate to understand why they weren’t selected for a position. Sometimes it comes down to other candidates having better skills for the job. Other times it is about money or location. Don’t be afraid to share this with these candidates. It may help them on future job interviews or with salary negotiations.
  • Stay in touch. If a candidate wasn’t the right fit for the current job opening it doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be an excellent employee. Your hiring experience will be easier during your next candidate hunt if you keep in touch with individuals who didn’t make the cut the first time. Today, LinkedIn makes it extremely easy to stay connected with people you’ve met only for an interview. Recommend them for other opportunities as well.
  • Mean what you say. Be sincere to these candidates. Follow up with them when you can and help them with additional opportunities. If there is advice you can give them to improve their chances in the future do that. It will go a long way to building good will and creating a good word of mouth reputation for your company when it comes to hiring.

Are you starting your interviewing process? Contact Harvard Resource Solutions to see how we can assist you today!