Dealing with Rejection: What To Do When Your Candidate Says No

Rejection is a bitter pill to swallow.

You go to great efforts to woo talent, build a relationship through the interview process, and not forget all of the other candidates you rejected for this ideal one. However, rejection’s a part of life and certainly a part of the recruitment process.

It’s human nature to take it personally, but in the professional sphere, that’s not the case. We often hear ‘’It’s strictly business’’ and it’s because it is.

With rejection comes a lot of self-reflection, right? So, it’s instrumental that you take time to understand the potential reasons why and find solutions for them.

All it takes is a little attention and empathy, but more importantly a solid understanding of how to propel the candidates to accept.

Here we’re going to let you in on our tips on how to respond to a candidate who rejected your offer. Implement these into your process, and soon you’ll start to see candidates fighting to be a part of your talent pool.

1. Why did your candidate reject the offer?

Do you get yourself into a fluster post-rejection? Rearranging your mental calendar to fit in interviews for the spot you urgently need to fill?

Before you jump back in, here are some of the most common reasons why your job offer got rejected:

The counter-offer

The counter-offer is when a candidate is presented with a more attractive deal by their current employer. If you have a top-performing employee, it’s only natural you’d do anything to get them to stay.

A useful tip would be to get to know your candidate’s motivation early on in the interview process. It can be as simple as asking them if they’d consider a counter-offer – if they’re unsure then this is your cue to see what their motivation really is.

A better deal

This usually happens when a candidate receives a more appealing job offer or benefits package they can’t turn down.

There are likely other recruiters on the hunt for the candidates you want. And we know top talent is hard to come by and won’t wait around so it’s important to keep in mind they’re high in demand. Your competition might present the same offer, but it can be down to minor remunerations.

You didn’t listen

Are you offering the candidate what they want?

As a recruiter or client, be a little more attentive in the interview process. Know the right questions to ask if a candidate shows doubts about the company. Also, pick up on patterns of behavior - understanding body language and tone of voice can help understand your client’s wants and needs.

Here are possible reasons why your candidate isn’t signing:

• Growth opportunities
• Location
• Financial status of the company
• Remuneration
• Compensation
• Insurance
• Company culture
• Standard of leadership
• Future of the company
• Interview process

Perhaps the candidate wasn’t ready to leave their current position or just dipping their toes in to see what's out there. There’s an abundance of reasons why your candidates don’t follow through.

As a recruiter, it’s probably obvious by now that you should always try to present the offer in person, as it’s easier to gauge their reaction with minimal room for misinterpretation. The quicker you can anticipate rejection, the more efficient you’ll be.

2. How to respond to a candidate who declined the offer

It's not personal

Remember, they’re rejecting what you present, not you. You’ve become a little wiser and can now separate the red flags from the green. Although it’s still frustrating, a response must always reflect your reputation as a recruiter, so not only maintain the level of professionalism but exceed what is expected of you.

Say something like:

“Thank you for letting me know about your decision – my client will certainly miss the opportunity of working with you."

Or

"I appreciate the time you’ve taken to consider us. We’ll take the feedback on board and hopefully, there’ll be an opportunity in the future to work together."

Check out this sample response to candidate who declined job offer.

Find out why

Follow up with the candidate to understand their reasons for rejecting the offer. This can give you valuable insights into candidate experience and help you improve your recruitment process for future candidates.

This is your opportunity to get feedback. It’ll only benefit you to build a stream of responses to these concerns. You’ve already spent so much time emailing back and forth, so give them a call to send thanks. It’s also likely they’ll give more honest feedback.

And no matter what happens: keep the candidate in mind for future opportunities. They just might be a good fit for a different role in the future. Staying in touch with candidates who say “no” can step up your business growth over time.

Assess the situation

You’ve noticed that there have been more than a few rejections and you’re starting to think something isn’t right. Now is the opportunity to reflect and look inwards as to why this could be.

Evaluate your recruitment process to find areas for improvement. It might be time to tweak your methods to ensure you’re attracting the right candidates to begin with.

Perhaps the fault lies in recruitment operations. Candidates might be turning you down because of the way you or your client interacts with them. Begin by looking at every point of contact between clients i.e., emails, interviews, etc. to make sure there’s nothing that negatively impacted the candidate’s experience.

Counter their rejection

If you truly believe that this one candidate is the ideal fit for the position, then it’s time to consider offering a better package i.e., increased salary, flexibility, etc. If you take all these tips and tricks on board then you should already have an idea as to why your candidate went elsewhere, or at least know if it’s worth upping the ante.

Keep the lines of communication open. Talking with candidates who didn’t take the offer is important not just for potential future placements, but also for maintaining a positive reputation for your agency. Keeping them informed about future job opportunities can also help to maintain a strong relationship.

Also, remember to network and build up your talent pool. Relationships can help you stay informed about job market trends and new talent, making it easier to quickly find a replacement if a candidate rejects a job offer.

Remedy the problem

Now is the opportunity to take the wheel and turn it into a positive. You’ve now created a directory of solutions for these possible concerns. If it’s related to salary and benefits, then discuss with your client to see what you can do to sweeten the deal.

Reassess the job offer. If you find that you’re consistently having a hard time making a placement for one role, it might be time to check its requirements and benefits to see if they’re in line with the current job market.

A "no" right now doesn’t mean a "no" forever. You’ll sharpen your radar as a recruiter and build appropriate experience to know what you want and to get what you want.

Move on and continue your search. While it can be disappointing to lose, keep your focus on finding the right candidate to make your client happy. Utilize your recruitment network and advertising channels to stay active and make that placement.

With these steps, you can minimize the impact of candidates' refusals. Don't let rejections hold you back - use them as opportunities to improve.

For more follow-up steps after a rejection, check out these 5 sample email responses to a candidate who declined a job offer.

How to respond to candidates who reject a job interview 

If a candidate rejects the job interview you've set up, do not ignore their message or make the candidate feel ghosted. Reply back, acknowledge the rejection, always be polite, show appreciation for their time and thank them for considering the role. Ask if they are willing to share feedback regarding why they decided not to take part in the job interview and politely remind them that you do consider them a good fit for the position, but respect their decision, without being pushy in any way.

3. Final tip for recruiters - Let It Go

A "no" right now doesn’t mean a "no" forever. You’ll sharpen your radar as a recruiter and build appropriate experience to know what you want and to get what you want.

Move on and continue your search. While it can be disappointing to lose, keep your focus on finding the right candidate to make your client happy. Utilize your recruitment network and advertising channels to stay active and make that placement.

With these steps, you can minimize the impact of candidates' refusals. Don't let rejections hold you back - use them as opportunities to improve.

For more follow-up steps after a rejection, check out these 5 sample email responses to a candidate who declined a job offer.

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