As a headhunter, I often have A+ candidates who have gone all the way through the interview process with a client, only to have to turn them down toward the final stages – an often heartbreaking but necessary evil in the hiring process. My message to hiring managers and HR professionals is this: the way you go about letting someone down matters!
For anyone who has ever been turned down for an opportunity with a vague explanation like, “we’re going in another direction”, it can absolutely leave a sour taste in a candidate’s mouth, and jeopardize the opportunity to build a strong, ongoing relationship…