- For recruiters (or whomever informing the candidate about the decision), it may feel like a by-default bad situation, and nobody likes to be the bearer of bad news. Not wishing to deal with negative emotions, it may seem easier to just procrastinate, ghost the candidate, and hope the rejection is implied well enough this way.
- Another factor may be more deeply rooted in the recruitment process itself — if you lack a structured interview approach, a clear understanding of the competencies or knowledge required for a position, and a constructive feedback loop with hiring managers, there may just not be any legitimate update to share. Recruiters may think it’s a waste of time to ask decision-makers for details, or are afraid to do so out of fear of seeming incompetent, perhaps.
- Lastly, it may simply be a demonstration of low-effort, and thinking along the lines of “we’re not proceeding anyway, why bother”, or “there’s more fish in the sea”. But there are in fact reasons to “bother”, specifically employer branding and candidate experience considerations.
We can all understand, and likely relate to, these reasons, though unfortunately they lead to a recruitment miss-competence, which is unpleasant for candidates to experience (consider the uncertainty and frustration on their side) and ultimately hurts you as an employer (bad word of mouth is more likely to spread then good word of mouth). From missed opportunities to build a talent pipeline to negative perceptions of your employer brand, failing to communicate decisions properly can create more harm than recruiters realise.
For a deeper dive into why skipping rejection letters is a recruitment mistake and what are the consequences, check out our article: Why failing to send rejection letters hurts your recruitment process.
This article was a collaborative effort by our technical recruiters:
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