A Job Interview Experience

It was late harmattan season, the trees had grown antlers, dried leaves were sometimes trailed into our apartment, and groceries were on short supply …

My roommate had just returned from a job assessment test, which he found easy and he was invited for an interview the following week.
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He did attend the interview, answering questions fluidly and believed the job was all his to grab, but then a long empty silence followed for he was willing the phone to ring.

No email. No call. No SMS. He had delayed applying for other roles and even turned down offers in the hope of securing a gig at this company.
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But unfortunately, he got a delayed response of their rejection after a long wasted period of time.

Which led him into a depressed state, feeling heavy and slow, his mind choked with mud as he pondered, he began to cry.

He felt like a small ball, adrift and alone in a big world of uncertainty which he had never foresaw after graduating from college.
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My friend, my friend, alas! Thank goodness he has been off that pitch.

Here is a lesson for hiring managers and outsourcing agencies.

How and when you dismiss candidates speaks volumes about your company and its culture.
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Once you’ve conducted an interview and have made your decision, quickly do the following:

• Let the rejected candidate(s) know as soon as possible of their disqualification.

• Explain in one succinct sentence or paragraph why you’re declining their application or can’t go any farther with them.

• Always personalize your rejection mail or phone call.

• No false promises of staying in touch, just wish them all the best in the future and leave it at that.

• Ask for feedback on your hiring process, tho’ this is optional.

P.S.: With this you won’t hurt anyone’s feeling. Rather you’ll help in putting them out of their misery as quickly as possible.

Gentlemen and Ladies, if you’ve ever been rejected, hear this: When the answer is NO, there is a better YES down the road.

… My friend is a living testimony!