|
Q.
Am I required to tell applicants why
they are rejected from a position? I prefer to tell them as little
as possible; however, some applicants push for more information.
[Creating HR Policies or Employee Handbook?]
A. No law requires you to tell
applicants anything when you reject them. In fact, most legal
experts advise employers to provide as little information as
possible to rejected candidates. As a result, many employers simply
state that the candidate does not have the qualifications necessary
for the position or that he was not as well-qualified as other
applicants. However, there are a few instances when you may want to
provide applicants with a more detailed explanation of your
decision. Specifically, you may feel it is necessary to give more
feedback to a candidate who has been through several interviews or
who applied for an executive or professional position.
[Download Free Policies]
If you choose to give more
information, here are a few tips to follow. One, protect your
organization against claims of discrimination by being factual,
truthful, and to-the-point in your explanation. If you explain the
legitimate, business-related reasons for the applicant’s rejection,
the applicant will not have a very strong claim that your reasons
are discriminatory. Second, help the candidate improve his
interviewing skills by alerting him to any deficiencies in his
interview performance. Thus, if the candidate appears qualified on
paper but has difficulty providing real-life examples of his
abilities when he is face-to-face, he should work on his
presentation. Finally, don’t be bullied into giving more information
than you feel comfortable divulging. If the candidate pushes for
more reasons or makes threats of legal action, end the conversation
and thank the candidate for his time.
|
Personnel
Policy Service, Inc.
