WHAT HAPPENS TO THE CANDIDATES WHO DON'T GET THE JOB?
in most recruitment processes, a significant amount of effort goes into finding the right candidates
considerably less goes into how the unsuccessful ones are treated when the decision is made. this is a commercial error, not merely a courtesy one
in specialist markets — including industrial automation, robotics and advanced manufacturing across australia and new zealand — the talent pool is not large.
the candidates who interviewed for a role this year are the same candidates who will be relevant for roles next year, and the year after. how they are treated during an unsuccessful process determines whether they remain accessible to that employer in the future, and what they say about that employer to peers in their network
feedback, when it is given at all, is frequently either absent or perfunctory. candidates are told they were unsuccessful without explanation, or given a vague observation that the appointed candidate was a stronger fit. this tells the candidate nothing useful, and signals that their time and effort were not particularly valued
meaningful feedback is different. it acknowledges the specific qualities the candidate brought to the process, explains honestly where the appointed candidate was better suited to this particular requirement, and — where genuine — leaves the door open for future conversations. done well, it transforms an unsuccessful outcome into a relationship-building moment rather than a dead end
the employer who handles this well builds something valuable over time: a pool of known, engaged, and willing candidates who have already been assessed and who feel positively about the organisation. when the next requirement emerges, that pool is the first place to look — and because those candidates have been treated with respect, they are likely to take the call
the employer who handles it poorly — or not at all — loses that "asset" entirely. the candidate moves on, forms a view of the organisation, and shares it. In a small market, that view compounds
recruitment does not end when an offer is accepted. the way a process closes for those who were not selected is as much a part of an employer's reputation in the talent market as anything that happens before it
