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.
No law requires you to tell applicants anything when they are rejected. In fact, many HR and 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 circumstances when you may want to provide applicants with a more detailed explanation of the final 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.
If you choose to give more information, here are two tips to follow:
1. To protect against claims of discrimination, keep your explanation factual, straightforward, and brief. You should not go into elaborate detail to justify the decision but should explain the legitimate, business-related reasons for the rejection. While the applicant may not like the decision, he at least should understand it. Under these circumstances, the candidate will be less likely to perceive the action as discriminatory or illegal.
2. Do not be bullied into giving more information than you feel comfortable divulging. If the candidate pushes for more reasons or makes threats of legal action, you should end the conversation and thank the candidate for his time.
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