How to Reject a Developer
Photo by Sam Davis.
Although it takes skill to accept (hire) a developer, it also takes skill to reject a developer. How to reject a developer doesn’t get much air time though. Why not? No one likes to do it. No one likes to fire people (well, except George Clooney’s character in Up in the Air) and no one likes to tell people to get lost after an interview or two.
But it needs to be done.
If a developer isn’t the right fit (experience, skill level, personality-wise, or for some other reason) — they need to hear that from you (the employer). Too often developers complete the first interview and get the “we’ll be in touch” closing. Then…
…
(Nothing.)
The company goes dark. Although this strategy may be easier and time-saving for companies, it’s really not cool. The developer is left lingering, wondering, “Are they going to get back to me? Is this their way of saying ‘No thanks’? In what way(s) do I not fit the bill?”
Rejecting a developer is important not only for the developer, but also for the employer. Saying “no” to a developer reaffirms the characteristics of the developer you’re committed to finding. Rather than saying or thinking, “Eh, I don’t think he’s what we’re looking for,” it is good to force yourself to say, specifically, why the candidate is not a good fit. This helps you in narrowing your search and steering you toward future candidates who may be a better fit.
Obviously it is also important to the developer. No one likes to be left in the dark. There are a lot of odd, convoluted, and sometimes flat-out dishonest hiring practices out there. Our philosophy is to always err on the side of honesty. In the end, it’s best for all parties involved. Yeah, it’s uncomfortable to have that rejection conversation, but it’s the right thing to do. Who knows? It may even help you.
An example: You like a developer a lot. He’s a nice guy with solid back-end skills. But you really need someone with more front-end experience. You have to turn him down. You tell him, “We really like you, and you definitely have strong Ruby experience, but we need someone with UI talent too. Because of that, we’re going to pass on your application. Thanks for your time…” etc.
Well, the candidate may be bummed, but at least he is not left wondering why (or if) he was rejected. A few days later he is chatting with a buddy he met at RailsConf a few years ago who mentions that he’s looking to move on from his current Rails gig. In addition to Ruby skills, he’s got some serious UI chops. The friend says “Hey, do you know of any good Rails opportunities out there?” Now, the candidate can look back on your company and say, “Oh, I applied for a job with Company X, but I didn’t have the UI skills. You do though. Hey, you should apply.”
This conversation goes a completely different way when you don’t reject the candidate outright. Instead of recommending his friend for the position, the candidate would say “Oh, don’t bother with Company X; their hiring process is so slow… I haven’t heard back from them in two weeks.”
Instead, your honesty can lead you to that ideal candidate.
Finally, since we’re recruiters, we have to mention how we can help with the rejection process from both sides of the table. If you’re an employer and you don’t like rejecting people (we get that your specialty isn’t HR…), then have your recruiter do the dirty work for you. It may be ideal for the candidate to hear “No thanks” directly from you (the employer), but if it’s really not your thing— enlist the help of your recruiter. It’s our job, so not only do we have experience with it, but we’re pretty good at it. It also helps us to steer the candidate towards other opportunities that may be a better fit in light of your feedback.
If you’re a developer and you get the “We’ll be in touch” response after an interview, but then the company goes dark, this is also a time when working with a recruiter is a big help. As a candidate, you can’t really pester the employer for feedback. But as a recruiter, we absolutely need to know if a developer is turned down and why. We can email, call, or even IM the hiring manager to ask the status of your application, and it’s not considered rude. Also, a hiring manager is oftentimes more comfortable being honest with a third-party about their reasons for rejecting a developer. They give us the straight scoop, and we’re not afraid to pass it on to you (the developer).
Bottom line: Being honest and “getting to no” in the interview process may not always be easy, but it’s critical to an effective, fair, and successful search.