Oh, you don’t have one? Huh. Guess that’s just me, then. Well, here’s hoping that you don’t have a Rejection Wish List for the simple reason that you haven’t been rejected much.
I, on the other hand, know exactly what I would ask of the Rejection Genie. I would like for people to do the following when they are rejecting me:
1. Send an email.
Give me the option to process. Please do not ask me to hold a polite conversation when you give me the bad news. I understand that there are folks (Like Liz Ryan, Forbes contributor) who disagree with this, and in fact see calling all the candidates who have had in-person interviews as the best way to handle rejections. I just whole-heartedly disagree with this point of view.
I would rather have the opportunity to deal with my emotional response (e.g. rage, embarrassment, disappointment) before I reach out. I will absolutely reach out for the person’s thoughts on my interview or application and suggestions for improvements, but I often don’t think of these things while I’m processing my emotional response. If you feel compelled to call the applicant that you’re rejecting, send an email and offer to chat on the phone at a later time if the candidate would like to discuss it further.
2. Don’t sugarcoat it.
I am not one of those people who takes comfort in the phrase, “All of the applicants were strong and we had a difficult decision to make.” I don’t take comfort in platitudes, particularly when they come in those pat, copy-and-paste rejection emails. If a hiring manager does not have a lot of time to send a personalized email with suggestions for improvement, just stick to the basic (although sometimes curt), “Thank you for applying, but we have chosen to move forward with another candidate.”
On the other hand, if they have time, I would like for them to write an email that reads a little like a thank you note. Particularly if I met them in person, I would like there to be a line or two that reference something that happened or was said during my interview.
3. Offer feedback (and mean it).
Give me the opportunity to learn why you rejected me. I know it’s probably not any more comfortable to give that feedback than it is to hear it, but I want to learn from the experience. Everyone involved in interviewing, particularly if the candidate has made it all the way to the in-person interviews, has spent hours (and hours) on the process. As a candidate, I have put in effort to make that time worth the hiring committee’s time, and I would appreciate the same courtesy. Please, take a few moments to explain why you made the decision you made, or let me know how I might improve for the future.
4. Be timely about it.
My least favorite kind of rejection is the kind where you know you didn’t get the position because you never hear a word from anyone at the organization. It is the worst when there’s no form rejection letter, no quick phone call, not even an acknowledgement that they received your application materials. It’s also awful when you interview and aren’t given a clear timeline for the next steps, or when that timeline flies out the window but no one keeps you updated.
Keep folks updated, set up automated systems to let folks know that you’ve moved forward with other applications, and notify people when you say you will. That’s it. Pretty simple.
Did I miss anything on your wish list? Let me know in the comments!
According to Aubs 
This suggestion may be beyond the rejection email/phone call, but perhaps an applicant would be a better fit for another team at the company. If the application is not handed off to another team internally, then that would be invaluable information for the applicant.
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