There’s an art to turning down a job or candidate with respect, and potentially even turning it into a positive future outcome.
If you want to learn how to make an opportunity from a rejection, read our ultimate guide to not burning bridges. ‘Thanks but no thanks’ won’t cut it if you’re looking to move ahead in your career or recruitment strategy. The best candidates and employers play nice, and never burn their bridges.
Whether you’re turning down a job, a candidate, or simply looking to leave a job or working relationship with you head held high, here you’ll find essential tips for preserving your connections…and your dignity. In this article you’ll find tips for:
1. How to turn down a job offer
Unless you’re positive the company is absolutely not the place you’d want to work, it’s not a great idea to turn down a job offer in the wrong way. Blunt or overdue responses are a shortcut to burning bridges, so make sure instead you:
Respond promptly
No one likes to be kept hanging around. As soon as you know you don’t want to accept the job offer, you should contact the employer straight away. A phone call can sometimes feel more personal than an email, and employers will often appreciate the effort.
Express appreciation
You took time to attend an interview, as did the employer, so make sure to express your gratitude for the opportunity and their time.
Aren’t too specific about the reason why
Perhaps you have a better offer on the table, have decided the grass isn’t greener or simply didn’t get a great vibe from the interview. Whatever the reason you don’t want to accept the job offer, don’t mention it specifically. This could make an employer look back sourly on your application.
2. How to leave a job (well)
It’s time to move on, and whether you’re simply ready for a different challenge or hate your job, the way you leave a job speaks volumes about your professionalism. So however you’re feeling, it’s a good idea to:
Act with respect and gratitude
Hand your written notice in promptly and politely, say how grateful you are for the time you’ve spent in their employment, and the experience and training you’ve gained. Try to leave the most professional impression possible.
Don’t air your grievances
Even colleagues you like and trust shouldn’t be a sounding board for how you feel about your soon-to-be-ex-employer. Keep opinions to yourself, however tempting it might be to vent.
Stay on friendly terms afterwards
Offer your personal number and email, and convey how it would be good to remain in touch after you’ve left.
Avoid the temptation to Glassdoor
In many ways, websites like Glassdoor have made companies more accountable for how they treat employees, but if you don’t want to burn your bridges try not to be tempted.
3. How to reject a job candidate
Rejections are a sad and necessary part of work and life, but it’s always possible to spin the seemingly negative into a future opportunity. For employers, the way you reject a candidate
Let them know as soon as possible
It’s not kind to leave someone in the dark, so as soon as you can practically let them know about the rejection, get in touch. A phone call is more personal and considerate than an email.
Consider a rejection call as a PR exercise
You can avoid leaving a sour taste (and potential negative word of mouth) by using the call as an opportunity to leave a lasting positive impression. Express gratitude for their time and commitment to attending the interview(s), and let them know what you liked about their application and their skillset.
Check if they would like to have their details kept on file
In accordance with GDPR, interviewing companies can only retain a candidate’s details for a short time after an interview (until it has served its purpose), but you can request the person’s consent to keep their details with you. This way, if another role comes up that might be a better fit for them you can easily get in touch.
4. How to keep a candidate warm
Maybe you had an amazing set of candidates, and it was a difficult decision to choose one candidate over another, or perhaps you think someone isn’t quite the right fit for this job role but they have skills you would like to bring into the business in the future. In these types of situation, it can be really beneficial to keep a candidate ‘warm’. To do this, try:
Maintaining contact on social media
Follow them on LinkedIn and interact with their posts to send the message that you’re still interested in what they are doing and have to say.
Keeping them involved socially
You could suggest that the person attends a networking event hosted or attended by your business, or that they catch up with you over a coffee. Keeping them updated about what’s going on in the business can help them to feel involved and more invested, even if they don’t work for you (yet).
Offering temporary or contract-based work
Taking someone on in a temp or freelance capacity can actually be hugely beneficial for both parties, and gives the employer a fuller sense of the person’s skills and capabilities. It might turn into something more permanent down the line.
5. How to exit a business partnership
Leaving a business partnership can be at best awkward, and at worse, toxic. Swerve a potentially nasty fallout by navigating the business exit with grace and positivity:
Check your contract terms first
Before you rush headlong for the exit, make sure to check the terms agreed in your original contract. Consider whether you are willing to risk the possibility of paying an early exit fee, losing clients or even being subject to legal action for exiting the partnership. You should always consult a legal expert if you are unsure about any of the conditions surrounding a potential early exit.
Be honest (but not too honest)
When one business partner says things aren’t working out it can be hurtful to hear. Generally, most people prefer honesty over falsity, so be truthful as possible about your reasons for wanting to end the partnership. However, avoid being overly critical or personal in your reasoning.
Suggest how you can both benefit
An exit can mark a new beginning. Perhaps this could free both business partners to explore different collaborations, or help someone to explore an area of their industry that the other partner was less receptive to. Give the exit a positive spin, and suggest how collaboration could continue in a different form outside of the partnership, if both parties are receptive.
6. How to turn down a client
Not every client will be the right fit for your business. Whether you’re experiencing an exceptionally busy time, or have misgivings about taking the client onboard, there’s an art to turning down a client without burning bridges.
Avoid a drawn-out period between first contact and the turn-down
Keep the interaction short and sweet, making it clear that you are unable to accept the client’s proposition as soon as possible. And it should go without saying, but ghosting a client is not an option!
Create a template for turning down new business
When one Useful for busy periods, an automated email template or website form that politely outlines that you’re not accepting new work is always useful.
If you say you’ll be in touch later, stay true to your word
If there’s potential for you to take on work at a different time, say so, but only if you can stick to it. A broken promise is a sure fire way to burn a bridge.
7. How to propose new business terms
Ready for a change? Evolving business terms with a partner or client can be tricky to navigate, and you don’t want to risk bringing the collaboration to a premature end. To ensure everyone gets what they want from a new deal, try to:
Revisit your original terms or contract
Review the terms you originally had in place, and assess (realistically) what the flexibility of these are. Some things may be iron-clad, but there might be room for manoeuvre if other terms are vague or indeterminate. Consult a legal representative if you are unsure about any of your current terms.
Set the scene
It’s better to meet in person (with coffee and cake!) when proposing new business terms, than to send a cold email out of the blue. Make the effort to be diplomatic and open to their suggestions as well.
Sweeten the deal
You could include extra services, products or terms that are hard to say no to as part of your revised terms.
Accept a ‘no’
Some of the strongest business partnerships are easily undermined when one business partner won’t compromise. If the person is not open to some or all of your proposed changes, accept the fact, don’t push it and let the dust settle. They might come round to the idea after a bit of reflection.
Don’t burn bridges, build them
Learning how to maintain good relations with everyone in your working network is a real skill, but you can keep everyone on side by making sure all interactions (even the not so great ones) have a positive outcome in some way. Turn a job rejection into a networking opportunity, or the end of a business partnership as a new beginning.
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