I’ve discovered lately that although supervisors are more than happy to make the final hiring decisions themselves, they panic when you tell them that they’re also responsible for regretting the candidates. Of course, hiring managers don’t have to regret every candidate (that’s what letters are for) but it is a skill they will need to master for those rare occasions.

Here are the basics of a regret call for external candidates:

1. Speak with the person directly. If you already have reason to call instead of sending a letter then you should do everything you can to make sure you give the message to the person directly. Do not wimp out and leave a voice mail just because it’s easier.
2. Be vague. If you tell people exactly why they weren’t hired you give them two opportunities. The first is to potentially sue (hopefully you won’t be telling them you’re doing illegal things). The second is that they now have the opportunity to argue your point. This will make everyone uncomfortable and drag the conversation on. In a perfect world we’d be able to tell people what they need to improve upon. Sadly, we don’t live in a perfect world.
3. Keep it short. The longer you’re on the phone with someone the more upset they’re going to get. Continuing the conversation, repeating yourself, etc. don’t do anyone good.
4. Tell the candidate what you liked. If this is a candidate that you’d like to see again, focus on the positive aspects of their resume or interview. Let them know that they’re encouraged to apply again. If it isn’t a candidate you’d consider in the future it doesn’t hurt to let them know what they’ve done well.
5. Don’t place blame. It’s tempting to place the blame on others. “I really liked you, but the HR Rep refused to let me hire you.” This is a tactic to make you feel better, not the candidate. Don’t think you’re doing them any favors. Also, you increase the risk of a bad candidate continuing to contact you if they think you really like them but your hands were tied.

Regret phone calls are never pleasant, but remember they’re more painful for the candidates than they are for you.