Hi there,
Thanks for being here for the first issue. Let's get into it.
One of my posts last year went viral.
It was about an old interview where I was rejected and how I felt about it. Not because I failed a hard question. Because of how they handled it.
The panel cut the interview short and said a sentence I still remember clearly:
“We have seen enough.”
The message was not “this is not a fit.”
The message was “you are not worth our time.”
The panel was a young team. You could feel the ego in the room. For some of them, it looked like an opportunity to show how strong they were technically.
That post reached 500,000 impressions. People commented, shared, and sent DMs with their own stories.
The common pattern: The rejection was fine. The humiliation was not.
Today I want to expand that idea.
We are dealing with people
Here is the tension: You need to maintain a high bar. You can't hire everyone. But you can reject candidates without humiliating them.
Most of the fixes are small. They are details, a bit of empathy, and simple professionalism.
Let me give a few concrete examples.
Shortening interviews without making it awkward
I still tell my interviewers that it is fine to end a 45-minute screening call early if it is clearly not a match.
Keeping someone for the full time when there is no fit is a waste of their time and ours.
The key is how you handle it.
At the start of the call, I ask interviewers to say something like:
“This call is between 25 and 45 minutes. Sometimes it may be shorter. That just means we collected the information we needed faster. It does not automatically mean good or bad news.”
This sets expectations.
A shorter interview does not have to feel like a judgment. It becomes a normal outcome.
The candidate can walk away without replaying every second of the call in their head, trying to guess what went wrong.
Stop ghosting
Another common complaint I see on LinkedIn is ghosting.
Candidates spend time on an interview. Sometimes they meet HR. Sometimes they meet engineers. Then nothing. No reply. No closure.
That limbo is often worse than a clear “no.”
You can fix a lot of this by:
Telling candidates at the end of the call when they can expect to hear from you.
Picking a realistic timeline, like “within 7 to 10 business days.”
Actually following through.
With today’s tools, there is almost no excuse. You can set up simple templates and reminders. You can even automate rejection emails if you want to.
A basic system here shows respect. It also protects your brand. People remember how you handled them, even if they never join your company.
Handling feedback requests
Many rejected candidates ask for feedback. Sometimes they ask at the end of the call. Sometimes they email after the rejection.
In my experience, almost all of them ask from a genuine place. They want to improve.
Many companies avoid feedback due to legal concerns. The risk is real but manageable. Keep feedback factual: focus on interview performance, not personal traits. Run it by HR if unsure.
Here is what I do:
When someone asks for feedback, I draft a short note with one or two concrete suggestions.
I often run it by HR, especially if I am unsure about wording.
I avoid extreme language and keep it factual and helpful.
If policy does not allow written feedback, there is still the option of a quick call. Even five minutes with one or two honest suggestions can be very valuable for a candidate.
Your attitude during the call
There is also the general tone of the interview.
Small things matter:
A bit of small talk at the beginning.
Smiling.
Asking how their day is going.
Explaining the structure of the interview.
This helps the candidate relax and show their real self.
What does not help:
Turning the conversation into an interrogation.
Using the interview to show off how smart you are.
Treating the panel like a stage to perform on.
You can be strong technically and still be kind. The two are not in conflict.
These are not just "be nice" suggestions. They're systematized empathy.
Set expectations. Build templates. Create a feedback protocol. Establish interview standards.
Make kindness part of the system, not something you hope happens.
Quick health check for your hiring process:
Do candidates know what to expect at each stage?
Do you close the loop with everyone?
Can you give feedback when asked?
Would you feel comfortable if someone posted their experience on LinkedIn?
If you answered "no" to any of these, you have work to do.
The good news: most fixes are small.
You can keep your hiring bar high.
You can protect your team from bad hires.
And you can still remember that there is a person on the other side.
They may forget your name.
They will not forget how you made them feel.
Productivity Tip
Timeboxing is a simple, underrated productivity tool.
Parkinson's law is a good reminder of why it works:
"Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion."
Next time you have a task at hand, set a clear timebox. Ask yourself how long it really needs, then try to do it in a bit less.
You will be surprised how often you can.
Free Resource
Speaking of hiring systems: I built a framework for assessing seven critical soft skills objectively.
Download it here: https://get.primetechteams.com/hiring/soft-skills-assessment/
Use it in your next hiring round and let me know what you think.
Final word
I write for you. Your feedback shapes what I cover next.
Hit reply and tell me: What landed? What didn't?
If this was useful, forward it to a colleague who's hiring right now.