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Canceling an interview... do you do it?

I'm talking about you, the recruiter, realizing that either A) this is not the right candidate or B) this is not the right job after the interview is scheduled.

Sure, in a perfect world we already have decided that there's a fit - but what if additional information comes to light on either side that says you were wrong? What if you KNOW deep down that the right thing to do is cancel? How do you deliver that to the hiring manager AND the candidate tactfully?

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Permalink Reply by Bill Schultz on October 7, 2011 at 2:05pm

LOL- yes I do it. My partner hates to do it (and she's the one who jumps the gun and makes the client appointment before meeting the dude with proverbial green hair) so i'm the bad guy. I don't lie, I say something like "we didn't realize how strong the pipeline would be for this. Based on that it would be wise to present you for a more relevant role."

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Permalink Reply by Amy Ala Miller on October 7, 2011 at 2:11pm

I am stealing that line. :)

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Permalink Reply by Bill Schultz on October 7, 2011 at 2:17pm

Be my guest. Hey, I used to give the hygiene talk to temps. Compared to that, this is a breeze.

Amy Ala said:

I am stealing that line. :)

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Permalink Reply by Amy Ala Miller on October 7, 2011 at 2:41pm

Bill I went in the bathroom and cried after the first time I had to give a temp the hygiene talk (I had been a recruiter for about 5 minutes). Even more after all his efforts didn't really help much and I had to let him go...

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Permalink Reply by Bill Schultz on October 7, 2011 at 2:55pm

LOL, I know it's tough the first time. After a while you get callouses. "Dude, It's like this- your laundry basket ain't magic. If you throw it in there dirty, it stays dirty. And cologne just makes it worse"