There are a plethora of reasons why a manager can (and will) disqualify a candidate. Sometimes this decision is made for a logical reason, other times it seems as though they reject resumes a la cranky toddler rejecting vegetables. If the latter is the case, how and what can a recruiter communicate to the candidate?

I have been in this dilemma before and if the explanation was too outlandish or altogether nonexistent I could be vague and apologize to the candidate that our customer wasn't cooperating and never told us why. It saved a likely unpleasant conversation and probably kept the egg off of a couple people's faces. Unfortunately I no longer have that luxury, and I've made the discovery that even corporate recruiters get the runaround from managers.

Part one to implementing a solution involves a little sit-down with the manager. We owe it to ourselves, our candidates, and the hiring manager to carve out a bit of time if the disqualifications start to get a little arbitrary or discriminatory. If the DQ is an issue of discrimination the discussion should probably have some HR involvement, but is self-explanatory. The seemingly random 'no thanks, but I didn't really like the font on the resume' variety can be a little trickier. There is usually a reason the manager doesn't like the candidate and we need to find out why for a couple of reasons. First, if we figure out what it is, we can avoid sending similar candidates in the future. Second, we can potentially offer some advice to the candidate about how to better present him or herself. Most importantly, hashing this out will give you a better understanding of the manager's thought process and will make the process go more smoothly anytime you work on his or her positions.

Part two is handing disseminating this information back to the candidate. Even if you've gotten to the bottom of things with the manager, this task may not be any easier. After all, you could discover that the manager did a little digging with industry peers and found some not-so-favorable references. This is particularly likely to happen when recruiting in a niche area. While doing this discovery on your own is always the best policy, well-connected managers will lean on their networks to get the real scoop that sometimes goes unsaid in a reference call. This, along with other issues such as industry tenure, can prove to be very touchy subjects. Normally I would opt for honesty and full disclosure, but occasionally less is best when it comes to negative feedback. There is a lot to be said for a tactful and diplomatic response that leaves the candidate feeling as though you did your best to get them a legitimate answer.