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I’m Charlie and this is the free weekly edition of The Inner Circle, where I tell you what's going on across the markets we operate in. Great to have you on board!
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How to access the UAE’s Hidden Job Market.
You hate getting this message. I hate giving it.
"I’m really sorry, they've decided they’re not going to move ahead."
It’s tough news to receive. From the applicant’s side, the story you may tell yourself is that you did something wrong. The application was weak. The interview slipped. There's a flaw you need to find and fix before you're allowed to try again.
From the hiring side, I can tell you that’s the fear talking and it’s usually wrong.
Here’s a lesser known secret: Most final decisions don't come down to who's best.
Here are some genuine examples of hiring decisions that have been influenced by variables beyond any of our control.
A candidate of mine was rejected - despite being the stronger fit - because they had a two-month notice period and the client needed someone immediately.
I had a candidate go through a 16-stage (SIXTEEN) interview process, then watched the role get put on hold the week they expected an offer. I had to deliver that news.
A hiring manager was overruled on offering my candidate, their preferred choice, because of an internal quota they didn't even know about.
A client told me they'd gone with a lower-ranked candidate because they'd sourced them internally and wouldn't have to pay a recruitment fee.
How on earth do I give that feedback? Sorry, because I approached you for the role, the client won’t be proceeding…
Look at that list again. Notice what's missing from every single one: the candidate being good enough. Notice period. Budget. Quotas. Internal politics. Timing. None of it was about them.
Don’t get me wrong, there are times when it’s just not the right fit. In those cases you take the feedback and improve for the next time round.
But more often, the market isn’t rational. The best candidate isn’t guaranteed the best outcome.
So when the no lands, and it will, it doesn’t have to be taken as an indictment of you. Half the time it’s a decision you were never in the room for.
The best way to handle it when it does arise is simple. End on a good note and stay memorable. A no isn’t always the end of the conversation.
Drop them a note, thank them for their time and connect on LinkedIn. Who knows what the future might hold? The second time round you’re a warm lead rather than one of 100 CVs.
We’ve made 3 placements this year from profiles who had previously engaged with companies last year and were well-remembered.
A line I keep coming back to: You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from.
Rejection = redirection. Don’t take it personally. Go again.
That’s all you can do.
P.S. You don’t have to go through this alone.
If you’re fed up of the silence and curious about why your applications aren’t converting, I can fix that for you 👈
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