POV: You've found the perfect candidate, sent a well thought-out, personalised message - and then nothing happens. Or you receive a polite but frustrating rejection: "Thanks, but not interested at the moment." But how do you deal with this with confidence, stay motivated and make the most of rejections and a lack of feedback?

Why cancellations and a lack of feedback are part of the job - and can even be a good thing

Firstly, a reassuring truth: rejections and unanswered messages are normal in recruiting. Candidates are busy, often inundated with requests and sometimes just not ready to make a move. Instead of getting frustrated, you should see rejections as an opportunity to improve your recruiting strategy.

5 strategies for dealing confidently with rejections and a lack of feedback:

1. stay friendly and leave doors open

It is also important to respond in a friendly and professional manner if you receive a rejection. Thank them for their honest feedback and signal openness for future discussions. It's a small world - you often see each other twice.

Practical tip:
"It's a shame that it doesn't work at the moment - but thank you for your feedback! Let's stay in touch."

2. learn from every rejection - actively use feedback

Rejections are valuable feedback. Ask in a friendly manner why there is currently no interest - this will give you helpful insights and allow you to optimise your approach in the future.

Practical tip:
"I understand that it doesn't fit right now. Could you briefly tell me what was the deciding factor for you at the moment?"

3. use follow-ups wisely - stay present, not intrusive

No response does not always mean a lack of interest. Sometimes candidates simply need more time. Stay friendly and send a short, nice reminder after a certain amount of time (about 7-10 days). The second follow-up often ensures a response.

Practice Tip:
"Hi Marie, maybe my message got lost on you - I'd still be very happy to have a quick chat with you."

4. document and analyse rejections and recognise the patterns

Track your cancellations systematically: Are there any similarities? Are your messages clear enough? Is your timing right? Use the findings to adapt your strategy in the long term.

Practical tip:
Use recruiting tools to recognise whether certain approach methods or times work better than others.

5. adapt your strategy - fewer rejections through better communication

If you keep receiving similar rejections ("Not a good fit", "Not interested at the moment"), this is a clear signal that you should change something. Check whether your messages are too general or the added value is not emphasised clearly enough.

Practical tip:
Avoid standard formulations and test personalised, individual introductions that arouse genuine curiosity.

What you should avoid at all costs - the 3 most common mistakes when dealing with rejections:

• React emotionally: Stay professional. Anger or frustration won't help anyone, but will damage your reputation in the long term.

• Giving up after a rejection: If you give up immediately, you miss out on future opportunities. Good candidates are often only ready on the second or third contact.

• No follow-up in the event of ghosting: Just because someone doesn't reply once doesn't mean that there is no interest at all. Stay friendly and try again after a few days.

Bonus tip: Use AI to minimise cancellations and ghosting

Modern AI-based tools help you to make messages even more personalised and relevant, determine the optimal timing for follow-up and actively reduce rejections. This means you not only receive less negative feedback, but also better results.

Conclusion: cancellations are opportunities - use them!

Rejections and a lack of feedback are part of everyday recruiting life. The decisive factor is how you deal with them. With professional behaviour, targeted follow-up and continuous adaptation of your strategy, you can turn rejections into valuable learning moments and improve your recruiting in the long term.

Ready to take your recruiting to the next level?

With aurio, recruiting becomes child's play: we support you with intelligent AI tools to make your communication more effective, faster and more personalised.