You ran a hiring process. It cost you weeks, a recruiter's time, and the attention of your best people who sat in the interview panels. At the end, you had two candidates who were genuinely excellent. You chose one. The other person got a polite rejection email written by HR.
Three months later, a new role opened up. You started the whole process again. From scratch.
The runner-up is your best hire waiting to happen
They already passed your process. You already know they can do the job. You already know they like your company enough to have spent hours going through your interview rounds. The only thing that separated them from the hire was one comparison on one day.
What it costs to maintain the relationship
Almost nothing.
A warm rejection email — not a template — that says: "You were genuinely strong. We had to make one choice. We'd like to stay in touch for the right opportunity." Takes five minutes to write. Has an enormous effect on how that person remembers you.
A message three months later: "We have a new role opening up. I thought of you. Would you like to hear about it?" One message. You've just skipped weeks of sourcing.
The bar is on the floor
Most companies send a generic rejection and never contact the runner-up again. That means a single genuine, personal message from you — six months later, because a new role opened — will stand out completely. You are not competing with other companies doing this well. You're competing with companies who aren't doing it at all.
The talent you want is not applying
Only 11% of professionals are actively job-hunting at any given time. The most experienced, most in-demand people are usually not in that 11% — they're employed, functioning, and occasionally wondering if there's something better out there. They won't apply speculatively to a job board. But they will respond to a personal message from a company they already respect.
47%
of professionals are open to the right opportunity — but not actively applying anywhere.
Your runner-up is almost certainly in this 47%.
The runner-up is the most accessible version of that 47%. You already have their details. You already have a relationship — even if it ended awkwardly. The investment required to re-open that door is minimal compared to starting a new search.
Why companies don't do this
Three reasons:
- 1The process ends and people move on.
Hiring is treated as a project with a start and an end. When the role is filled, the candidate data goes into an ATS folder that no one ever opens again. There's no owner for the relationship.
- 2GDPR uncertainty.
Companies are unsure whether they can keep candidate data after a process. The answer is yes, with consent — which is easy to get at the end of a positive process. Ask them. Almost everyone says yes.
- 3Awkwardness.
Companies feel odd reaching out to someone they rejected. But from the candidate's perspective, being remembered and approached is enormously flattering — not awkward. The discomfort is entirely on the company's side.
How to actually do it
End every process with a warm no
Not a template. A personal note. Mention something specific about the person or the conversations. Say clearly: we'd like to stay in touch.
Ask for consent to stay in your talent network
One sentence at the end of the rejection. 'Would you like us to reach out if a relevant role opens in the next 12 months?' Almost everyone says yes.
Put a calendar reminder
Three months out. Six months out. Just to check in — not necessarily with a specific role. 'We have been thinking about expanding team X — would you be open to a conversation?'
Keep the message personal
Reference something from the original process. Show them they weren't forgotten. That is the entire value of the relationship — that it was real, not a volume exercise.
It costs so little. It means so much.
A hiring process is one of the most intensive evaluations two people do of each other. You learned a lot about that runner-up. They learned a lot about you. That knowledge doesn't expire in 90 days. The relationship you built over three interview rounds is worth more than any LinkedIn recruiter message you'll send to a stranger next year.
About Silje Sundal
Founder & CEO
Silje brings over 20 years of experience from leading enterprise software companies including HP, Citrix, and Workday. With deep expertise in Revenue Operations and GTM strategy, she's passionate about using AI to transform how people find work that makes them thrive.