Rejecting a candidate who didn’t make it to the interview stage
From: Barry Ruiz
Subject: State Health Care Now State Policy Director position
To: Josephine Jones
Dear Josephine,
Thank you for applying for the state policy director position with State Health Care Now. We appreciate your interest in our organization and your commitment to sensible health care policy reform.
We received more than 200 applications for the position, and the hiring process has been a very competitive one. Although we were impressed with your qualifications, we have decided not to move your application forward. However, we greatly appreciate your interest in working with us and wish you the best of luck with your job search.
Sincerely,
Barry Ruiz
Chief of Staff
Rejecting a candidate who made it through the first interview
From: Barry Ruiz
Subject: State Health Care Now State Policy Director position
To: Dan Miller
Dear Dan,
Thanks so much for talking with Tracy and me last week about our state policy director position. We really enjoyed the meeting, especially hearing about your work with United Way, and we were impressed with your qualifications.
We’ve had a very competitive pool and have had to make hard decisions, and unfortunately, I won’t be advancing you to the next round of interviews for this position. I have no doubt, though, that you’ll be a real asset to an organization in the right position, and I wish you the best of luck with your job search. I also encourage you to check back on our website periodically, as our needs may change and there may be a position that better suits your skills and experience.
Best,
Barry Ruiz
Chief of Staff
Rejecting a candidate who made it to the final round of the hiring process
From: Barry Ruiz
Subject: State Health Care Now State Policy Director position
To: Amy Chu
Hi Amy,
I’m writing to share an update on our state policy director hiring process, and I’ll start with the hardest part—we’re not offering you a position at this time. This was a really difficult decision, so I want to share more.
First, our team was so impressed with you throughout the process. You bring a rare combination of openness, decisiveness, and strategic prowess, and it is clear that you deeply understand this issue. Personally, I left all of our interactions feeling like I’d learned something new that I could apply to my work.
I’m so grateful for the time and energy you spent on this process, and for your patience throughout. I know this has been a particularly hectic time for all of us, so we don’t take it lightly.
I’m confident that you’ll find a great fit in your search, and I’ll keep an eye out for opportunities that might be of interest. In the meantime, I’m so glad our paths crossed and I hope we’re able to connect again.
Best,
Barry
Chief of Staff