A recruiter at a private company receives a WhatsApp message from a job applicant asking for an update on the interview he attended a few days ago.
She replies to him, and after a while, she receives a message that leaves her in an awkward yet thoughtful situation.
The message was: “Ma’am, instead of ‘rejected,’ you should say ‘not selected.’
The meaning remains the same – you are not getting this job.
But the choice of words matters a lot.
Do they specifically reject the candidate? No, they select the best-suited ones, and others still have all the opportunities in the world to keep going, just not this one.
Our communication plays a big role in someone’s journey and sets the tone of the environment around us. We must be responsible for each word we utter.
Rather than texting a friend to cancel plans, instead of saying ‘I have to cancel the plan,’ write ‘We have to postpone the plan’ or ‘Can we reschedule the plan?’
In place of ‘It is impossible to work with you,’ say ‘There are some challenges to working together; let’s overcome them to work better in the future.’
‘I cannot love you, you are not my type’ can be rephrased as ‘You are a loving person, but I have a different path. Maybe we can explore a hobby together.’
The difference between healing and hurting is the choice of words.
When you wrap the same situation with a positive, hopeful, and more empathetic cover, it doesn’t sound like a problem.
Resonated? Please share this with your friends and collectively try to speak empathetically. This is a significant contribution to building a positive world.
