Careful Who You “Reply All” To
A recruiter’s tale of email mistakes, ownership, and keeping the process moving.
The other day, someone on the hiring team hit “Reply All” when sending interview feedback and accidentally copied the candidates.
The upside? It was a well-written, thoughtful analysis. No need to chase feedback. We instantly knew where both candidates stood.
The downside? So did the candidates.
We had to step in immediately. Apologize. Explain. Even though it wasn’t our fault, we owned it—because we own the process. That’s the job.
The hiring team didn’t acknowledge the mistake. Not even a quick “my bad.” But that’s also part of the job.
Recruiting is like being a chef. You prep the meal, plate it perfectly—and sometimes the waiter drops it. Doesn’t matter who dropped it. You’re the one who has to remake it and keep things moving.
Fortunately, the candidates handled it well. One of them might even be the front-runner now because we saw where internal support was leaning. That accidental transparency gave us some helpful signals. But it also made things more delicate. We had to keep the candidate warm, not weirded out.
That’s the dance.
Clean up the mess. Keep the energy positive. Move forward fast.
Complain later better yet, don’t complain at all.
Negativity slows everything down and sends the wrong signal to everyone involved.
So yeah, we bounced back. We’re close to a hire. We’ll still run a proper debrief. But we’ve got more clarity than usual.
And here’s your post-holiday PSA: Double-check your recipients before hitting “Reply All.”
One click can unravel a week’s worth of work.
“Mistakes happen. Ownership builds trust. That’s the game.”
If you’re in the business of hiring, building, or leading or drinking good coffee then subscribe to The Creator’s Club for stories, strategies, and a few hard-earned lessons from the field.