Why Did the Employer Reject Me?

Rejection is tough on anyone. Many untrained job seekers see rejection as a personal rejection instead of rejection in relation to the job. The company, without any malice, had a specific candidate in mind, decided not to fill the position, or found someone that demonstrated a stronger case for their candidacy. If they extended an offer, chances are the person hired prepared better, understood the job more, gave more specific examples for each of the key tasks or situations listed in the job description, was a better fit, and was probably more passionate about the opportunity.

Hiring is a process where logic and emotions play a big role. Trained hiring managers minimize emotions and use a structured, scripted process (they come to the interview with pre-written questions). Untrained interviewers jot down a few questions or circle items in your resume.

Trained hiring managers steer the conversation and want you to do most of the talking. They expect you to build a strong case for your candidacy. The richer and more relevant your examples to their key job requirements, the more points you score.

Untrained hiring managers want to oversell their point of view. They tend to dominate the conversation, want to be liked, and have probably decided your candidacy based on your resume or a referral from a trusted source. You have the job if you don’t say something to talk yourself out of it.

So why did you get rejected?

Here are a few of the common reasons mentioned by recruiters and hiring managers:

You rambled and lost your focus. They could not keep up with your story.
You knew very little about the company.
You simply weren’t qualified or exaggerate your qualifications on your resume.
Your attitude toward your former employer was negative.
You came in with your agenda of things you wanted them to know instead of answering their questions.
You answered their questions but didn’t make it clear what role you played and what were your specific contributions.
You gave answers using “we” instead of “I.” The employer was left wondering what you did.
You wanted to sound like a team player and gave credit to others for their contributions. The employer didn’t get a sense of your contribution.
Your answers were not rich in detail. They had to keep probing you for more information (it’s an interview, not a deposition).
You gave answers that seemed “canned” instead of authentic.
You were close, but another qualified candidate provided greater details in their answers and were a better fit.
You didn’t fit their culture, their vision, or the hiring manager’s management style.
You were over-qualified for the role.
You gave a salary figure that was too high (avoid salary discussions until you receive the job offer).
You didn’t ask any interesting questions at the end of the interview.
They hired an internal candidate.
The company just had a hiring freeze.
They decided not to fill the role.

All but the last three of the above statements underscore the importance of practicing your answer out loud and using a timer to get your points across in approximately three minutes per question. Trained interviewers will tell you that they will be covering 8-15 questions and have allocated xx amount of time for the interview. Do a quick calculation and you will discover how much time you need to answer each question and the associated follow-up questions.

Employer Feedback

If you get rejected, you probably will not receive any feedback from the employer. The hiring manager or recruiter may not have the time and/or their legal department instituted a policy against providing feedback. They are concerned that any feedback may be misconstrued by you or misinterpreted as discrimination in their hiring process. Employers also want to avoid a difficult or confrontational phone conversation.

It’s understandable, you simply want feedback or advice on how to do better in your next job interview. Even if you receive feedback, there is a high probability it won’t be useful. You can improve your chances of winning a job offer by understanding how employers think and practicing your interviewing skills until you can answer the questions with confidence and credibility.

Employers consider multiple factors (can you do the job, will you do the job, will you fit the organization’s culture) and even though you could do the job, your lack of passion gave them the sense you really don’t enjoy doing the tasks associated with the job.

As soon as you leave your next job interview, answer the following questions.

Was I fully prepared?
Did I thank them and restate my strong interest in the job?
Did my answer to “Tell me about yourself” include information “as it pertains to this job?”
Was I able to list 3-5 key tasks listed in the job description?
Did I make it clear “why” I’m interested in this job?
Did I dress to impress?
Did I smile, make eye contact, and lean in when answering?
Did my body language support or betray my enthusiasm?
Did I restate the interviewer’s question when offering my response?
Did I provide rich, detailed, succinct answers to each question?
Did I ask great questions at the end of the interview?

Winning job offers has everything to do with your level of preparation. Employers have frequently commented that they extended job offers to candidates that blew them away during the interview with their level of preparation and understanding of the tasks.

Think of it this way; how would you rate a great singer that came to an audition and clearly didn’t take time to learn the lyrics to a song?

Interviewing is stressful so do everything you can to get a job offer after your next interview. Remember, if you receive an interview invitation, the employer thinks you can do the job. Don’t talk yourself out of the opportunity by not being fully prepared for your interview.