Hiring manager offered position, HR said no and won't tell me why.

[MiloRN]

Im so confused and upset.

I've been a public health nurse for a year and 6 mos of cardiac pcu prior to that.

2 weeks ago I interviewed for a cardiac tele floor at ********, and it went wonderfully. The hiring manager gave me a tour of the entire unit and introduced me to almost every nurse. At the end of the tour/interview, she shook my hand and even gave me a hug and said, "Welcome to the team!"

She told me to wait and hear from the HR department. After almost 2 weeks of not hearing anything I gave the recruiter a call and she very rudely said that they would not be hiring me and that they hired another candidate instead. I explained how the manager that I interviewed with had offered me the position and that I was very confused and wondered if she could share what went wrong or why I was being denied the position (there were day and night positions available, btw). She said she couldn't say anything. Nothing about my references or what went wrong. Just that they weren't going to offer me the position, but could not tell me a single reason why. I called the hiring manager afterwards, since she had given me her cell phone number, and she could tell I was upset and said that she would call the recruiter herself because she really wanted to hire me but HR told her that she couldn't. She called me back about 5 mins later and told me that the recruiter said she couldn't tell her or myself why. I didn't authorize a background check or anything (not that anything is on it anyways). All of my references checked out because I called each and every one of them and all gave glowing references.

I'm so confused and upset. Has anyone else had an experience like this or have any feedback?

Happy nurses week to me.

Thank you for any input.

[jodispamodi]

Something similar happened to me when applying for a 1st job, I had a great reference from a clinical instructor who worked at the hospital, a great interview, and then nothing... when I finally heard back I was told "I was no longer considered a candidate" No other info, although I tried. All I can figure is one of my jobs or references said something negative... there was no reason for anything negative but... So I would suspect that someone, somehow, said something negative, my other thought would be that possibly they did a google or social media search and they saw something they didn't like (common for HR to do that now).

[jodispamodi]

one other thing to think about if you have a common name or an easily misspelled name (as is my case) that its possible they could have googled or something and came up with the wrong info... But the hiring manager being mute about it makes me wonder if perhaps there was no reason at all... just another candidate they liked better.

[feelix, RN]

I had a similar experience for a clinic job. I was taken around, introduced, and asked to buy a certain color of uniform. Also, given a date to report on. And yes, it was the same MO. Manager spoke before HR. HR was supposed to call. They never did. Then I kept calling the manager and she would not pick up the phone. Years later, the same hospital hired me for another position. So, it was not something on my file. It was something internal.

[MiloRN]

I had a similar experience for a clinic job. I was taken around, introduced, and asked to buy a certain color of uniform. Also, given a date to report on. And yes, it was the same MO. Manager spoke before HR. HR was supposed to call. They never did. Then I kept calling the manager and she would not pick up the phone. Years later, the same hospital hired me for another position. So, it was not something on my file. It was something internal.

Sorry that happened but glad it worked out in the long run. I too am thinking it was something internal.

[MiloRN]

one other thing to think about if you have a common name or an easily misspelled name (as is my case) that its possible they could have googled or something and came up with the wrong info... But the hiring manager being mute about it makes me wonder if perhaps there was no reason at all... just another candidate they liked better.

It was actually HR who wouldn't say why, honestly she seemed to know nothing about me when I called. She asked me to remind her which position it was for, which hospital, which manager... she didn't seem to look up anything in the computer, just automatically said they wouldn't be proceeding. I talked to a co-worker who had an interview with the same company doing prn work and she had called HR 10 mins before me to check on her status and they told her that their system was down, so HR was trying to recall from memory... I thought that was interesting.

I do think it was something internal and nothing about me as a candidate. The recruiter even told me to apply to more positions? Still makes zero sense lol.

[JadedCPN, BSN, RN]

Really? So carelessly? I'm not on social media... thanks

Yes, carelessly. That was not meant as a jab at all yet you seem really defensive with some of your replies to those of us offering suggestions and thoughts.

Also kudos to you for being off social media. I've been off for almost 10 years and can't imagine going back.

[T-Bird78]

I had an interview with a peds office right out of school. I interviewed with the office manager, nurse manager, and lead MD of the practice. They all liked me and the manager called the corporate HR department to have me fast-track the hiring process (they do routine orientation sessions and one was starting in a few days, otherwise I'd have to wait two more weeks), and told me to come back Monday and start shadowing the nurse. I went straight to corporate HR, filled out all my paperwork, was given a date and time for the orientation session, and was welcomed to the organization. On my way home from corporate HR, I was called and told they'd decided to go with another candidate. I was basically hired but they changed their mind. My background check was clean (I'd just done one for nursing school, for clinicals, and for the daycare center I worked at during school), my references were good (my peds/OB teacher actually set up the interview because she was friends with the manager), but they just said no. It sucks but it does happen sometimes. HR does have final say in everything. Good luck!

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

It sounds likely that they decided not to fill the position at all, to eliminate it or to give it to an internal candidate.

[MiloRN]

It sounds likely that they decided not to fill the position at all, to eliminate it or to give it to an internal candidate.

Yes I think so too

[Alex_RN, BSN]

I have always been of the opinion that in all job search activities, there will always be a very large random factor that is unknowable and unfathomable and probably has nothing to do with you. Don't count on anything until you have an offer letter, and even then, we have seen offers rescinded.

[DannyBoy8, RN]

Maybe try completely different references for the next go around and see if that makes a difference. Could give you some insight into whether or not they're the reason....i.e. telling you one story and the recruiters another.

[Sierra Nurse]

I agree that an internal applicant is a likely scenario, as I had this happen with a couple of applications/interviews. However, in my case, the manager informed me that I was bumped by internal candidates.