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Discussion

Why didn't you hire me?

Oftentimes if I don't get the job, I'm left wondering why. I am asking hiring managers out there why you didn't hire someone or why you chose one candidate over another. Is extreme nervousness a deal breaker? What if the person stumbled over a few answers due to nerves of course, but basically managed to present themselves clearly? I dressed and behaved professionally, arrived 20 minutes early, answered questions appropriately, displayed excitement about the position and have experience in the area you're hiring. How many candidates normally make it to the interview stage(not new grad)? How much is your decision based on "chemistry"? What I'm really looking for is real answers as to why candidates didn't get chosen. Honesty much appreciated.

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    • Featured Replies

    There are lots of reasons, most to do with politics.

    Sometimes it is because there's a lot of internal applicants, but due to due dilligence, they have to interview applicants.

    Sometimes it is because they would like to see if they can hire the most educated for the least pay.

    Rarely is it because one doesn't "interview well" or present themselves in a professional way, unless of course one shows up unprofessional and rude.

    Good luck in your job search!

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    • Author

    Thank you for your reply, jadelpn.

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    The most likely reason is because there was someone better suited for the position. It's not necessarily saying that there's anything wrong with you.

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    KelRN215 is exactly right. Hiring managers make a decision based on comparisons.... they've obtained the same information from each applicant so they compare and rank the comparisons before making a job offer to the top candidate.

    It's really not about "rejecting" anyone. In fact, you may have rated pretty high on one or two factors, but another candidate was a better fit overall.

    Interviewing is like any other skill - you get better with practice. Whenever you don't end up with a job offer, think about that interview as a 'Dress Rehearsal' that is helping to prepare you -- so you can dazzle them when the time comes to be considered for your perfect job.

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    • Author

    Thank you all. Your comments certainly soften the lack of response after my interview. The whole process just feels so dehumanizing except for the face-to-face interview. And the fact that employers ignore you after the fact is simply frustrating and again makes the process feel dehumanizing...especially when you did not bomb the interview.

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    • Experts

    Some reasons why you didn't get hired:

    Someone else had better/more applicable work experience

    Someone had a talent/certification/credential that you lacked (bilingual, higher degree, specialty certification, etc.)

    Someone was more flexible about their schedule (shifts worked, start date, etc.)

    Someone was more flexible about where they worked/what they did

    Someone was more flexible about the pay, possibly even asking or willing to take less

    Someone was an internal candiate; if you were both internal candidates, they had seniority

    Someone was better known to the management via networking or other connections

    They already have their candidate in mind, but were required to interview you for whatever reason

    They restructured the job and you no longer qualify as well/at at all

    The position was put on hold or cancelled for various reasons

    And yes, the plain-old-yet-incredibly-frustrating reasons of "lack of chemistry" or "wasn't a good fit."

    Please note that most of these have little to nothing to do with you as a person. Even the "lack of chemistry/not a good fit" doesn't mean that you're a horrible person--it's just that they found someone that they felt could better mesh with the environment and the people.

    Also take a look at the article I linked to in this thread:

    https://allnurses.com/nursing-first-job/10-reasons-they-923536.html

    It's about some of the reasons why you haven't heard back from the employer...a lot of which have to do with time: the hiring process is not as quick or as smooth as we'd like it to be.

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    • Author

    Thanks Meriwhen!

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