Is it ok to ask an employer why you were not hired?

[Inimicus]

my...god....and my whole childhood my parents told me I was wasting my time

Fitting in to the culture of my team is HUGE to me.

I can train anyone to code websites or to troubleshoot PCs. I cant dictate a personality and I want all of my guys/gals to like each other. The easiest way to do that is to make sure there are common interests amongst my team members. Like football, play PC & console games, read Sci Fi, AND handy with C# or know your way around group policy? Ive got a spot for you.

Putting a person in a position is so much more than a matching skill set these days. It really is a buyers market.

Hell I hired an admin because he knew who Larry Niven was and had a jailbroken iPhone.

[Guest Irv]

This is why i join the military because dealing with douche bag interviewers that discriminate for the littlest things like some of you guys have admitted to doing was something i didn't want to deal with. Not saying that any of you guys are douche bags thoa.

[Zcustom]

Yeah my comments about call backs weren't directed at any of you, just one of my pet peeves. Happened to me all the time when I was younger and I've watched many people go stir crazy waiting on a call back.

Examples of things I've told people to improve.

- Basic spelling

- general appearance/hygiene

- properly filling out applications

As has been said, it gets too tough/dangerous to be honest with people. Recently I had a tough decision between two guys, the guy who didn't get the job was devastated and begged for an explanation. I ultimately told him that it was a tough decision and that both guys were great candidates, but I had to pick one and it just wasn't him.

Shitty answer but it's true

[Scrumtrilescent]

The other guy's hands were just a wee bit softer.

[thefuzz]

This is why i join the military because dealing with douche bag interviewers that discriminate for the littlest things like some of you guys have admitted to doing was something i didn't want to deal with. Not saying that any of you guys are douche bags thoa.

First: Let me thank you for your service.

Second: Interviewing and kicking someone out of the job pool for the "littlest" little thing is why private enterprise and capitolism kick the poo out of public enterprise and any other type of government/economic policy.

If I don't like the way someone looks when I am interviewing, I throw them out of the pool. Want to know why...because in my job looking favorable/good is half the battle.

It's the little things that make the difference.

[Davidson Deac II]

First: Let me thank you for your service.

Second: Interviewing and kicking someone out of the job pool for the "littlest" little thing is why private enterprise and capitolism kick the poo out of public enterprise and any other type of government/economic policy.

If I don't like the way someone looks when I am interviewing, I throw them out of the pool. Want to know why...because in my job looking favorable/good is half the battle.

It's the little things that make the difference.

I have some lousy workers make it through the interview process, and some great ones get shot down. I think that's why my group doesn't hire via the interview process anymore. They hire contractors and if a permanent position comes open, someone who did a good job as a contractor has a leg up so to speak.

The military actually has a decent system. Let just about everyone join, and the cream usually rises to the top eventually. I say usually because sometimes you find some people in the military or government work in general who are better at politicking the bosses than at doing their job. Of course, thats also true in private companies as well, especially the larger ones.

[CosmoGirl]

I have never interviewed someone without giving them a call back...and it's always me that calls them...not some flunky from HR or a secretary!

As for the how they did question...I don't think it's a good idea to give them false hopes. If I'm interviewing 10 people and you are number 1 - 9...I don't know how well you did compared to the others...I only know when #10 walks out the door. Like Biscuit said...if you really shined and I'm pretty confident that you are it, I might tell you more...but I'm not going to bullshit you before the process is complete.

Yes, on my last two interviews, they hiring managers have told me upfront that I was their first choice. One didn't even interview anyone else and offered it immediately. The other, because of me needing to relo had to make sure there wasn't a suitable local candidate - there wasn't. So I've had the difficult task of deciding between two very different but great jobs.

One thing about doing consulting jobs and dealing with recruiters with whom you have a good rapport is that you get honest feedback - positive and negative. The recruiter will dig on what you may have said/done or missing experience that they wanted that you as an individual may be unable to get.

[PanthaSan]

I tell them that we found somebody just as qualified who were willing to come in at a lower pay scale.

Gotta protect my profit margin.

[Panthro]

You need to do more than just upload and submit your resume.

You should also tailor your resume to fit every job you apply for. A lot of companies, especially larger ones, will use resume screening software that will scan your resume for keywords related to the job description. If it doesn't meet the requirement, it disqualifies you before anyone ever looks at it. A very common thing to screen for is address. Some companies don't feel like dealing with employees that have to relocate, so they just set the screener to kick out of area resumes aside.

You can put keywords in your resume hidden in white font. :)

[Zaximus]

I don't have an issue with people hiring someone to their team based on personality and interests. I've worked at my current IT job for around 7 months now, and while a bit of the other 15-20 people who interviewed had more experience, I fit in better with the team and had more common interests. If you get along with your team on that level, you're more inclined to ask the NEEDED questions and not just sit there wasting time. You also feel more comfortable, and in the end, do a better job. Also, I wish employers would let applicants know something, even in an e-mail, that's fine. But to not say anything, is really lame, especially if they act like you're in the frontrunning.

I always went into interviews knowing about the company (the best I could). Being very enthusiastic is huge too. Make some chit chat, break the ice a bit (depending on the interviewer). You have to realize the guy is tired of interviews and probably pressed to hire someone, so make your time with him/her stand out and not feel like such a "job". Have some awareness. If you see something on their desk that you shared interests in, or even not but can BS about, do it. On one of my jobs my interviewer had a mini Bass on his desk. I like to fish, so I asked him about it. We talked about fishing and where he goes to fish on vacation for 15-20 minutes. By then he REMEMBERED me, it was a connection. It's about being remembered, them remembering your name, and way less about qualifications than people think. Your goal is to have your name in their mind, and not just an e-mail in their inbox with a Word attachment.

OH and never bad mouth your previous employer, no matter how much they deserve it. They don't want you doing that to them in the future. Don't tell them how bad it is in the job market, just say you've had a lot of interest from companies over the last month or two. Try not to look desperate. Even if companies that passed on you didn't have a good reason to, you don't want your interviewer feelings like he better pass on you too cause a lot of others have.

Show up a bit early, 10 minutes is fine, anything earlier makes you look weird. But never be late, and if you are due to unforeseen circumstances, call and let them know with ample time, they may not be able to wait on you as they may have a meeting planned but if you're professional and courteous they may reschedule you.

[Porn Shop Clerk]

anytime i have an interview, i act like its the most important thing i've ever done in my life

even though i'm too cool for school by far

[RedMage138]

Fitting in to the culture of my team is HUGE to me.

I can train anyone to code websites or to troubleshoot PCs. I cant dictate a personality and I want all of my guys/gals to like each other. The easiest way to do that is to make sure there are common interests amongst my team members. Like football, play PC & console games, read Sci Fi, AND handy with C# or know your way around group policy? Ive got a spot for you.

Putting a person in a position is so much more than a matching skill set these days. It really is a buyers market.

Hell I hired an admin because he knew who Larry Niven was and had a jailbroken iPhone.

You guys still hiring? I'm looking to make a move. :biggrin5:

[tarheelpride]

I tell them that we found somebody just as qualified who were willing to come in at a lower pay scale.

Gotta protect my profit margin.

I've heard something similar to this from a company I was applying for an internship with a few years past.

The phone interview went really well, despite me not having all of the technical skills they wanted. Turns out, they say they found someone with those technical skills and there wasn't enough money available to offer me a position. However, they praised my communication ability. I still have that e-mail too.

[tarheelpride]

Basically, I'd actually prefer a response, even if it's bs'd, than no response at all. I noticed that it's a trend lately with the employers I network with. They don't even respond to me thanking them for an opportunity to network.

Some employers on top of that told me to ask if I had any questions. The lack of response is really telling. Almost like I don't want to work for them period if they can't even follow through on things. but i realize life's like that.

With that said, I move forward with the search for a job. Thanks to all that chipped in.