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About 5 months ago, I interviewed with a company for a position which I felt more than qualified. There were three interviews and I remember the last interview lasted for 4 hours. I met everyone in the company and felt as if I got the job.
Well, I didn't.
I got an email right after that interview that they've chosen another candidate and good luck with my job search.
Fast forward to today...I got a voicemail from the CEO that said "Hi xxxx....we interviewed you a while ago and want to know if you are still on the market for the position. We feel you are the right fit. Please call....blah blah blah. Everyone is expecting your call. Thanks"
Now, I know that the person they hired left. Would it be okay for me to ask why they didnt pick me in the first place? What questions would you ask? Please let me know. I value all your opinions.
Thanks!
Last edited by Hip_Chick54; 08-06-2014 at 01:48 PM..
You can ask in a nice way and with good intentions. But I bet you are a little PO'd and want to ask so you can stick it to 'em and make them squirm a little. They didn't pick you because they thought the other person was a better fit, not that you weren;t a good fit. You obviously were if they spent so much time interviewing you. I'm sure it was close. You are just a little ticked, I get it, it's compeltely understandable.
But, if you want the job and intend to accept it and come in with good vibes, I would tone it down before asking such things.
Considering the last person left so quickly, it could be a red flag. At the same time, this could be a great opportunity to take control of the situation and turn things in your favor. They are at your mercy now, so ask for much higher pay, starting bonus, better benefits, etc. Even better if you found another position or are unemployed. Good luck.
It seems incredibly unwise to ask why they didn't pick you before. What's done is done. What kind of an answer would you expect to receive, and what exactly do you stand to gain from that knowledge? It happens all the time that multiple candidates would be perfectly qualified for the job, which definitionally leads to perfectly qualified candidates being rejected. The only material question is whether you are still interested in the job. Are you?
As an aside: Don't be so sure that they hired someone who didn't work out. Do you know that through other sources, or simply assume that because you weren't offered the job someone else was? Perhaps they encountered some roadblocks in the hiring process, or perhaps they just have a very long hiring cycle.
It seems incredibly unwise to ask why they didn't pick you before. What's done is done. What kind of an answer would you expect to receive, and what exactly do you stand to gain from that knowledge? It happens all the time that multiple candidates would be perfectly qualified for the job, which definitionally leads to perfectly qualified candidates being rejected. The only material question is whether you are still interested in the job. Are you?
As an aside: Don't be so sure that they hired someone who didn't work out. Do you know that through other sources, or simply assume that because you weren't offered the job someone else was? Perhaps they encountered some roadblocks in the hiring process, or perhaps they just have a very long hiring cycle.
Good advice right there.
And even if the OP is sure that the person they chose left, does the OP know why? Maybe everything was going swimmingly but the person left for personal reasons, or because they got another offer they've been hoping for, or for any number of reasons. They didn't necessarily leave because of something bad within the company.
I think the OP is just upset for having been made to go through the process and then not being chosen. Rejection isn't fun and now that she perceives herself to be in a position of power, she is aking if choking them (just a little) is OK.
I would never ever question why I wasn't hired months ago. As mentioned above, you don't know what happened. I'd take the job or not take the job and not question anything.
About 5 months ago, I interviewed with a company for a position which I felt more than qualified. There were three interviews and I remember the last interview lasted for 4 hours. I met everyone in the company and felt as if I got the job.
Well, I didn't.
I got an email right after that interview that they've chosen another candidate and good luck with my job search.
Fast forward to today...I got a voicemail from the CEO that said "Hi xxxx....we interviewed you a while ago and want to know if you are still on the market for the position. We feel you are the right fit. Please call....blah blah blah. Everyone is expecting your call. Thanks"
Now, I know that the person they hired left. Would it be okay for me to ask why they didnt pick me in the first place? What questions would you ask? Please let me know. I value all your opinions.
Thanks!
I think the most appropriate time for you to have asked this question would have been right after you received the notification that they would be moving forward with another candidate. If you are still interested in this job, I would just go in with a positive attitude and be remain a little humble.
As a previous poster pointed out, I would be skeptical why your predecessor left so quickly after a few months. That's not a good sign. Maybe they were not qualified enough (which shouldn't be a problem for you since you believe you are more than qualified...) or maybe they just needed A job until the right one came along (which happened to be a few months later).
Anyway- congrats on the offer! Do you research on Glassdoor to see what salary you should be negotiating. They sound like they are really interested so it looks like the ball is in your court.
You don't know for certain that the person before you left. The person may have been let go.
In addition, even if the person left, perhaps they took the job knowing it was temporary and they would continue looking. Maybe they had a spouse who needed to relocate. Perhaps they have a relative who has taken ill and now needs care. Or some other company contacted him/her and offered a lot more money. I wouldn't assume their leaving is a problem.
But I would ask someone there what happened with the person they hired. You don't need to ask why they didn't hire you - that will only put them in an uncomfortable, awkward position. The fact is, they felt someone was more qualified, that person is gone, and they're opening the door for you to enter if you choose.
I agree with harrisce - check glassdoor. Then go into it with an open mind. This could be a great opportunity if you look at it as just that, and don't go into it feeling like you were second choice.
It could have been that you and the other candidate that got the job were pretty evenly matched and they just had to make a choice, toss a coin or whatever. OR it is possible the other guy WAS the best for the job, and you were the next best.
Either way, look at it as an opportunity, IF IN FACT you are still interested. Just talk to them with enthusiasm and move ahead.
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