Applicants calling employer and asking why they were not hired ("WHAT DID I DO WRONG"- MR EMPLOYER?) (interview, jobs)

[total_genius]

When I worked in Human Resources years ago, I very polite and use to send a rejection letter to all applicants who interviewed but were not hired. Because my name was on the letter many people would call me and beg for advice and ask what they did wrong during the interview so they were not hired. Of course I could not tell them officially. Every once in a while I would tell them if they really did something wrong but it would usually get me in trouble when they would call up my boss and say I said mean things to them or were discriminating against them.

In most cases they did not do anything wrong and they interviewed just fine. But they were the wrong age, color, personality, sex, race, to tall, to short, to fat, to perky, to quiet, to aggressive or to passive. Most of the hiring decision were totally subjective because the majority of the people who were brought in for interviews had similar on paper skills and education.

NO, YOU DID NOT DO ANYTHING WRONG IN YOUR LAST INTERVIEW. Other than being your self!

[gold dust]

yikes. this is a tad alarming.

[Dolly]

I read somewhere that most jobs were filled because the hiring person "liked" you rather than your actual skills. Now I believe it.

[njkate]

Originally Posted by total_genius

When I worked in Human Resources years ago, I very polite and use to send a rejection letter to all applicants who interviewed but were not hired. Because my name was on the letter many people would call me and beg for advice and ask what they did wrong during the interview so they were not hired. Of course I could not tell them officially. Every once in a while I would tell them if they really did something wrong but it would usually get me in trouble when they would call up my boss and say I said mean things to them or were discriminating against them.

In most cases they did not do anything wrong and they interviewed just fine. But they were the wrong age, color, personality, sex, race, to tall, to short, to fat, to perky, to quiet, to aggressive or to passive. Most of the hiring decision were totally subjective because the majority of the people who were brought in for interviews had similar on paper skills and education.

NO, YOU DID NOT DO ANYTHING WRONG IN YOUR LAST INTERVIEW. Other than being your self!

Hmmmm aren't there federal laws against this??? if you rejected anyone for the above reasons you were indeed discriminating against them....Heavy fines and potential for law suits

[sierraAZ]

Geeweez, people... one would think you just crawled from under a rock today...

[TracySam]

Yeah, I agree that being the wrong sex, race, age, or color would not be a reason that would fly with me. I'm guessing you just typed that part without thinking?



But I totally agree about people calling and asking why they weren't hired. Like I said in another thread, it's just as creepy and annoying as when a weird guy in a nightclub asks you to dance, and you say "no thanks" and he then says "but WHY NOT?"

Just take No for an answer. No means no. No amount of hounding and begging is going to get you hired, or get you a better answer to your question. And aside from not having the correct qualifications, or we found someone more experienced, the real reasons you weren't hired are probably things you don't want to hear.

[texdav]

When I use to interview on a board it most time was a matter of experinece and what we were loking for ahead of time. We always has a matrix for what we were looking for. With this matrix filled out after the interview we often were surpised at the outcome but this made a difference rather than one personal judgement.Of course we also had a test to try to make sure the person was not lying on his knowledge of the job requirements. I thnik that youy will find that often we were looking to add to our moneoity positons and this was a facotr sometimes and not illeagl at all.But it wasn't the deciding factor just one of many and often experience came out on top.

[J Arp]

Originally Posted by njkate

Hmmmm aren't there federal laws against this??? if you rejected anyone for the above reasons you were indeed discriminating against them....Heavy fines and potential for law suits

Ever heard of Equal Opportunity and "Diversity"? I know (in government jobs at least) that a black man or woman will almost always get the job over the white/hispanic guy even if the white/hispance guy has more experience. I watched it happen again and again at my old job.

[njkate]

Originally Posted by J Arp

Ever heard of Equal Opportunity and "Diversity"? I know (in government jobs at least) that a black man or woman will almost always get the job over the white/hispanic guy even if the white/hispance guy has more experience. I watched it happen again and again at my old job.

Equal opportunity?? I think maybe you mean affirmative action?? What a croc that is..and yes it amounts to reverse discrimination, some thing the politically correct crowd won't own up to

[J Arp]

Yes.. Affirmative Action...my bad. They both go hand in hand though. It is really sad that there is such as thing as "Office of Diversity." Is that just a government employer phenomenon?

I have overheard those people speak about their numbers "We are x% more diverse than last year, and if we hire Dr. Blargharh and Mrs. Soandso we'll look even better on paper!" They are about on par with the Veeps and directors that can only think of student enrollment == more money to fight for to get put into my budget so I can burn it on me/us and not students.

My experience is with colleges obviously who are probably more vulnerable to this than most businesses since they are all grasping for state funding and what not.