4 Things NOT to Do When You Do Not Get the Job

You really wanted the new position at your dream company but were just informed that you did not get the offer. Now what? In our last post, we offered 4 things that you should do when you don’t get the offer for the position you wanted. That said, our many years of experience extending offers to candidates has also taught us what you should not do in response:

Don’t Act Totally Shocked

This might seem like a weird suggestion, especially if you are genuinely surprised that you didn’t get the offer. It is okay to express some level of surprise, but it is important to reign it in. If you act totally shocked the hiring manager may look at this as a confirmation of a large disconnect in the interview process. Keeping your composure by thanking them for their time and asking to be considered should anything open up, is a great way to end the conversation with everyone still feeling good about your candidacy in general.

Don’t Insist on an Explanation

Again, this might seem like a weird suggestion. Getting an explanation can be fine, or it can leave a bad taste in the interviewer’s mouth. It is all about how you ask. There is a big difference between, “What areas in my background or experience was I lacking or missing this time around?” and “What happened? Why didn’t I get the offer I thought the interview went great?” (I have heard both kinds of questions.) If you would like to have more information, please consider the content of tone of your question.

Don’t Give Up

Just because you didn’t get the offer for the position you interviewed for, it does not mean there is no place for you at your dream company. Take a look at other opportunities available or ask about other positions that might match your background. The important thing here is to be selective. I have seen examples of people applying to 20 jobs at the same company in a single weekend. That won’t impress the hiring teams. It will just appear desperate.

Don’t Trash the Company Online

Please just don’t do this. I have seen it before and it doesn’t help anyone. Not you, not them, not future candidates. If you have constructive criticism that you feel must be posted on Glassdoor, I suggest you wait a few days and seriously ask yourself, “Am I posting this to help future candidates, or simply to get revenge?” If you are not doing it to help, I suggest not doing it at all. I don’t believe in Karma but revenge blogging/reviewing is not something you want hanging out there in cyberspace for all time. It will come back to haunt you eventually.

What suggestions do you have for what not to do when you don’t get the job?

4 Things to Do When You Do Not Get the Job

You really wanted the new position at your dream company but were just informed that you did not get the offer. Now what?

As a technology recruiter for over 12 years I have had the pleasure of offering positions to hundreds of people. It is one of the most fun parts of the job. But for every job offer I have made to an excited candidate, there are always at least a handful of other not-so-fun calls with the candidates that did not get the offer. I have seen all kinds of different reactions and follow-up in these scenarios. If you did not get the job that you really wanted here are 4 things you should do:

Respond graciously

Some companies will call you to tell you did not get the job, while others prefer to communicate this message through email. Either way you should respond and your response should be a gracious one. Something to the effect of, “I am really impressed with the direction of the company, and I appreciate the opportunity to meet and discuss this role. Keep me in mind for the future.” I have seen countless situations where a person was barely edged out in the interview process, only to receive an offer later when another position opens, or the candidate they initially hired falls through. These things happen all the time so a gracious response to being turned down is key.

Connect with the hiring manager on LinkedIn

If you haven’t already connected with the hiring manager, now is a good time. It shows that there are no hard feelings and can serve as a great communication vehicle for the future. Again, things happen, and if another opportunity opens with your dream company you want it to be as easy as possible for them to remember you. Showing up on their newsfeed once and awhile (for professional reasons of course) is an easy way for that to happen.

Keep an eye out for future opportunities

With modern technology, you can set up alerts that will email you when your dream company posts another position that might be a fit. When one pops up, apply to it. Or, better yet, inquire with your shiny new LinkedIn connections! CAUTION: be selective. It is not a good look when you apply for every single job a company has posted, regardless of the fit, just because you want to work there. That will likely come off as highly desperate and somewhat strange.

Move on

Not every company is the right fit for everyone. Sometimes the best thing to do is to find another dream company. Many have noted how recruitment is like dating. Sometimes you move on and suddenly your first love is interested again. I have seen this happen with recruitment time and time again. On the flipside, sometimes your first love never comes back, but that’s okay. By the time you move on, you’ve often found another company that is also a good fit for you and life goes on.

What suggestions do you have for people when they don’t get the job? Discuss in the comments below:

An Important Question You *Probably* Aren’t Asking Your Staffing Partner

A quick scroll through my Linkedin newsfeed will almost always include at least one person complaining about a staffing firm for something they did or didn’t do. These posts typically get a healthy amount of interaction and the almost universal response is that while staffing firms provide a highly valuable service, there are a select few companies who “do it right,” with most them being horrible.

As a 12-year veteran of the staffing industry I personally believe the situation to be the opposite and think that many companies do a good job, with a select few that do so poorly that they give us all a bad rep, but this post isn’t about the numbers. What can you do as a customer to make sure you are working with a company that gets it?

The next time you get a call from a vendor ask them this question:

“What is your company’s process for handling candidates that aren’t the right fit for our positions?”  

The answer will tell you much about whether this person understands the big picture in recruitment or not.

Do not settle for vague answers.

Do not settle for hemming and hawing.

Do not settle for a process that includes anything less than, “Every single candidate we talk to about your positions will get follow-up if they are not the right fit. They will always know where they stand in the process.”

This is so important because it will demonstrate whether your staffing partner is truly a partner, or just looking at your job opening as a meal-ticket. You work hard to create and maintain your company brand. More and more companies are recognizing that their recruiting process is key to maintaining brand image. It hurts your brand when people who love your company apply to a position and never hear anything in response. This is why many companies are leveraging technology and processes that ensure people do not fall through the cracks whether qualified for a position or not. A positive recruitment experience is vital in competitive job markets. You understand this, does your recruiting partner?