Hiring is a cruel business

Hiring is a cruel business

Dear McCrabby,

I had an interview a week ago for a really interesting job. I wanted that job, even though it paid half of what I used to make, and the interview could not have gone better. We hit it off, I answered every question perfectly, I have insight, asked questions, and even had the main interviewer (on a panel of three) ask if we could go back and discuss some of my ideas a little more since they were so intriguing.

I walked out on air. This job would be fun, stimulating, have great benefits, and pay me enough to survive. I wrote personal, hand-written thank you notes to all three panel interviewers, mailed that evening. I emailed the primary hiring manager the next work day just to say thanks, and that I was extremely interested in the job. I was referred by a friend who works there. And, I never even got a call back, until my friend "prompted" the hiring manager to see where the job stood.

Then, I got the email that said exactly this (I have not changed a word):

"I want to thank you for taking the time to meet with us to discuss your interest in _________. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

While you are obviously quite talented, we are unfortunately not going to be able to pursue your candidacy for this position.

Thank you for your interest.

Sincerely,

XXXXX"

Here's the question. What do you think I did wrong?

Confounded and confused in Clearwater

___________________________________

Dear CCC:

Nothing.

Biggest pet peeve in job-searching: The complete disregard for the feelings of the applicant. McCrabby feels your pain, and has been through the same scenario. MC has no solution other than the ongoing plea to hiring managers to "man up" and be human.

These people come in for an interview and walk out just anticipating the possibility of getting that job offer. They wait for two days, a week, two weeks, or more, and while you have no intention of offering a job, they wait, they anticipate, they dream. And, days or weeks later, you have simply ignored them or dragged out their misguided anticipation.

You knew you weren't going to hire them, but you allowed them to dream a little longer, anticipate a little more, hope against hope that this time they would get the offer. You ignored them, or dragged it out for weeks before sending a "form" email. How uncaring is thats... How misleading... How cruel??

McCrabby has nothing funny today, because there is nothing funny with the tinkering of already-fragile human emotion. In a couple days, you'll see a new post addressing some additional thoughts on this subject, but with a little humor (Click here: Dear Hiring Manager: I reject YOU.. )

If even one hiring manager will read this and respond, then maybe impact can be made. McCrabby invites ANY hiring manager to comment on this. You've heard the applicants' side.

Please tell us yours, or that maybe you'll consider these points and make a change. We're not asking you to respond to every one of the thousand email inquiries you get. We get that. But, for the reader above, don't you think he deserved a response? You couldn't have interviewed a thousand.

Thanks and good luck to all job searchers.

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