You made it through all the hoops: C.V and cover letter reviewed, phone screen passed, 
first interview and final interview. You know your references were contacted, yet you didn’t get employed. So what went wrong? Read on to learn about the top five reasons why you missed out on the job and how to manage the process in your favour next time.
1.Hiring Process ‘Evolution’
Sometimes the employer doesn’t exactly know what they want and it’s not until the final interview that they realise the other candidate has “more of” whatever it is that they require. Short of being telepathic, there is little you can do to avoid this problem.
You can minimise the likelihood of this happening by asking for the job descriptionand talking to the hiring manager before you send in an application. Make sure that everything you do and say during the process highlights that you have done your research, you are easy to train and easy to manage.
Note: No job description means going into the process with your eyes wide open. If you don’t like “making things up as you go along” or working for a company that ignores legal requirements (employers are legally required to provide a job description) maybe this isn’t the job for you.
2.Salary Expectations
No matter how good you are it is unlikely you will be paid more than your manager. The job salary band is directly related to the skills, knowledge and abilities required for the role. Your personal financial situation remains irrelevant. If you have set outgoings that are not negotiable you need to be realistic about the salary/wage expectations. Even if you are happy to take a pay cut and adjust your lifestlye, employers are unlikely to employ a “downscaled” candidate. Mainly because they are worried you will get bored or demotivated when the reality of a life on a lower pay rate kicks in.
There is no definitive answer to how and when a salary discussion takes place during a recruitment process. However, if you are phone screened you can ask something along the lines of “I know that organisation x is a good employer and I’m interested in knowing what the salary band is for the role.” Most recruiters and HR professionals will give you a $10K range.
Note: Avoid giving a set “number” for the pay rate that you expect so you leave room to negotiate. Simply acknowledge that the pay scale meets your expectations and that you know that organisation looks after their employees.
3. Being Motivated
Whether it was not turning up on time, not responding to a request for information or not looking enthusiastic about the prospect of a new project. It’s much like talking to someone about their children or “fur people” pets. The tiniest glimmer of “I’m not really that excited about this” can result in a “No Go” letter.
Again, this goes back to doing your research and making every effort to prove that you are easy to manage and easy to train. You need to understand that to a business owner, their operation is their “baby” and they want their “people” to be an ambassador for their company. If you can’t get excited about the business, yet still need a job it’s time to put your big girl/boy pants on and do the research to show you cared enough to at least understand their world even if you aren’t gloriously passionate about it.
4. General Fit
As a Careers Guidance Coach, I have had a number of clients despair at the “you are not quite the right fit for the organisation.” The reality is that no one’s interview personality is the same as their general everyday workplace personality. For this reason, if an employer’s gut instinct is that you will not fit with the team they have actually done you a favour by saying no.
Working through an exit process when a new hire hasn’t worked out is painful for all concerned. Often the situation is not because the new employee is a bad person; they simply didn’t get on well with key clients or the rest of the team. Sometimes early intervention, time spent understanding different communication styles and effective management can resolve the issue; however, ultimately it’s better not to go there.
5. Experience
Another answer that has job hunters gnashing their teeth is “the other person had more experience than you.” This leads to a “chicken and egg” conversation about how can you get more experience if you don’t get a job? What people forget is that taking the time to train someone is a cost to the business as a more senior employee who is required to train you is also a “non-revenue generating activity.”
Generally if a role is formally advertised someone has left, or the business had grown beyond its’ current capacity. Either way there is a lot of work to be done. If you have two equally good candidates, it becomes an economical choice to choose the person who is going to be able to get the job done on their own as soon as possible.
If you are worried about the “experience” issue, delve into your “transferable skills” and demonstrate that even though you may not have done the exact role before you have done similar activities and then give examples that show you learn things quickly.
If you have anything to add on the topic of “Why I Didn’t Get Employed” or need some interview coaching please contact sarah@employmenow.co.nz for interview coaching