'Hiring is so broken': Reason why one employer rejected a candidate sparks discussion

Applying to jobs is a whole job in itself. You could spend hours on your resume and prepping for an interview, only to receive a rejection from a hiring manager, sometimes without a sufficient explanation.

A viral Reddit post may give insight into what’s going on behind the scenes when a hiring manager looks at your resume.

An employee recently shared a story on r/antiwork that has over 7,000 upvotes and close to 500 comments.

“Overheard why my coworker rejected a candidate… and it explains a lot about why hiring is so broken,” reads the title of the post.

The Redditor recalled overhearing a conversation among their coworkers that made them “understand why the job market feels so f**ked sometimes.”

According to the post, the Redditor’s job was hiring a secretary, and the person who was currently in that position was screening resumes and sharing the approved ones with the head of finance.

“They started off laughing about a resume someone sent that included a selfie. Okay… yeah, that’s definitely unprofessional,” the Redditor recounted.

The head of finance then began talking about a job interview she did earlier in the week and said the candidate was “too overqualified and wouldn’t be getting a call back.”

The Redditor recalled the reason being that when they asked why the candidate left her last job, she said it was because of a toxic work environment.

“According to [the head of finance], that’s ‘not a good reason’ to leave a job, and it shows you’re not loyal or responsible,” reads the post. “So, apparently, being overqualified is bad, and leaving a toxic workplace is also bad.”

The Redditor said hearing that explanation “made the whole hiring process feel a lot more arbitrary” and asked the internet whether this was a common mindset when hiring.

Overheard why my coworker rejected a candidate… and it explains a lot about why hiring is so broken.
by
u/Sorrowful_Genus in
antiwork

The post was flooded with hundreds of responses.

Others had similar experiences and frustrations with the hiring process as the original poster.

“I know someone who asks interviewees for their work history and why they left. If the reason is ever ‘for a better salary,’ they get binned because it means ‘they’ll leave you for anyone offering more money,'” reads one comment. “Combined with this post, it makes me wonder what they think an acceptable reason to switch jobs is.”

Others argued that the companies don’t care about their employees’ well-being and only care about the bottom line.

“Both of those are indicators that the candidate will not put the company’s profit before their own well-being, and the capitalists’ flunkies in HR are programmed not to accept that,” reads one comment.

“They need you to need the job desperately so they can underpay you. Otherwise, they can’t take advantage,” added another.

Many shared what they thought was the best answer to the question of why a job seeker left their last position.

One person put it plainly and said, “They’re bullsh**ting you, bulls**t them back.”

“The ‘answer’ is always some variation of ‘I am at my best when I am challenged, and I feel your company offers the opportunity and challenge that I strive towards,'” they suggested.

HR expert weighs in on debate around hiring practices

Nora Jenkins Townson, founder and CEO of HR consultancy Bright + Early, has helped companies like Mozilla and Wealthsimple hire hundreds of employees.

She told Daily Hive that she has seen hiring managers have an “adverse reaction” to candidates sharing that they left their last job because it was toxic.

“What they’re looking for out of a first interview is imagining that happy future together, right?” she explained.

Townson gave the example of a first date where you might not focus the conversation on a toxic ex. She said it’s better to focus on what you’ve learned or what you’re looking for in your next role.

“For example, if you were held back by a manager who wasn’t supportive, you could say that you’re looking to work for a company that really prioritizes learning and growing,” she said.

Townson stressed that coming from a toxic work environment shouldn’t inherently be a bad thing when it comes to hiring.

While she said she wouldn’t judge someone for having a bad experience at one company, when it comes to job interviews, it’s key to show that you have tact and a positive, forward-looking attitude.

She disagreed with the hiring manager’s reason for rejecting the candidate in the viral Reddit post, which assumed the candidate wouldn’t be loyal or responsible.

“I think there was an impression in the Reddit post that companies are looking for people who are loyal no matter what, and never have any problems at the workplace,” explained Townson. “I think that’s unrealistic. I don’t think that’s what people are looking for.”

She said it’s more about focusing your answers on the future and why you might be a good fit for the company’s culture. Another example Townson gave is that instead of saying you came from a “crappy culture,” you focus on why you like the hiring company’s culture.

“It might feel a little like corporate speak or disingenuous, but again, that’s kind of the expectation or the game on the first interview,” she said, echoing some of the comments on the Reddit post.

Why being overqualified might be a red flag for employers

The employer in the Reddit post also said they didn’t hire the candidate because they thought she was “too overqualified.” Townson confirmed that that’s one trend she’s seeing because of the saturated job market.

According to the HR expert, some reasons employers might find overqualified candidates risky include a fear that they might jump ship as soon as they find something better, a fear that the person could get bored with the work or might be less willing to take direction, and doubts about why the candidate couldn’t find a position at their level.

“If there’s a particular reason you’re looking for a job that’s below what you’ve done before, I would suggest bringing it up proactively and explaining why,” advised Townson.

An example is saying that you’re looking to take a step down from a management role to be hands-on with your craft again. Townson said a great place to give this context is on a cover letter.

She noted that employers do have some responsibility in being fairer with their hiring practices.

“Instead of automatically rejecting a candidate who has a lot of experience, ask them why this particular role, or why this company, instead of just automatically making that judgment,” explained Townson.

When it comes to the toxic workplace scenario, she said, ideally, the hiring manager could ask, “What is a great work environment to you?” as a follow-up question.

Ultimately, Townson said that employers tend to dehumanize the hiring process, especially when they’re getting hundreds of resumes.

She said it’s important for employers to respect a candidate’s time and skills and to be transparent about the process.

“So even if you have a large stack of candidates, not forgetting that there’s a human on the other side of it, and providing tangible feedback to people too, so that they can improve and adjust in their search for next time,” said Townson.

Do you have any job interview horror stories? Share them in the comments below or at trending@dailyhive.com.