How to Ask Why You Did Not Receive a Job Offer

Applying for any job is an excruciating experience. You may thread your way through rounds of interviews on the telephone and in person only to fall short of an offer. It is useful to determine where your candidacy derailed. Don't let your pride stand in the way. There are tactful ways to ask why you didn't receive an offer. Such follow-up can sometimes put you in a prime position for the next available opening.

Hiring Manager

• Come right out and ask the hiring manager why you did not receive an offer. This type of approach is most effective if you were short-listed for a position and it ultimately went to someone else. The best approach is to ask for feedback on your interview. Instead of phrasing the question like "Why didn't you hire me?," consider asking it in a more diplomatic fashion, such as "What would have set me apart?"

Human Resources

• Approach the human resources department at the company and ask for feedback on the hiring process. This approach will work only if you actually made it in for an interview. You can gain invaluable feedback on your performance, and it can serve to keep your candidacy fresh for the next opening. If the hiring process is conducted through the company's HR department, usually HR will solicit feedback from the hiring manager and interviewers about candidates. For legal reasons, HR may not reveal much of the details to you, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Recruiter or Headhunter

• Ask your recruiter or the headhunter who worked with you on the job application. This approach is useful if you worked with an external recruiter on your candidacy. A recruiter has every incentive to help you in your job search. Although you may not have gotten the last job, the recruiter can help you land the next one. Most recruiters solicit feedback on the performance of the candidates they put forward and will share this feedback with you.

Friends at the Company

• Ask your friends within the company to ask questions on your behalf. If you were referred as a candidate by a friend at the company, that person is in an excellent position to find out why you didn't receive a job offer. Don't be ashamed to ask your friend to get the full story for you. Often the information delivered through unofficial channels is more honest and helpful than that from any other source.

Ask Yourself

• Search inside yourself for the answers. Don't be afraid to listen to your gut instinct on this. Often, that's the most accurate measure you have. If you did not receive a job offer due to something you did in the interview process, you will need to reflect back on what happened. If another candidate won out and you did nothing to derail the process, the answers may not come from within. However, if you search inside yourself, you can often determine what you might have done differently.