How to Find Out Why You Didn't Get the Job

Job seekers and the people hiring them have very different stories to tell about the pressures that keep them up at night, but there's one point on which both sides agree: The job-search "black hole" is real, and applicants are less likely than ever before to hear anything at all about jobs for which they haven't made the cut.

It's honestly a frustrating situation for all parties concerned. Professionals looking for their next job feel confused and neglected by a lack of feedback, and recruiters and hiring managers often feel inadequate in their ability to give that feedback to the sea of worthy job seekers applying in an ever-more-complex online ecosystem.

In a recent article for TheLadders titled "How to Force Feedback Following a Job Interview," John Batteiger offers some tips for how to get a bit more information once the door has closed -- information that may help you nail the next opportunity that opens up.

In general, recruiters are more likely to offer insights to job seekers than hiring managers directly responsible for the decision, the story reports. Recruiter Cathleen Faerber, managing director of the Wellesley Group Inc. in Buffalo Grove, Ill., tries to provide information to candidates who's made it through initial rounds with the hiring company, only to be eliminated. "Usually the final selection of a candidate has to do with 'fit' and 'personality,' which is something no one can control," Faerber said. "If this is the case, I will tell them that. If they botched the interview, which has happened, I will explain it to them."

By contrast, the hiring manager will likely be more careful about sharing such details. "It's in a recruiter's best interest to sharpen a candidate's interviewing skills, whereas hiring managers may keep their opinions close to the vest," said Cheryl Heisler, president and founder of Lawternatives, a career counseling firm in Chicago. "Everyone's watching their back nowadays."

To overcome those concerns, Heisler said, be polite and don't take a defensive tone. "You don't want to ask for another shot at the job. You want to make it clear that you simply want to know if there's anything useful you should know for your job search going forward," she said. "Your tone of voice is important."