4 Recruitment Deal Breakers- From an HR Expert’s Point of View

The radio silence after a first date can be exhausting. No calls, no texts, nothing. Things can be more confusing particularly for first dates that went well by all standards- you hit it off right from “hello, it’s nice to meet you’, the laughter was effortless, and the conversation flowed smoothly. 

Sounds familiar right? I know. But this scenario can be found playing out after a job interview too. Let me take your mind back to those interviews where you felt like you totally hit it off with the recruiter, and had all the right answers to the questions. Instead of a radio silence though, what followed was a nicely written rejection letter.

So, what went wrong?

‘….We have decided to pursue the application of other candidates at this time’ is a common phrase you’ll see in rejection letters, but what does it really mean? What really goes on behind the scenes before these mails are sent to job applicants?

I had a chat with Bunmi Oluwoye, an HR Analyst at Jobberman Nigeria who has been at the helm of recruitment affairs for years. She gave me a glimpse into the real reason a candidate may leave an interview with a positive vibe, yet get a rejection letter. Here are 4 deal breakers that could sabotage a potential employer-job applicant relationship-

1. You’re not compatible – In the world of dating, compatibility is a big deal, same thing goes in the world of recruitment. Employers may conclude that you are not a good fit for a role even after a worthwhile interview; this may have nothing to do with your qualifications and skills. So while you may be qualified on ‘paper’, your persona may be in conflict with the prevalent culture of the organisation, simply put- you might not just be a good culture fit.

   This can be easily deduced from the answers that you give in the job interview, which would give employers a pretty good idea of who you are, what you want, how long you are going to stay in the job, and how happy you are going to be in it. You just don’t pass the vibe check.

2. Your CV isn’t properly tailored to the job role –  A list of outstanding achievements are not so important if you can’t tailor them to the company’s needs for the vacant role. While the interviewer may listen on with rapt attention as you highlight your relevant skills (because they are quite impressive and valid), failure to make them see how these skills and experiences will help meet the company’s needs could earn you a rejection letter afterwards. Reiterate your ‘relevant’ skills to the role and convince the employer that you can do the same for them.  

This is where having effective communication skills comes in handy. 

3. You have no future plans –  Think of how unwilling you’ll be to date someone who hops from one relationship to another. Employers feel the same way about applicants that they consider a ‘flight risk”; nobody wants a job hopper.

Some Job seekers aren’t certain about their career goals and they often display those signs during interviews and even in their CV with inconsistent job roles. Some recruiters are quick to spot this as a major red flag or deal-breaker. 

4. You’re trying too hard not to impress – While relationship experts won’t advise that you go overboard in a bid to impress on a first date, yet, it’s important to bring your A-game on. This same applies when you go for an interview, do your best to make employers swoon over you- right at that interview. Employers hire people, not paper. Although your CV can list qualifications and skills, it’s the interview dialogue that will portray you as a committed, responsive team player. So your CV may get you inside the interview room, but soft skills like self-confidence, excellent communication and presentation skills will ensure the employer-employee relationship is forged after the interview. 

At the end of the day, you are looking to get matched with your dream job, right?. By signing up for the Jobberman Soft Skills training, you can be sure that you will be able to keep these deal breakers at bay.

Get started with our jobberman.com/softskills, it’s totally FREE. You can also refer 4 friends to sign up and you stand a chance to be rewarded with N20,000!!!! Start referring here and start earning today!

Also, here are some interview Do’s and Don’ts to guide your next interview!