Job Seekers: Employers Are Not Rejecting You; They Are Choosing Better Options

In terms of hiring, I have this, admittedly somewhat idealistic, holistic view:

STEP 1: Candidates apply to a job opening.

STEP 2: Candidates who applied according to the employer’s application instructions and based on their resume, appear qualified are selected for further assessment.

STEP 3: The selected candidate’s LinkedIn activity and digital footprint are reviewed to assess their online behaviour. If no controversial behaviour is found, they’re scheduled for a telephone screening call.

STEP 4: Those who pass the screening call are scheduled for face-to-face interviews (a maximum of three).

STEP 5: The candidate most likely to be the best option, often considered the least painful, is hired.

“Sometimes all you can do is choose the least painful option.” – Michael Kouly, Journalist 

As a side note, my hiring philosophy is to accept candidates as they present themselves and hire them if they belong. Looking back, most of my hiring mistakes have been in giving candidates the benefit of the doubt.

“When someone shows you who they are believe them; the first time.” – Maya Angelou

Choosing [whatever] is simply selecting the best available (keyword) option you have at the time.

At any stage of an employer’s hiring process, especially during telephone screenings and face-to-face interviews, an employer may decide not to pursue an applicant’s candidacy because they’ve identified other applicants whose qualifications, experience, and potential better align with the role’s specific requirements and desired outcomes. The candidate’s personality is also considered. Those seen as a good match for the company culture and team are preferred. Ultimately, employers aren’t eliminating candidates; they’re searching for and selecting the candidate they feel is the optimal fit to achieve the position’s goals without disrupting their culture or the team.

This hiring dynamic offers several perspectives:

• Hiring is a relative comparison. Job seekers tend to forget they’re being compared to other candidates. In 2026, given the complex economic climate employers face, hiring, as it has been for quite some time, isn’t about finding a candidate “who’ll do”; it’s about finding the best match from the available pool of candidates, which is quite large. Employers can’t afford to make bad hires. While you might be a highly qualified candidate, if another applicant presents themselves as a closer match—someone more in sync with the company and industry, easier to manage, and more relevant—the employer is likely to choose them.
• Recruiters and hiring managers are increasingly focusing on a position’s expected results and the value those results add to the company’s profitability. A “position value”—the impact on company goals and revenue, along with the cost of labour versus productivity gain—is the primary factor, more than the skills and experience required, that determines the compensation package offered.
• Assessing candidates for cultural and team fit has become paramount. The fit needs to be glove-like. Employers, understandably risk-averse, want to avoid hiring candidates who’ll be challenging to manage, underscoring that, as an employee, being a good soldier is often the best strategy for long-term employment.
• The degree to which a candidate demonstrates interest in the job and in joining the company (g., by including a compelling cover letter, sending a thank-you note after every interview) strongly influences hiring decisions. Employers regard genuine interest and enthusiasm as signs of long-term commitment and motivation.

Job seekers keep refusing to acknowledge that they aren’t the only game in town, that there’s always someone younger, hungrier and more qualified than them. When your interviewer says they’ll get back to you, it means they’re not concerned about losing you. If you aren’t formally notified of being rejected within a week, assume that you’ve been placed in the “keep them warm” pile, or that you’ve been ghosted, and the employer is okay with losing you. You may have been solid, but you didn’t “blow them away.” I’ve seen this happen time and time again. It’s common for employers to leave a position open until the right candidate is found, especially if the role isn’t critical to profitability. Speed doesn’t beat finding the perfect candidate.

A job seeker’s best job search strategy today is to demonstrate to an employer that they’re an excellent option by showing:

• They can follow instructions.
• They don’t harbour a sense of entitlement.
• They’re friendly and cooperative, and easy to manage.
• They want to contribute to the employer’s business profitability.
• They’re a lifelong learner.

Two final candidates. One role. Both interviewed well and are qualified. Who gets hired if not for the candidate’s resume, LinkedIn profile and “perfect” answers? The candidate who asked questions that showed they were more interested in what they could do for the employer than what the employer could do for them. The candidate who followed up after every interview. The candidate who showed genuine interest in the employer’s products and/or service offerings and challenges. The candidate who appeared more interested in contributing to the company’s success than just seeking a job.

When job hunting, keep in mind that employers evaluate you based on the signals you send through your resume, application, digital footprint, and interview behaviour. Employers use your signals to determine whether you’ll be the least painful option.