Why didn't you get that job?
On the one hand, companies are very reluctant to provide much detailed feedback about a candidate they pass on, because it creates all kinds of legal exposure. "Oh I'm not a cultural fit? Well my lawyer will be calling you because I think you mean I'm too old, my skin is the wrong color, or you don't like my gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or country of origin."
On the other hand, as you note, feedback helps you, as an applicant and job hunter, work to improve yourself, learn better how you sell yourself, and improve how you pursue future opportunities.
Of course, even if you got the real answer, that answer might not help you:
- We lost our requisition for this position because budgets were revised/the product line was cancelled/we never got it fully approved -- but we don't want these internal machinations known externally
- We decided that based on your compensation history, you'd never be interested in taking this position, since it pays 30% less than you are making now -- and if you did take it, you'd just be bored silly and be looking around for something new within months.
- Or the opposite: We don't believe someone who has always occupied positions under $100k per year could really handle this position, which is typically occupied by people earning a quarter million a year.
- The VP knew someone at her former company who was a good fit, based on a known track record, so even though you were a good fit, we chose someone who was a known entity.
- We never really planned to hire from outside, but to please all our stakeholders we needed a certain number of qualified candidates to interview. Yes, you were fine, but there was an internal candidate that fit the position.
- Etc Etc.
In fact, you can begin to see how some of the "real reasons," while doing nothing to help you in the future, could piss you off -- and even provide grounds for an itchy employment attorney to take your case on.
So what can you do? Call (do not email) the recruiter, or, secondarily, any of the people you interviewed with, and ask in the most neutral, non-threatening manner about any constructive feedback from the interviews. Note, do NOT ask "Why did I not get the job?" Ask "If we talk again about a position in the future, what can I do better to improve the impression I make within your company?"
Most of the people will probably decline to comment. Be gracious and accept that. But you may get lucky and get some nugget that helps you.
Also, if it got to the stage of them calling your references, ask your references to summarize those discussions. You may be able to reverse-engineer those calls.
And, best of all, if you got the interview in part through a common connection -- a friend of a friend or colleague of a friend or friend of a colleague -- ask the non-threatening question via that connection.
And whatever you do, please DON'T go into this thinking "They wronged me" or "I'll get back at them" for two reasons:
- They will probably smell this from a mile away.
- You'll further the belief in the recruiting world that one should never, even informally, provide ANY feedback about an interview or candidate. And this challenge will just get even worse, over time.
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Either way, in the future, go ahead and ask that question DURING THE INTERVIEW: "What did you want to hear or see or know that you haven't heard or seen of learned during our interview?" or some variation that gets at the question you will have if you don't get the job, such as "Let's discuss what things may make you think I'm not an ideal fit for this role" -- and demonstrate in real time that you can hear and respond to feedback.