Why do interviewers do this?

[FurryFace22]

I'm still irritated by this! I had an interview a couple of weeks ago for a fairly niche role, not too many people would have my experience in so I can't imagine there would have been tons of other candidates.

I wasn't over confident going into the interview as I wasn't entirely sure I wanted the role but it went much better then I expected, really seemed to gel with the interviewers and they were hugely positive about me so much so I came away thinking I'd be offered the position (which is a big deal for me as I am a very pessimistic person normally).

Annoyed as I let myself get carried away, imagining myself in the new role, getting excited etc only to get the dreaded call that I hadn't been successful (but was given loads of positive feedback about how close to being successful I was).

I'm feeling really flat now and also annoyed, why be so positive and give one impression if they had no intention of recruiting me (and I know I was the last interview of the day so it's not as if a surprise candidate would've blown their socks off after me). I'll get over it but it's knocked my confidence and I just wish they hadn't be as enthusiastic during the process so I would've been more prepared for the rejection 😟

If it’s a niche role, they often end up hiring internally - I speak from long and bitter experience of unsuccessfully trying to ‘break in’ (why does that sound like a burglary?) to a difficult industry. Often, they already have someone in mind for these roles, but do the interviewing anyway to comply with the letter of employment law, or recruitment policy.

Don’t regard interviews as a pass/fail scenario. Instead, look at them as a betting proposition. You can shorten your odds by a good performance, but other unknown factors may still tip them away from you. It isn’t good for your mental health to hang all your self-esteem on what is, effectively, a gamble. The best thing you can do is to dust yourself off and carry on looking.

I’d much rather go away feeling like I’d done well in the interview despite not getting the job. If the panel gave away any misgivings in the middle of the interview it would really throw me off. It sounds like they did a good job making you feel comfortable which is all you can ask for really.

Not getting the job doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you or the interview you gave, it could be all sorts of things out of your control.

Because they genuinely liked you.
Because you were a very close second and they would have given you the job if first one hadn't taken it
Because why make someone feel bad in an interview - create a positive atmosphere and get the best out of the candidate.

I interview internal candidates at work.
Sometimes there's more than one really great candidate and it's a tough decision.
Sometimes they're not the one, but they're a great person and the interview is an enjoyable/ interesting meeting so they may come away feeling confident.

I'm sorry it didn't work out for you (I've been in your shoes myself) but they've taken the time to give you thorough feedback so they obviously like you. I'd thank them for the opportunity connect with them on LinkedIn etc, could lead to another role in the future.

I know it's disappointing but try not to be too disheartened. You didn't get the job but that doesn't mean that you did anything wrong.

I recently started a job where I was the second choice for it. My interview went REALLY well and, like you, I started to hope I'd be offered the position. I got the call to say I'd been unsuccessful and it came down to the fact that someone else had a bit more experience in one niche area - that's all. Then the successful person turned it down so it was offered to me.

A colleague has since told me (off the record!) that he did the shortlisting and my application and the other person's scored the same. He basically told our manager that it didn't matter which of us got the job and it took the panel two days longer than they had anticipated to decide, so it really did just come down to that one detail.

I interview a lot.

Not sure I love the idea of being standoffish to people who aren’t doing well. Surely everyone deserves a friendly face across the table?

I think sometimes interviewers relax (even in the most miniscule, almost subconscious ways) when they feel they've found the right person, which then means they're relaxed when they go into the next interviews, and then those subsequent candidates get a chilled interview and a false impression.

Another reason it might be nothing to do with you is if there is an internal candidate to whom they have to give the job - I had that situation at a company, brilliant interview but rejected and wasn't told it was an internal candidate who got it. Two years later, the same position came up as that candidate was leaving, and after I got the job I was told what had happened. Wish they'd told me originally as I felt so crushed.

All of this.

I agree with almost everyone above.

typical mumsnet giving OP a bashing without reading or accepting what she's saying.
You must be reading a different thread from me.