Rejected candidate then re-approached

[Hotandflustered]

Hi all,

Back in early June, I was turned down for a role, I received a nice email and offer of feedback whilst also being advised I could apply for future roles so I figured I hadn't done really badly if they would allow a future application. (I never took the offer of getting feedback up, didn't respond to the reject email and just thought that was it) ((guess I could try to forget receiving this email))

Some 6 weeks on, out of the blue the company's HR made new contact asking if I was still interested in the job, I suppose there could be so, so many reasons why the role has become available again, my question out there is would you ask the employer why the reapproach after being rejected? is there a way to be tactful about it?

Can being second choice work out? although equally I'd feel like a right donut! if it's an additional position so thinking I do need to ask?

Many thanks for any insight.

Something similar happened at my work recently we interviewed and had a few potential candidates nothing at all wrong with them. However one stood out he seemed perfect almost to good to be true which turned out to be the case as after 3 weeks he had some sort of breakdown and left. We did contact one of the other candidates but they had found another role by then.

DH is often involved in recruitment at his workplace. I used to be at mine, but it's a whie ago now.

Basically, I'd read the first email as saying you were over the quality line, but so were other candidates and for whatever reason you weren't the one/s they went with. Getting the feedback at that point might have been illumination.

If its exactly the same post, then it would mean that both the lead and fall-back candidate had dropped out - could be all sorts of reasons, such as too long to release from current commitments, change in personal circumstances, preferring another offer elsewhere, whatever. Or if a large organisation, they've appointed someone to the vacancy you applied for but now they have another vacancy the same.

In either scenario, it's effective from the employer's pov to see if a recent candidate who met the quality line and is appointable is still interested. There will be other candidates, but I'd say you were in a good place in the field

I was reserve candidate for a job, they still liked me enough to offer the same role but at a different location, miles away. The person the offered the job to wasn't flexible on location. I took that role and relocated, did very well and thus stepped neatly into my then boss's role almost a year later when he got promoted. Had I been offered the 1st role, no such promotional opportunity arose locally. However the boss's boss role there came available 18 month later on - so I applied to transfer for the promotion, and ended up managing the branch including the boss of the person who took the original post I'd applied for (they'd left by then).

In future, it can be useful to reply to such an email saying 'thank you for letting me know, I would be grateful if you could keep me in mind for any future roles at your company.'.

If they had sent that email to 2 or 3 acceptable candidates, it might put you a peg ahead if the recruiter ever needs to go back to the list.

I've been a reserve candidate for 3 of my previous jobs, bizarrely and each one has turned out to be fantastic, with my boss being equally (genuinely) happy they got me in the end. Similarly, when I've been on the side of being the recruiter I have hired people who scored well in interviews but turned out awful and I wished I'd picked the second scorer.

Don't be precious, go for it if you want the job.

Happened to me. I was told I was ‘hireable’ but had just missed out. I was told I would be put into a recruitment pool (with my permission) and the hiring manager also recommended me to two
colleagues. She said if the same role or a very similar role came up within 12 weeks they may be able to offer it to me. About 5 weeks later, my phone rang and it was her! The first choice candidate had dropped out and they wanted me so of course I accepted. I was so chuffed and didn’t care I was second choice 🤷‍♀️

An interview is just a moment in time and first place often comes down to very little.

Another who has been second choice before - the person offered the role left (not a good fit and she had another offer) and they came back to me. I worked there for 4 years and it was a great opportunity.

As a hiring manager there are often other candidates I would happily offer the role.

As a previous poster said - it’s not like being dumped by a boyfriend 😀

If you still want it then take it! Good luck.

Had it in my school. One position available and an appointment made but on the same day as the interviews, another member of that department was out on interview elsewhere and successful in getting that job, meaning 2 vacancies in the department. The second choice person was called and offered the newly available position. It saved a fortune in recruitment fees. The 2nd choice guy is absolutely lovely too.

I was THIRD choice and 6 years later I hope my employer agrees that it was obviously meant to be 😁

Go for it - and don’t feel it reflects badly on you that you were second choice. Interviews are an imperfect tool to make decisions, candidates can be very closely matched.

We recently appointed a “second choice” candidate when a new role came up - they turned out to be a far better employee than the “first choice” who took the original role.

My DP is in HR and has sometimes done this. Different people can review CVs, and some people are unnecessarily harsh/have unrealistic expectations of experience etc. If they are struggling to recruit, he often goes back through the "rejected" CVs and finds several that could have been good candidates and shouldn't have really been rejected. At this point he would highlight these applications to the managers and may contact them for interview if the manager agrees. What industry do you work in, OP?

Honestly don't worry about it, turns out they left left a funny voicemail last Wednesday just expecting me to stop everything and acknowledge them, if only they'd been 1 or 2 weeks earlier in contact ironically!

From what I gather reading between how the hr person put it the person they took on didn't start so lead to a reopened vacancy, perhaps it was the hottest day of week beginning the 18th July which made them get in touch; they are happy for me to get involved in the whole 'interview process' from scratch which to my mind leaves me in same position as having wasted and hoped 4 weeks on them previously, only to come 2nd again... Really could understand if it's the HR person (trying to push me on the line manager) who has now had some 3 weeks off, of 4 months of employment themselves.