coded HR language? by Alison Green on August 29, 2008 A reader writes: I have been in the search for a job for the past 9 months. I have had interviews and I have successfully been able to get my resume in front of hiring managers. As with any job search I have also received my share of rejections. I have noticed in a number of the rejections a phrase “while your qualifications are impressive.” I am wondering is this some subtle HR phrase with a message? Is it because they do the math and realize I am a mature candidate, or do they think with my background experience they cannot afford me, or am I reading too much into this? You are reading too much into it. I say that phrase to everyone we reject, even if they’re straight out of high school and have no qualifications whatsoever. It’s just standard boilerplate for trying to soften the blow of a rejection. You may also like:personalized rejection letters are crushing my spirita rejected candidate keeps demanding to know why we didn't hire himshould I reject job candidates by phone or email? { 3 comments }
Anonymous* August 29, 2008 at 4:21 pm I also use that phrase frequently for rejections. There are a limited number of ways to politely say, “we’re rejecting you.” It has nothing to do with age, experience or cost. It’s a canned response.
worker dignity* December 30, 2011 at 3:59 pm The phrase in question is “while your qualifications are impressive”, and the response/excuse is “I say that phrase to everyone we reject, even if they’re straight out of high school and have no qualifications “? So, you tell a candidate with “no qualifications” that their “qualifications are impressive”? This makes no sense. It is a lie. There is no logical or honest reason to respond in this way.
JohnQPublic* April 10, 2012 at 12:03 pm It’s not a lie. There definitely is an impression made- the absence of 95% of what a HM is looking for is certainly impressive. It’s like Luck. Luck doesn’t just come in one flavor, and you can impress me unfavorably too. And ‘No qualifications’ is certainly a qualification, in the same manner that Atheism is a religion.