Dear Business Owner,
Thank you for the opportunity to spend time with you and some of your managers. I have decided not to take the job you offered me, and I want to elaborate in the hopes that it will improve your likelihood of finding a person who will do a great job for you.
During my interviews, I did most of the listening. I understood that to mean that the interviewers were trying to sell me on the company. Interviewing goes both ways, but aside from looking at my application and resume, and asking me questions about my past, no one asked me about what my plans were once I was on the payroll at the company.
I gleaned from the lack of those “future oriented” questions that those interviewing me were more interested in what I had done, not what I was going to do.
In the past when I was interviewing, the reason for the position being open was that the company wanted the candidate being hired to turn something around, build the business, achieve something, solve a problem, or assist in a major challenge facing the company. No one I met with even brought up any of these. It made me take notice that the company was simply “status quo” as opposed to future oriented. I reached the conclusion that there was not much growth potential because no one is talking about what might happen or what should happen in the months and years ahead.
I asked about seeking additional education and training. While there was some discussion about how the company does in house education, it all seemed to be focused on how do be better technically. I understand that kind of training for people who are going to be technicians, but you and I were discussing a management position. There didn’t seem to be any interest in developing me to be a better manager at your company. No one could recall being sent to a workshop or seminar that was outside of the industry and when I asked about tuition reimbursement, I was told it did was not available and there were no plans to add this as an employee benefit. I am a believer in “sharpening my saw” and I can see that your company does not.
The individuals I met with were all very nice. I enjoyed spending time with them. But when I asked them what successes in the business they could tell me about, it took some time for them to think of any. Most of the things that I was told about as accomplishments were from many months ago; one individual told me about something from 4 years back!
I suppose I knew when I was asking this question and waiting for the answers that I would not fit in at your company, as much as I liked everyone. Because when they answered my question, each of them asked me about a recent success and I gave each of them a different one of significance from the last two weeks! I don’t know if that means that I have a tremendous ego and I have a need for achievement but it does mean that am focused on success. I got the distinct impression that my fellow would be managers are not. That does not make them bad people; it just means that I would not fit in with them.
Receiving feedback is important to me. I made a point of asking each person I interviewed about the performance appraisal process at your company. It seems that there isn’t one, although it has been talked about a lot. That makes me wonder what kind of impression I would have made had I taken the job supervising those employees in my department. Would they feel as if they were being singled out because they were being evaluated and no one else in the company was, or would I be considered a progressive leader by implementing this program? Would my fellow managers be supportive or angry for causing them to do something that I considered essential and they feel is unnecessary?
So, based on the quality of the questions I asked during the interview, as well as the quality of the questions I was asked, I decided against taking the job you offered to me. It simply won’t be a good fit for either the short term or the long term, and both of us will end up being unhappy.
I wish for you continued success,
Respectfully,
The Job Applicant
