Employee reveals 9 ridiculous reasons his boss rejects job candidates, from disliking their initials to scrutinizing their habits at every interview: ‘This is to remind you It's not your fault most of the time if you get rejected’

Author image for Etai Eshet
Etai Eshet • Editor
Aug 10, 2025 1:00 PM EDT

The job interview has always been a ritual of mutual deception, a theatre production where both sides wear their most presentable mask and proceed to judge each other for sweating through it.

Advertisement

  • Some ridiculously stupid reasons my manager has rejected people for.

    "My manager is interviewing people. The things he says are completely pointless"
    via nortonrsx

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • This post is to remind anyone looking for a job that the people who conduct interviews can sometimes be completely irrational, so it's not your fault.
    via Own_Necessary_2437

  • What should be a straightforward system of matching qualifications to requirements is regularly transformed into a bizarre obstacle course designed by people who mistake gut feelings for science and minor quirks for deep character flaws. In the pantheon of pointless human stressors, modern hiring runs just below air travel and assembling flat-pack furniture.

    This peculiar tradition is built on the fantasy that organizations are staffed by astute judges of character, busily hunting for unicorns who tick every box and give good TED talk. In reality, hiring often works on a delicate combination of prejudices, mood swings, and whatever strange folklore the committee adopted over the past decade. Candidates are rejected for unexplainable reasons: the wrong number of years in an arbitrary field, too much dependence on lactose, not enough improvisational math. One hiring manager’s “lack of strategic vision” is really just disappointment that a candidate failed to recite the company’s mission statement in iambic pentameter. Entire departments collectively hallucinate corporate red flags, then congratulate each other for refusing to lower the bar to where mere mortals could clear it.

  • Most of the time if you get rejected. My current manager is interviewing people for an open position at our company, and many of the things he says are completely pointless, like...
    via Own_Necessary_2437
  • "What letter does the candidate's name start with? M? We all know that anyone whose name starts with M is stupid. REJECT! How about a vowel?"
    via Own_Necessary_2437
  • Cheezburger Image 10538910464
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • That's a rock star candidate." I'm currently looking for a job at other companies, and last week I was very upset and frustrated when I got feedback after an interview.
    via Own_Necessary_2437
  • The hiring manager found me "not strategic enough" for the job. What is this nonsense?? But after hearing some of the crop my manager has been saying the past few days...
    via Own_Necessary_2437
  • I've seen how bizarrely these decisions can be made, so I don't feel so insulted, honestly. I hope these quotes have the same effect on you and give you hope.
    via Own_Necessary_2437

  • In this carnival, being denied is neither a moral failing nor a cosmic sign. It is, most of the time, evidence that the average interview panel is spinning the Wheel of Fortune and calling it discernment. The feedback is an oracle for no one, so the only sane response is to keep showing up and consider every rejection an escape from the island of nonsense.

  • PROOF To Th IPhon Done Gle -MVP-CAPS turky Badly
    via Austin Distel

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • (And just to be clear, I love my manager; he just goes way over the top with this nonsense.) Some quotes from my manager while rejecting people after the interview:
    via Own_Necessary_2437
  • "He couldn't answer the question 'What's the hardest math problem you've ever solved, so no, we're not hiring him."
    via Own_Necessary_2437
  • "This woman said her biggest weakness is being 'lactose intolerant.' Not professional at all. Skip."
    via Own_Necessary_2437
  • "Yeah, this guy seemed like one of those people who are good at doing homework and passing exams, but he can't handle a real job like this."
    via Own_Necessary_2437
  • [Literally, a talking 8-year-old could do this job. And the candidate had a master's degree.] "Okay, this candidate only has two years of experience.
    via Own_Necessary_2437
  • We need someone with 3 years of experience." "He explained two projects, and both were assigned to him by his manager. We need someone more proactive who doesn't wait for work to be handed to them."
    via Own_Necessary_2437
  • "She didn't give any specific numbers on how her work positively impacted the company, so apparently, the company's profit isn't one of her priorities."
    via Own_Necessary_2437
  • "He couldn't solve the tennis tournament riddle. That makes me think... what else might he be unable to do?"
    via Own_Necessary_2437
  • My manager's manager has agreed with everything he has said so far. I was genuinely surprised when I started this job and they told me they had been looking for someone for months.
    via Own_Necessary_2437
  • To fill my position and "we can't find anyone we like." Now I understand. Unfortunately, they'll have to go through the same story again soon because I'm currently looking for a new job.
    via Own_Necessary_2437
  • I hope I find it in a matter of weeks, not months :).
    via Own_Necessary_2437

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

management boss workplace-stories hr manager bosses work PTO managers supervisor workplace Horrible Bosses work-life balance
Scroll Down For The Next Article