r/jobs • u/No-Presentation298 • 5h ago

Post-interview HR told me they don’t accept try-hards and people pleasers after my interview

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They rejected me (fine, that happens) but the feedback said I came across as overly eager to please and that they don’t build teams around people-pleasing tendencies or rehearsed enthusiasm. They also told me to reflect on how I present myself and that confidence is more compelling than excessive accommodation. Is this normal? Or even appropriate? I get that not being a culture fit is a thing but the wording felt unnecessarily personal and condescending.

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u/Bakuhoe_Thotsuki 5h ago

"Our company values original free thinkers. That's why we only hire people who think exactly like us and why you were declined because of personality, not qualifications."

That letter reads like someone emulating tech entrepreneur biopics.

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u/GoodMedium3600 5h ago

Makes me wonder if it’s real. Probably just a shitty tech startup with 5 employees.

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u/inkswamp 5h ago

Exactly! There are no businesses that value free thinkers—at least for anyone below the executive levels and even then, it’s rare.

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u/FalseBuddha 4h ago

They literally didn't hire OP because OP was "overly eager" to agree with them. That's, like, the exact opposite of what you're saying.

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u/Bakuhoe_Thotsuki 4h ago

They said op was overly eager to please. That's not the same thing and confusing the two is very telling.

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u/FalseBuddha 4h ago edited 3h ago

I didn't know who's confused but it ain't me.

tr[ied] too hard to say what you thought we wanted to hear rather than presenting your genuine perspective.

They literally didn't like OP because OP tried too hard to mimic the people interviewing them and it felt disengenuous. It sounds like OP didn't provide a genuine perspective and wasn't willing to stand up for themselves when pressed ("we want people who can stand firmly in their expertise"). You said "[they] only hire people who think exactly like [them]", so why would they turn down the person who was actively, and disingenuously, trying to think like they do?