Interviewer suggests I look at other positions. What does this mean?

April 24, 2023 8:59 PM

I had another job interview today with a great company and it's for a middle level position. The job itself is a bit different than what I'm currently doing, but I think it's a great experience for me to have as a career. I also think that my skill sets can be transferred into this role. Towards the end of the interview, one of the interviewers said that he's been on the interviewing panel for multiple roles in that company so he just wanted to let me know that if I have any interest in other positions, feel free to browse. He was like "it's not to say that you aren't a good fit and I'm not trying to sway you. But if I was applying for jobs myself, I would appreciate having that information". I thought it was just a weird thing to say. I took it as they probably don't think I'm a good fit for this particular role I'm interviewing for so I should consider something else. Do you agree with this? I haven't sent out a thank you email yet. Wonder if there's anything I can say that would make them believe I'm interested and would be a good fit?
posted by missybitsy to Work & Money (22 answers total)

I interpreted it to mean the opposite - that there is an even better job waiting for you. I would first see what is out there on the job board before trying to decide what this person was getting at, or following up.
posted by lab.beetle at 9:10 PM on April 24, 2023

I interpreted it to mean he likes you and might hire you for another position if this one doesn’t work out.
posted by Glinn at 9:11 PM on April 24, 2023

Hey - I do a lot of interviewing for my law firm, and often find myself wondering how to tactfully ask if the person we're interviewing would be interested in other positions. In my view, there are three reasons the interviewer could have asked this question:

1) It's a routine question. It means absolutely nothing about your candidacy, for good or iill. It's just something on the list they ask as a data point, so when they're going through finalists later they can figure out if you make the cut, and if not, if they can qualify you toward other positions.

2) You're not a good fit for this position, but they really like you as someone to add to the company, and they would like to see if your skills would match one of their other positions. (This, I think, is the most likely of the three scenarios, although I found it puzzling that he didn't suggest a specific position you'd be good for.)

3) You aren't necessarily their first choice, but you interview well overall, and you'd be a good person to be in an interview panel to contrast against other finalists, for both this position or others. I think this is the least likely scenario.

Given all that, you're trying to figure out how to phrase your thank you follow up (and I wish I got more of those ... probably 1 in 5 applicants send a thank you follow-up. They are always appreciated, and they help check certain boxes such as "will this person be pleasant to work with? Do they think about other people? How's their follow through?") I digress. At any rate: You should look at the other positions that are posted currently, read it through once or twice, and then write a thank you follow up that tells them that you are either the best candidate for the job you interviewed for, and here's why, or that no, actually, in looking through the jobs, you thought Widget Spinner 3 was actually a stronger fit for you, but you really like the company so you'd like to be considered for both the current opening and as Widget Spinner 3.
posted by Happydaz at 9:13 PM on April 24, 2023

You've left out "4) You may not be the #1 candidate for this position, but you seem overall like a strong candidate and a good fit for the company so even if you don't get it you should really consider applying to similar positions at the company."

That's how I would most likely take that.
posted by praemunire at 9:20 PM on April 24, 2023

If the interviewer didn't like you at all they would not be suggesting you look at other roles, so setting aside exactly what is meant in this instance you should think, "I made a good impression and should make sure I keep the doors open at this company regardless the outcome."

I have applied for a job at one organization, not gotten the gig, but then gotten the gig the next time I applied for a different job at the same organization.
posted by brookeb at 9:21 PM on April 24, 2023

I would take it to mean that the interviewer liked you but the particular position you were interviewing for had been filled or no longer existed.

I really screwed up once when a VP-level interviewer kept asking me what I would like to work on if this position was not available. I decided to keep hammering home how excited I was about this position. Unfortunately what he was really telling me was that the project was going to be cancelled in a week.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 10:33 PM on April 24, 2023

He thinks there's a position at the company you're a perfect candidate for, and it's possibly a much better role. I'd send the thank you email as normal, maybe with a little extra bias toward how much you like the company, and then scour their job listings to see if you can figure out what he's hinting at. If you find something interesting and apply, make sure to reach out to him and casually let him know, so that he can pull your application out of the pile.
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 10:53 PM on April 24, 2023

If it's something specific, it may be a tip that this particular position has an asshole manager, is in a doomed department, or is otherwise a shitshow, and this interviewer thinks you could get it but you've got likely better options at the company.

But it could also be general, that they like you as a candidate but know that any one hiring process is a roll of the dice.

Whatever it is, I read it as 1) positive towards you as a candidate, and 2) them trying to be helpful to you personally, because really what else is in this for them.
posted by away for regrooving at 11:10 PM on April 24, 2023

Heck, he may have been telling you that you're overqualified (and that they might have another position or three). If they were referring to specific other positions, I wish they could just say that, though.

That said, I would totally also be beating myself up in the aftermath of this.
posted by rhizome at 12:07 AM on April 25, 2023

If I'd said this to you, I'd have meant that you're a catch and applying for more open positions with me increases the likelihood that I'll catch you (even if someone else gets the role you just applied for). There are all sorts of reasons people outcompete one another for specific roles (e.g. someone internal may have applied, too, in which case the company's hands might be tied). If a company likes your skill set, they will do what it takes to put you in the right role. This recruiter is well aware that you can put yourself in a position to allow this company to do that with you, if they so choose.

Break a leg!
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 12:21 AM on April 25, 2023

My reading of this is that the interviewer is telling you the organisation has other openings you may (also) be a good fit for.

Only they know if they are also implying anything about the position/process you're in currently. For all we know it is filled, will be cancelled, they like you but don't see you in that position or they simply know they have a lot of strong candidates and just wanted to encourage you to have a look in case you are not their first choice....in any case, I'd not think of it as negative comment.

If you haven't checked to see what other openings they have, do that and figure out if you'd like to be considered for any of these.
posted by koahiatamadl at 1:08 AM on April 25, 2023

I’d take this as a big tip that they have an even better job you’d be ideal for in the company and he’s trying to give you a head’s up.
posted by Jubey at 1:30 AM on April 25, 2023

Having been on hiring panels, sometimes you need multiple new staff and sometimes a promising candidate for something else turns up in a different hiring process.

They like you!
posted by freethefeet at 2:23 AM on April 25, 2023

Having been on many an interview panel, I can promise you that we don't say that to people we don't like.

It's a good thing and you should reach out to that person to thank them and to also probe a bit further...perhaps they have a specific position in mind!
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 3:30 AM on April 25, 2023

One more vote for "they like you and want to find a role in the company for you." You might not be the top candidate for that role, you might be competing with someone who's a lock (internal favorite), or you may be qualified for a more senior role.

I'd say there's no scenario where that's a negative unless you have your heart 100% set on this particular role. In that case, it may be that someone else has it sewn up and they were were really hoping to find you a place there.
posted by jzb at 5:45 AM on April 25, 2023

They want you to work there.

There is either a better position that they think you should apply for, or they know that someone else is already the favored applicant for the role you interviewed for so they want you to apply for another role so you still get a job there.

They would almost certainly not be telling you this if they didn't want you to work there.
posted by Jacqueline at 6:06 AM on April 25, 2023

I've been poached out of an interview process like that before.

In that case, the interviewer was a hiring manager for a different role and really really liked me. But it was a bit awkward for him since he was also serving on the interview panel for the role I'd already applied to. I ended up getting the second role and it was an honestly amazing fit for me (and we had the best dynamic I've had in years of working) and I think he genuinely just recognized that I had the qualities he was looking for and needed to give me a nudge.
posted by peacheater at 6:36 AM on April 25, 2023

You've left out "4) You may not be the #1 candidate for this position, but you seem overall like a strong candidate and a good fit for the company so even if you don't get it you should really consider applying to similar positions at the company."

This, and it sounded like he had one or more specific positions in mind. I would be inclined to reach out directly to him (assuming you have his email, or could message on Linkedin) and say that following his comment you've been looking at the job listings and have found several you are considering, but wanted to check with him to see if he had any specifically in mind that you should look at.

It really sounds like they like you as a candidate but maybe you aren't #1 for this specific job. Like others have speculated, maybe there is an internal candidate, or you are seen as overqualified, or whatever -- something outside of your control and clearly not something negative.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:54 AM on April 25, 2023

Nthing that if I tell an interviewee something like this I think they're a good candidate for the company, even if they're not going to get the role they're interviewing for (as many people have mentioned, often there's an internal candidate who's going to get the position but the rules say we have to interview n people). I have never encouraged a bad candidate to interview for other roles. And I will flag that person with HR for consideration for other positions.

I don't know that I'd ask directly what specific roles he thinks you should apply for, as it sounds like he's already being circumspect in what he's allowed to say.
posted by Candleman at 9:14 AM on April 25, 2023

Agreeing with others to take it positively and at face value: you’re a good candidate for other open roles so pursue them right away!
posted by kapers at 10:20 AM on April 25, 2023

Definitely a positive. One possibility: he's sitting in on this interview from another team, and he thinks you'd be a potential good fit for roles in his team (and possibly, but not necessarily, not so good for this one).

Another: there are several strong candidates and they'd be happy to hire any of them. You're one of them, so he's telling you (and maybe others) to also apply for other roles, because you're good, and they want you there somewhere. Not a guarantee that you'd get one of those roles, but definitely a good sign.

I've done some interviewing and have definitely been in the second situation. (And honestly, wish I'd been as explicit as he is).
posted by Pink Frost at 1:52 PM on April 25, 2023

I did this just this morning! I was trying to say "you know what, you'd probably be fine at this, but you'd knock this other thing out of the park". I hope I was clearer than your interviewer!
posted by some little punk in a rocket at 1:26 AM on April 26, 2023