Have you ever interviewed for a job and had it go really well, only to be rejected a few days later without an explanation?
One of the most common excuses I hear is that a candidate is “just not a good fit”—an explanation as frustrating as it is vague.
Often hiring managers will cite company culture as the reason behind the rejection, claiming that certain candidates don’t exhibit the “values and behaviors” of a company’s already-established culture.
“Culture fit” has long been seen as a box to tick during the interview process. And while some might defend it as a legitimate criterion for evaluation, the truth is it’s often used to hide behind more subjective judgments about a candidate’s suitability.