I went through 4 interviews for the TikTok Quality Assurance - [specific language] position. I completed an HR interview, a language proficiency test, a technical Quality Analyst interview, and finally, a Team Leader (TL) interview. After the TL interview, my process was abruptly ended, and my application was rejected. This position, which requires proficiency in a very specific language, has been open for 3 months and was reposted again after my rejection.
The reasons given for rejecting me were:
• Handling difficult feedback: When asked about handling difficult feedback, I had some difficulty providing a clear explanation. While I mentioned some general feedback methods and calibration processes, it seems I didn’t sufficiently convey how I approach challenging conversations, especially when managing performance issues.
• Dealing with frustration at work: Although I discussed challenges related to quality guidelines and receiving negative feedback, I apparently didn’t fully address how I manage or overcome these frustrations.
• Prioritization: They felt that my methodology or logic behind decision-making was not articulated clearly enough.
Additional context: The Team Leader (TL) who conducted my final interview was not from the specific team I applied for. They would not have been my direct TL and did not speak the language required for the role. My actual TL was a different person who had previously assessed me positively during the language interview.
I’m confused and disappointed because I passed the first 3 interviews successfully, and the position was very specific to my language skills. The job has been open for 3 months, and it has been reposted again, which indicates a lack of suitable candidates.
Given my specific language proficiency and experience, was it really fair to be rejected for these reasons? Didn’t the success in my previous interviews and my language skills matter, especially for a role that’s been open for this long, with no other competitors?