The Feedback Dictionary: Translating Vague Feedback

"Your skills were not fully aligned."

"We found someone who is a better culture fit."

"Another candidate was more competitive."

What do these comments even mean?

Here's the thing: the people who made the decision can't tell you why. But I can. After facilitating thousands of debrief conversations, I know exactly how hiring decisions get made, and I divided them into five categories.

For each one, I'll tell you what it means, what it looks like in an interview, and what to ask yourself to figure out how you actually performed.

The feedback you've been waiting for? You're about to give it to yourself.

Before we get into it, a quick note on what these categories don't cover. There is a long list of reasons people don't get the job that have nothing to do with how they interviewed: compensation expectations, location, title, an internal candidate who was always the frontrunner, a hiring freeze that got announced the day after your final round, or any number of other variables that were never in your control.

These five categories are different. These are the ones you have some control over.

Once you start to objectively score yourself, you will be able to prioritize what to do more of and what to change.

"Not the right level."

Skills & Experience Alignment

What it means: A decision formed on how you positioned your level of skills and experience in relationship to the job. This includes feedback like overqualified, lacking scope, not tactical or hands on enough, not strategic enough, and other similar terms.

What it looks like: You provided tactical answers to something that requires strategy, or you went so high level that they couldn't tell if you can still do the work. Or your answers were so broad that they were uncertain whether you have depth in the area.

What to ask yourself: Did my answers match the scope of the role? Are there details I wish I had included? Did I explain how I used each skill and what resulted from it? Did I provide proof that I am naturally curious and a continuous learner?

"Just not the right fit."
Culture / Team Fit

What it means: A decision formed around whether the interviewer can visualize you adapting to their company, team dynamics, pace, and operating style. This one can feel personal, but ultimately it is about whether you demonstrated awareness, adaptability, and the ability to succeed in their environment.

What it looks like: You're interviewing at a startup, but your answers relied on the resources, structure, and support systems available in a large company environment. Or you've only worked in scrappy, do-it-yourself environments and you did not provide evidence that you can successfully navigate layers of stakeholders, approvals, and process.

What to ask yourself: What are the differences between how they operate and how I currently work? Did I share examples that show I can perform in an environment with similar constraints, pace, dynamics, and expectations? Did my answers include facts to support that or rely on subjectivity?

"Something felt off."
Connection, Trust & Accountability

What it means: A decision formed around whether the interviewer felt they could trust you, rely on you, and ultimately take a risk on you. This is not about being likable. It is about being relatable. Did they feel like you would be invested in helping them achieve their goals and solve their particular problems?

What it looks like: You gave technically strong answers but never made a human connection. You were asked about a failure and deflected, minimized, or blamed others. You could not clearly explain what you learned or what you would have done differently. Or your answers were polished, but left the interviewer questioning your empathy, self-awareness, or ability to build trust.

What to ask yourself: What action did I take at the beginning of the interview to build rapport? What did I say or do during the interview to showcase my personality? Did I provide examples that prove I can work through conflict and difficult situations? And what was the most thoughtful, curious, or introspective question I asked?

"The energy just wasn't there."
Energy and Presence

What it means: A decision formed around how your presence, emotional regulation, and overall energy came across during the interview. Did you seem grounded, forward-focused, and ready for a new challenge, or did your answers suggest a negative or unresolved mindset?

What it looks like: Your answers focused more on what went wrong than what you learned. Your energy, tone, or body language felt flat, guarded, or emotionally unresolved, leaving the interviewer uncertain about how you would show up during difficult situations or concerned that you are burned out and in need of a reset.

What to ask yourself: How would I describe my mood when I left the interview? What body language, tone, or comments from the interviewer suggested they were positively engaged in the conversation? Can I point to a specific example where I demonstrated resilience, optimism, or a constructive outlook toward something difficult? And what did the interviewer say at the end about next steps?

"Couldn't follow their thinking."
Critical Thinking and Solutions Orientation

What it means: A decision formed around whether you demonstrated the ability to think before you react, anticipate consequences, and navigate complexity thoughtfully. Critical thinking shows up in how you assess a situation, identify what matters, consider trade-offs, and respond with intention.

What it looks like: When you explained how you solve problems, could the interviewer follow your thought process? Did your approach feel confident and logical, or scattered and reactive? Did your answers show that you considered multiple variables, unanticipated consequences, and understood what it would take for a solution to actually work? Or did you miss critical pieces that would affect whether the solution could be adopted?

What to ask yourself: How did I explain my process for solving a problem? Which example demonstrates how I evaluate trade-offs and prioritization? Did I include details about navigating change and the human aspect of the work? And did I provide proof that I can adapt and pivot when needed?

Questions or reactions? Leave a comment below, I read every one.

Next up: now you have the dictionary and the scorecard framework, what do you do with it?

Thanks for reading,

Susan