u/michaelnovati replied ·
This is the general answer you get from companies because giving a specific answer could be used against them in a discrimination lawsuit.
But in this job market there are more candidates and fewer slots and they are actually just choosing the best person for the job.
It could be based on:
1. background and experience/internships/prestige of school
2. performance in the interview
3. company fit
4. alignment of skills to the job
5. "star power" - high potential candidates that have a little something special that is hard to put into words