Why does HR make the final decision in hiring someone?

No I was told this directly.

Apparently something to do with headcounts, and things like that

No, I meant that you immediately believed you had been lied to on the basis of the comment above yours, rather than what had been told to you directly by potential employers who were speaking to you in the flesh.

If it is a headcount thing, it means that the company must get permission to create the role and allocate the salary for it. That requires paperwork and someone to authorise. It can take a while, especially in American companies (headcount is quite an American concept which they then impose on their UK subsidiaries).

Are you serious?

They have been interviewing for a role that was never created or existed in the first place?

Stop extrapolating from what we say. How on earth do you think we would know? I just told you what headcount means, not how it will apply in your specific circumstances.

Hi,

I went to an interview recently, and was informed that the hiring managers really liked me, and that they are waiting on HR.

Why does HR make the final call?

Also, what factors are taken into consideration when hiring someone, even when HR were not physically present at the interviews or seen you in person?

Please don't panic about this! It is common for HR to be involved in the process and this sometimes takes a little time, especially if its a large company. Often the recruitment process happens without HR being too involved, so once the department has let them know that they have found someone, they then need to cover their internal processes and sort out paperwork. Try not to over analyse the situation. I hope you hear back soon- please let us know when you get the news! Will keep my fingers crossed for you!

Hi

Thank you for support and motivation.

If I was to be rejected, would they have told me straightaway instead of informing HR?

No problem!
Yes i think so- if it was me then I would have told you straight away! Us HR folk don't mean to slow things down, but we do like process which often takes time!
Try not to worry, if its meant to be then it will be!

Once again, thank you for your advice.

Just a few questions...

Its great that they have been able to extend the deadline for you so far. I would just be honest and explain that you are waiting to find out the outcome of another job that you have been interviewed for. Go with your gut feeling though, if you weren't massively excited when they offered you the job, then maybe there is something holding you back from accepting.
When selecting candidates, we would look at the experience and skills of each individual and how they relate to the specific job. We would also think about the team dynamic and how someone would compliment that, as I'm sure they want to maintain an environment where everyone gets on and works well together!

Thanks for your response.

So can HR reject a candidate, even if the hiring managers liked the candidate and felt they would fit in the team well?

Thanks for your response.

So can HR reject a candidate, even if the hiring managers liked the candidate and felt they would fit in the team well?

Hi,

I went to an interview recently, and was informed that the hiring managers really liked me, and that they are waiting on HR.

Why does HR make the final call?

Also, what factors are taken into consideration when hiring someone, even when HR were not physically present at the interviews or seen you in person?

It wouldn't make sense for HR to reject a candidate that the hiring managers really liked unless they had reason to e.g. someone who has a criminal record for something that could impact the job, or references that indicated potential issues.
Try not to over analyse it as I'm sure you will hear from them soon! They won't want to hang about as they don't want to risk you get a better job offer and end up turning them down!

Checking that you wouldn't be an illegal worker, e.g. foreign student on an expired visa is a big part of the HR process these days.

Im UK born.

They haven't asked for my ID yet.

On my cv it says I went to a high school in the UK

well your CV could say a lot of things... plus going to school in the UK doesn't mean you're a UK citizen.

They're looking at a £20,000 fine if they hire an illegal even if it's accidental - so any non-shady company will want some evidence at some point though you might just get asked to fetch it in when you start your first day.