> I'm just a bit surprised HR don't reach out to applicants in such situations and ask about the concerns they have That's an easy one. They don't have any con

> I'm just a bit surprised HR don't reach out to applicants in such situations and ask about the concerns they have That's an easy one. They don't have any concerns if they're not intending to employ you. Assuming there are multiple applicants and some pass muster, the applicants that don't aren't very interesting to them. The way to think about it is from their position. They're not trying to hire you, they're trying to fill a position. Your job is to convince them that you're the best person to fill that spot.