Thanks for the comment, Wiggy. A year or so ago I was having similar conversations on this thread with TalkPedlar. I thought my post of 12th January had stunned everyone into an embarrassed silence - although after a five day break I'm pleased to see that most have returned.
Commiserations to those who have not made it this year, but if you heed the advice and feedback (if given) I'm sure you will be better placed to succeed in any future selection procedure. As some have noted, it is the so called 'soft areas', where the candidate is perhaps being assessed on a rather more subjective basis, which can be decisive in determining success or rejection. These days that fact will apply in almost all areas of employee selection.