Interview feedback is proving to be one of the more contentious issues facing our industry today. Candidates are keen to receive it, yet some employers are reluctant to give it – so what should be done?
As recruiters, we are often left in a tricky position if our client( the Organization hiring) provides no explanation as to why one of our candidates was not hired after attending an interview.
In fact, research finds that 83% of people claim that they have never received any feedback following an interview which is usually disappointing.
We are then left to smooth over the relationship with disappointed candidates when their efforts are met with boilerplate rejections.
Giving feedback, however, does not only aid the candidate’s future job search; it can also be positive for the organisation.
Here is why giving interview feedback should be an integral part of your recruitment process:
1. Great Impression for your Brand
Whether in the managerial or entry level position, you are still in the market for other positions. Employers get head hunted too, so when you get to an interview and don’t have proper feedback, your image of the company is determined with how they handle your recruitment process.
This goes the same way for your interviewees. A candidate is likely to recommend your company to a friend if you happen to have an open position in the future, when they get proper channels of communication.
In some instances, an appropriate opportunity may arise for the rejected candidate in future and if your relationship ended on a bad footing, you may find it hard to contact them again or they may reject your offer. A good impression is still a gain for your company so cultivate it by offering feedback to interviewees.
2. Gives the candidate room for Improvement
The standard practice is usually to give a standard response to interviewees often offers no insight on what the person may have gotten wrong.
Well, if an interviewee has gone far enough in the interviewing funnel, it would be helpful to make it clear to them on where they went wrong so that they can work on it.
This way, you help the person grow and this might be helpful in future if a position becomes available and the person finds the position interesting enough to apply for it.
Just like how companies ask their clients for feedback so that they learn how to improve their services, it is also important for interviewees to know what they need to work on so that they can grow.
3. It’s a Sign of Respect
An interviewee takes time to submit an application for a job and then attend an interview. All along, the person takes time to be prepared and package themselves as the right candidate.
Even if you may not offer the person the job, in the end, it is important to give them feedback as a standard good practice as it shows that you appreciate and respect the fact that they created time to participate in the interview.
The reality is that you need the interviewees’ skills and talent while they need the job and the relationships should, therefore, be marked a mutual display of respect and decorum, even if it does not end in a desirable outcome.
4. It Gives the candidate Closure
Most HR practitioners assume that the interviewee will automatically know that they did not get the job after a long period of silence.
However, this could hold the interviewee back as they may turn down another offer or fail to apply for another job as they hold onto the hope of getting the job, you interviewed them for.
In most cases, interviewees may feel that the interview went well and be very optimistic, only to have their hopes crushed with a long period of silence.
Therefore, make it known and clear to the interviewee at the earliest time possible, if you are not giving them a job offer, so that they can move on.
In conclusion; It is not easy having to tell the bad news, but the reputation that comes with the responsibility and honesty goes a long way in defining the company brand over time. Giving interview feedback should be part of your hiring process.
Candidates will be glad that you respected their time enough and helped them get closure by giving them feedback after an interview process.
