Importance of feedback after a Job Interview

6/30/2011 6:37 PM

 Not every candidate makes it to the interview. Thus when a firm advertises for a vacant position huge number of people will apply. Then there is short listing of CVs. Once the CVs are shortlisted then the candidates are asked for their expected salary. Then there will be some preliminary discussion over phone about the interest and suitability of the candidate over telephonic interview. After passing through all these stages, if the firm still feels the candidate is almost fits in the position then it will ask him to come and have a f2f interview.

After this stage, if the candidate is selected definitely he will get the good news. Otherwise how many firms have the sense to inform the candidate that they have not been selected and thank the candidate for going through the whole process?

There are firms which do send regret letter even at the first stage where in the CV is not shortlisted. On the other hand most of the firms do not call back the candidate and inform him that he is not selected. Either the candidate will have to request for the status of his candidature or he has to presume that since they did not call he is not selected. Most of the times the candidate might find somebody who offers a job and does not bother about the results of the other interviews he attended.

This might not apply to government organizations where in the list of selected candidates is displayed on their website, and results are declared in newspapers. The candidates will come to know the results of UPSC, KPSC or SBI are announced and thus if their roll numbers are not there in the list they understand they are not selected. Also due to the huge number of candidates going for the interview it might not be possible for the organization to give feedback to each candidate.

Where as in firms where in 4-5 candidates are interviewed for a opening and one of them is selected or none of them are selected… it is the duty of the interviewer to inform the candidate that he is not selected and give him a feedback why he is not selected.

Now you might ask me, why should the interviewer give feedback?

When you are short listing a candidate for an interview, definitely you are doing so because he has the required qualification and experience.  You feel that if that person joins your organization you will benefit from that. You are not doing any help or favor to him by calling him for an interview. You are calling him because you feel he might be the right person. After the interview if you feel he is not the right person don’t you think it is good manners to inform him that sorry you don’t fit here? You are not paying him for the amount and time he spent to go through all the process of your recruitment. He would have taken leave at the place where he is currently working. He might have travelled from other city just to attend the interview. He would have kept aside so many other works just to attend the interview. After all this he does not even come to know that he is not selected. He just has to presume he is not selected. It sounds so awkward!

Now how does the interviewing firm gain by giving feedback to unsuccessful candidate?

It is important to inform the candidate about the result of interview, by doing so the organization shows that it is organized.

By giving feedback to the candidate about the reason for not selecting the candidates it will not only help the candidate but it will help itself as the candidate will be better prepared next time when he applies for the job with the organization.

If the candidate comes to know that he does not fit in with organization due to some inherent characteristic of his, he might not apply again and thus will save the time of firm.

The firm will have a healthy relationship with the candidate by giving honest feedback. The candidate might refer other candidates who are more suitable for the job. The candidate might maintain good relationships with the firm or the interviewer and might help the firm whenever necessary.

Let me give you some examples.

Candidate A attended an interview with the firm Z for the position of a counselor. The firm Z was planning to hoist new program suitable for MBA pass outs. The course would help the students better prepared for the corporate world.  The interview went on for almost an hour where in the interviewer told in detail about the firm, the course and objectives and the candidate told about her experience and expertise.  Candidate A was not selected as the firm found someone more suitable for the job. The firm informed the candidate about he/she being not selected and thanked her for the interest she showed in the opening.

Candidate A later on joined an MBA institution as faculty. Because firm Z was in touch with her and she knew about the course they are offering, she recommended the same to her students who took the course offered by firm Z. Thus firm Z benefited by maintaining good relationship with the candidate who was not selected for what so ever reason.

If every firm starts giving feedback after the interview every firm will benefit.  How does that happen?

These days most of the organizations give aptitude tests, psychometric tests to analyses the candidate. Thus a person who is not suitable for the post of a Trainer might be more suitable for the post of a manager.  Thus telling the candidate about the results of the tests he/she undertook the firm helps the candidate in choosing right career for him which would benefit every firm.

It’s true that firm wants to be on the safer side, does not want any arguments and allegations for not selecting a candidate, thus it would not like to mention anything like you did not have expertise in that or this, which might lead to arguments like, how can you say that etc.

But at the same time, it’s very much necessary to keep the candidate informed about what is happening from beginning of the interview process till final selection or rejection.

Some firms are very quick in short listing then interviewing and then giving results. Some firms take lot of time like 3-4 months since giving advertisements to final selection.  Unless the candidate is aware about the recruitment pattern of the firm he has applied to, he/she will have to undergo lot of stress and uncertainty.  Highly qualified and confident candidate might not want to keep waiting for the results and go ahead with any firm that offers her first.  At the same time if the candidate is informed about the steps involved in firm’s hiring process and average time taken to arrive at final decision he/she will keep the other offers in hold until they here from their dream firm.

Finally it is mutual dependence when it comes to employer and employee, even if it is an aspiring employee. One should not take for granted the candidate who comes for the interview. The HR team should ensure at every step the candidate is informed of what is happening and final results. If the firm can give feedback on demand, that would be great.