Interview feedback

[Interviewdoldrums]

Hi - I went for two interviews recently and didn’t get either job. The feedback from the first I found fine and it also proved that it had been very little that had separated the candidates.

The feedback I got for the second interview has annoyed me and IMO it kind of proves how arbitrary interviewers’ opinions can be - as if they are clutching at straws to find something - and sometimes completely misunderstanding you in the process.

I’m not sure if interview feedback is actually that useful - I was wondering what other people think.

Do you like interview feedback - find it useful? Or do you ask not to have it?

I hate giving feedback and generally say

'it was very close but the successful candidate had more experience'

No matter what.

I went for an internal position a year ago. I was so upset at not getting it that i didn’t go and ask for feedback for a few weeks. When I did, the reasons were so ridiculous it made me even more bitter about it and I still am a year on!

I NEVER accept or ask for feedback. Another candidate was a better fit for the job, that's all I need to know.

You're never going to get a really truthful answer.

Always ask for feedback but work in a creative industry so it's important for me. I've been rejected so many times I now look forward to seeing what they come up with 😅

It’s true that often you won’t get real reasons. I didn’t offer the job to someone a while ago and the reasons we gave in feedback were genuine, but she kept arguing back with us that they weren’t true. It was really hard to say it was because of her clear attitude problem that she didn’t get it! She was hardly helping her case in the feedback. There was no way I could see her fitting into our department.

I would welcome sincere, helpful feedback.

I interviewed with an ex. employer recently getting feedback but it really seemed like a cut and paste job of where I'd gone wrong. There was a 'data entry' test which I fretted over thinking it involved Excel spreadsheets, formulas and whatnot! anyway turned out a type an email situation and copying data on to word doc timed.

This rejection email said I'd made errors with spelling (no examples noted!) which is strange as the laptop they sat me at had spell checker on and I'm aware of American v's English. They also went on about how in depth my answers should be - it was very difficult as I believe I followed the STAR process and felt quite intimidated interviewing at a past company especially when the interviewers announced from the interview confirmation changed only adding to my uncomfortableness! Again this 'helpful' posing feedback even got the interviewers name wrong so I wonder how correct it actually was!