To expect helpful, genuine feedback after an interview

[desperatenotstupid]

I have just been for a job interview and didn't get the job. Thems the breaks, i'm disappointed but hey.

What i am angry about is the feedback - I applied for the job, it turned out to be via a recruitment agent. Something didnt feel right from the begining, firstly she told me i was the top candidate on paper and that there was only one other interviewee being put forward. Also, she said they were the sole recruitment agency. When she gave me the job spec it didnt match the job description that i applied for, it was very technical and in something ihave no experience in - she told me to ignore that. Whilst researching pre interview i found the same job advertised in december by a different agency but with a more accurate job description, one that i would not have applied for based on my background.

Was advised to buy a suit for the interview, so borrowed money to do this thinking i had a fair crack at the whip at least 50:50 chance.

The interview went well i thought, and i asked about not having the exact experience and he said it was fine they could train me up and expected that i wouldn't have any problems learnin the job etc. I asked for feedback druing the interview (on the agents advice) and was told I was technically sound but they were concerned as i had been a SAHM for some time . They also said they had interviewed a lot of candidates, all day, funny i thought i was one of two!

The feedback i received from the agent today was that they were really impressed with me and that i interviewed well but felt my technical background wasnt what they were looking for!!!

I tried to contact the HR woman today so that i could get REAL feedback not someone telling me what i want to hear and have just had the agency woman on the phone rather than the HR woman. I appreciate that she is busy but what would five minutes out of her day cost her to tell me the bloody truth. I need all the help i can get in the job market, but i feel that i have been put forward for a job i wasnt qualified for and this has cost me time and money and turned out to be a blind alley.

AM i being unreasonable??

IME experience trois they are struggling atm and will send people they think might have a chance

a lot of agencies pay dire basics and the commission is desparatly needed

Erm, agencies get lied to by clients all the time.

"Yes you're sole agent working on this requirement for us.... " (.....well you're the only agent we have spoken to today, but we'll say you're sole agent so you'll give us a reduction in the fee)

"Oh ignore that job spec, we havent had time to re-jig it" (You'll have to guess at what we are looking for because we cant be arsed to have a 10 minute sit down to come up with one)

"Oh no, we only have two interviews...."(.....booked in for today but if we tell you we have 10 interviews then you wont bother working on the requirement for us)

Then comes the time for the agent to get feedback, ooooh what a surprise the manager isnt around, because they have fished in that agencies pond and didnt get what they wanted, and when they finally are you get the standard "oh the candidate didnt have the right technical skills we were looking for".

And tbh you should already have a suit if you are job hunting and wanting to attend interviews, so the agents advice on that part was spot on.

I know some agents are rotters, but some are also just trying to make a living, and the fees are NOT as high as you think (but it does depend on which industry the agent operates in)

In general they trot out standard stuff I'm afraid - none of it helps much. You're lucky to have had an answer - I had an interview 2 weeks ago, still waiting for a response. Of course I haven't got it, it's just damn rude not to say so!

It's a shame. Feedback is so important.

I have major rejection issues and job hunting for me was a total nightmare. It was fucking awful being turned down without a word about why, I totally sympathise. I have also had the interviews where I've been selected and then told in the interview why I was wrong for the job. Sigh.

First interview since being a SAHM, I didn't get it - but the manager phoned me and gave lengthy feedback - lots of it positive. For the first time I actually felt better about myself after this, despite technically being rejected, and I used the feedback to nail my next interview. Such is the power of constructive criticism. It only took ten minutes of his time and I told him how grateful I was for that.

It's also worth bearing in mind that agencies typically charge 20% plus of the annual salary of the person employed. I am an employer and I would aLways tend towards a non-agency candidate if there's a suitable one for this reason

I have to say that you're taking this far too personally.

Don't get upset - you need a suit for interviews anyway. And interview practice is never a waste of time.

I think you are going over the top with your rage here. You needed a suit anyway.

once... at the start of my career, i applied for a job. there was another girl there that i knew. she was from the 'pony set' and i wasnt

anyway she got the job and i didnt - i thought that i would have made a better appointment and i cried for days. then my dad pursuaded me to go for feedback saying that if you dont ask you never know what you did wrong.

so i did

i asked why didnt i get the job? and he Laughed in my face and said that Sheenagh was better than me.

nothing constructive about it 'Sheenagh was better than you.'

totally humiliated. I have never asked for feedback since, because the implication is that you werent good enough.

First of all well done for getting to interview and better luck next time. The practice will help.

Sounds like you got a duff agency - better to go direct if you can find a job that's advertised that way.

FWIW, I used to interview and we started out giving feedback but it was impossible! We'd phone and start with the positives and then talk about what the candidate could have done better but they'd, (naturally), argue back, "Ah yes but what I didn't mention in the interview was....", "I'm surprised you felt that I wasn't technically experienced enough because.......", "Maybe it didn't come across in the interview but I'm actually very strong in that area and can give you references to prove it" - we'd have the whole interview all over again. We were a small company and wanted to do right by people but some got upset, some got argumentitive, some accused us of unfairness or discrimination of various sorts and the calls all took at least twenty minutes and generally left everyone feeling worse. In the end we resorted to the simple truth of, "There were other candidates who were more suitable for that position than you were". It's not people being mean - it's just the way it is.

Usually if you don't get a job it wouldn't have been right for you anyway. Hope that the next one is. (And having been a SAHM is not a disadvantage at all, not to the right employer)

busy that is exactly the reason why we keep feedback neutral as well, its a minefield

I'm sorry you didn't get the job and I hope that you have better luck next time. As others have pointed out, you will need the suit next time anyway.

YABU to expect the employer to give you feedback; they have no obligation to you. And it would be to your advantage to change your attitude; you come across as resentful and self-centred. If any of that appears in an interview it will not help.

YANBU to wish for honest feedback but it's not standard practice to give honest feedback.

Your experience doesn't sound out of the ordinary to me. Agents get a % of the salary so they just want to find candidates faster than other agents and they were winging it by hoping that the technical experience that you didn't have could be learned on the job or was so minor it wouldn't affect their decision.

As for honest feedback- you just have to watch reality TV shows like XFactor to see that there are nutters out there who take rejection badly. The recruitment agent is just covering her arse and letting you down gently and building you up before the interview.

One of my ex-employers is a multinational and if you ask them for a reference these days they will only say something on the lines of "X worked as Y between A date and B date." so that they are not open to lawsuits on the content of references.

Have you ever job hunted using recruitment agents? Many of the jobs they advertise are complete fiction and made to entice people to send CVs and other adverts have a successful (internal) candidate in mind but are advertised to comply with the law that all jobs need to be advertised to ensure that they are "fair".

Your letter of complaint won't achieve anything and I'd be surprised if you find a agency who will find out honest feedback. Don't take things personally- they are shafting everyone. There is a job for you out there.

well, i have had feed back from interviews in the past that has been positive and negative, i certainly have never argued the toss with the employer - I have just said thankyou very much, thats good to know because it is. I didnt bother taking it any further - my issues were present before i didnt get the job because i had a gut feeling that i was being lead up the garden path, i certainly wont be using that agent again. I will now be very wary and believe friends of mine when they say that recruitment agents are the bottom feeders of the employment market.