to think if you interview someone, you should have the guts to tell them they've not got the job instead of passing the buck to someone else?

[OrlandoWoolf]

So went for an interview yesterday. I was very well qualified and experienced for the position. Talked to some of the other people there and they did not have the background that would have been beneficial for the role.

Interview went well - not sure about the other task but there we go.

The school secretary just rang up to tell me I did not get the job. Every interview I've had - it's always been the person who interviewed me who informed me and then fed back.

I could ring and ask for feedback. The head could have been busy so delegated the job. But I would hope it's a courtesy to people you interview that you tell them.

YABU - as long as they have had the decency to let you know.....and lots of places don't even bother with that..why does it matter who tells you?

Sounds like sour grapes to me.

I am not an HR person but have been asked to interview candidates. I would not really want to be the one who delivered the bad news, because that's not my job & I would hate it. I am guilty of passing the buck.

I would be more than happy to give a candidate feedback and would be impressed if someone filtered this request back to me. I would probably tell the HR person to have them get back to me when they had progressed in the areas identified.

YABU, as long as someone let you know then I think that's all that matters.

I've had loads of interviews over the past few years. It's always been the person (normally the Head teacher) who's rung up and then offered feedback. I am so used to the tone of voice now but the feedback is useful.

I will contact them for feedback. I just felt sorry for the person who told me as she sounded so apologetic on the phone to me.

My work make HR carry out all communications, so nobody gets a phone call to say they didn't get the job as they are so monumentally useless

My boss once got a call from a candidate who'd got the job, HR never got round to phoning her to let her know, she just happened to be ringing for feedback a week later

I appreciate not all work places are this rubbish but a phone call from just about anybody is all you can hope for really.

I think you have been lucky or unusual in having the interviewer personally inform you every time that you haven't got the job. That could be a hugely time-consuming task, depending on the number of interviews. It's also not necessarily the most effective way of providing feedback as it's too easy to get into a "discussion" on the phone where the interviewee starts providing additional information to refute any gaps in their experience/knowledge and too easy to end up interviewing again on the phone, which is pointless after the event.

I have provided feedback after interviews when asked but always in writing or by email. In fact, I have never phoned anybody to tell them they didn't get a job, always put it in writing.

Orlando -YANBU
I think it's a common courtesy for the person who interviewed you to get back in touch.
Count yourself lucky in my last interview I waited four days to find out if I had the job or not. She emailed me at 4.55pm saying I was unsuccessful and she would give me feedback (when she came back from her holidays in a fortnight!) I wouldn't mind but her job title? Head of Communications

Hang on, are you a teacher?

I "am" a teacher - but this role was for a different role in a school where teacher experience would have helped.

I'm a nurse and have always known the person doing the interviewing to phone and give feedback. That's just what happens.

OK, I've changed my mind because I know that procedures are different in teaching so, in that case, you may not be unreasonable in expecting verbal feedback from the Head. I have interviewed in Education as a Governor and the Chair of Governors has always phoned to give the good or bad news. I don't know what happens in non-teaching roles but presume, based on your experience, that it should be the same.

Of course, it may have been a one-off emergency situation which prevented the Head from phoning, they might just have found out they're having their OFSTED inspection tomorrow for example! For feedback, I would just email and ask for some in this case.