To expect feedback from job interview?

[Happyringo]

Just that really...had an interview, I thought it went reasonably well (although never can tell!).

Anyway, I had an email 10 days ago to say I was unsuccessful. I replied thanking them for letting me know so promptly and asked if it was possible to get some feedback as to why I was unsuitable, in order to help me with future applications. No response! Is it not reasonable to ask for feedback these days?

[Trapper]

You can request interview notes under the data protection act, although seeing notes from the meeting is very different I receiving feedback. I would only go down this road if I thought discrimination had played a part in me not getting the role, which doesn't seem to be the case here.

www.warwickshire.gov.uk/Web/corporate/wccweb.nsf/Links/EA87E4883CE1411A80257AAA005439E7/$file/GuideLawRelatingToInterviewNotes.doc

[EBearhug]

you can ask for your interview notes and the company are legally obliged to provide them.

Didn't know that. However, the notes from my last interview were being written in Chinese, which rather scuppered my reading-upside-down abilities, which are usually jolly useful in these situations.

I didn't ask for feedback from that one, because the recruitment consultant chap who organised it had told them I had a load of skills I don't have, and which I had told him I don't have. So that stopped them asking the majority of their techy questions (I did offer to take guesses, but to be fair, when you're asking, "What's the command for..." you need at least some background to have some idea of the general format to be able to take a guess at likely possible commands.) Also, I had bad vibes about the woman-friendliness of the company, so I came out feeling pretty clear that I didn't want it anyway.

[Trapper]

I try and give feedback when I can, but I know there are three from the last batch that asked for feedback that I never got back to.
Try dropping them an email thanking them again for the opportunity to interview with them. Say that you apologise for following up on the previous email so soon, but you have wen lucky enough to have another interview lined up on xx date and you would be really grateful of they could spare you a few minutes for some informal feedback so you can learn from the experience. Include your phone number and reference anything that may have made you memorable (eg you may remember me as we talked about our common interest in dead languages of the Americas...). Make it as easy as possible for them to remember you and contact you.
It may not work, but worth a go.

[cricketpitch]

I agree about hearing the result. It is absolutely horrible to be waiting and waiting and checking e-mails etc for weeks when it has been decided within hours that you won't be successful. ( I had a six week wait fro the last position I applied for!). I would always let people know asap - it's just the specific feedback that is difficult and TBH often doesn't mean much, (as SweetPea said.)

[Icimoi]

We were asked for feedback from someone who had turned up having blatantly made no attempt to find out about our company in advance. We told her politely that that was the reason, but TBH if she couldn't work that out for herself I doubt that she would have done much better in subsequent interviews.

[SweetSummerSweetPea]

I would hate to see people fail again and again if I could give them some constructive advice for the next time

on obvious but big points like that makes sense, but I agree sometimes its not relavant as it was personal, I had two interviews in one day and in the first I was too pushy and ambitious, in the second, its a shame I wasnt more pushy and ambitious.

[SweetSummerSweetPea]

I am also amazed you heard back my dh went for loads of jobs and never even heard back, this is after really tricky times getting time off work and so on, yes feedback ideal but thanks CAT for making it clearer what goes on behind scenes but at least an email to say success or un succes....

[LittleMisslikestobebythesea]

YANBU you have taken your time to go to an interview, the least they can do is give feedback even if it is generic!

I don't expect to hear unless I have an interview, but once you've had an interview I think a response is polite. At least you were told you were unsuccessful, I went for an interview a couple of months ago. They said the successful person would be contacted by phone that day, fair enough so I expected an email or letter to say I was unsuccessful at interview, I have still heard nothing, even though I emailed the school and the council recruitment (council sent out invites to interview) no reply at all!

[TheFarSide]

YANBU

If you have taken the time to apply for a job and attend an interview, it's reasonable to expect the employer to give you some feedback.

Employers shouldn't be interviewing more than about half a dozen people for one job IMO, in which case providing feedback shouldn't be too time consuming.

[wannaBe]

you can ask for your interview notes and the company are legally obliged to provide them. Just saying....
employers generally have a very dismissive attitude towards perspective employees. If you don't fit what they want then they don't really care. it starts from the application process where it's no longer a requirement to let people know they've been unsuccessful, even though most applications these days are done online and it wouldn't be rocket science to write a bit of one-off code into the application system which sends out a "sorry, you were unsuccessful" email to the candidates as you reject them.

I read on a job description recently that "due to the very high number of applicants, we are unable to write to everyone who is unsuccessful." I didn't apply for that particular job, but I have applied for others within the organisation concerned, and I was recently talking to someone from said organisation who said they are currently struggling to even get applicants for their jobs... so clearly their little disclaimer is just bullshit.

I've also read somewhere that around a 3rd of jobs are already earmarked internally but are advertised due to protocol, so again, applicants are totally disregarded in the process. Employers would be quick to cry out if people weren't applying for their positions, but they're quick enough to disregard the hundreds of people who apply and who may have to apply for another several hundred jobs before having any chance of success....

[goldrabbit]

OP YANBU

If someone has taken the time to apply and prepare for an interview, or two, then two minutes on the phone isn't too much to ask for

I always give feedback to people I've interviewed - but not at application stage although sometimes people do ask for it. And you can be honest. I once said 'you're great on paper but your interview was bad.'

I think it's piss piss poor when people don't take the time to phone and talk to people. You make time.

[EBearhug]

It's always fine to ask. It's not reasonable to expect it, though. I have had good feedback from some interviews, but certainly not every one will bother.

[arkestra]

I went through a phase where my job was all about recruitment and team building.

Many many people went through the interview process. If anyone asked for feedback on failure (quite a few did as only about 3% of applicants got a job) then they got it. It's the least you can expect in my view.

I had a well defined process with clear criteria at each stage. So I wasn't that fussed about legal ramifications of giving feedback.

I personally view it as a black mark if people aren't prepared to give honest feedback to applicants. I mean, come on! They are there putting their ego on the line. It's hard work applying for jobs!

So OP YADNBU.

[cricketpitch]

Agree it is usually just that someone else was a bit better. Competition is so fierce.

Sometimes it is just instinct, (the role involves close personal contact and of none of us feels comfortable with the candidate in a small room it is unlikely the majority of our clients will).

I hate giving feedback. You have to be very, very careful. If ANYTHING you say could be interpreted as possibly being grounds for a discrimination case you are in trouble.

I once gave feedback to someone and she started to argue with me FFS.

[VashtaNerada]

I always give candidates feedback after interviews. Yes it takes time but I just schedule it in, I think it's important.

[DragonMamma]

I work in HR and always give comprehensive feedback when asked. I recently told a candidate who travelled a few hours for the interview that I was baffled as to why they had made such an effort but did zero research on the company or the role.

They accepted it as a fair point and I would like to think they'd never waste their or anybody elses time again.

I don't see the point in not giving feedback, I would hate to see people fail again and again if I could give them some constructive advice for the next time.

[ABlandAndDeadlyCourtesy]

"Often I just don't have the time but mostly they didn't do anything wrong, there was just someone else a little bit more "right" for us. "

I tend to agree with this.

[Lauren83]

I have had emails asking but haven't given any, its a minefield and the last thing you want is someone taking exeption to something you say, its more hassle than its worth IMO

[CrohnicallyDepressed]

Phoned back the same day as the interview- so I guess feedback time is part of the time allocated for interviews, deciding and contacting candidates.

Sometimes the feedback has been useful (things like talking too much when the job required someone clear and concise), other times it has made it clear to me that they had made their minds up who was getting the job, and the interviews were just a legal formality.

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

If it makes you feel better, almost all the jobs I've applied for in the last year have a line in the spec saying 'if you have not heard by [date] you should assume your application was unsuccessful'. So, at least you heard back! I think it must be becoming more normal, with the high numbers of applicants.

[CrohnicallyDepressed]

Pho

[CrohnicallyDepressed]

I've always asked and got feedback from interviews- but then I work in a sector where candidates are ph

[GermanHouseCat]

I recently interviewed 20 people to fill 3 vacancies in my team. Even if a few of those people asked for feedback it would have taken a big chunk of my day that I just can't spare. Not to mention the need for feedback to be very carefully worded to avoid any HR problems.

As it was, only one person asked for feedback. He was the person who told me, in now uncertain terms, how he helps his current clients break the law. In detail. With no shame/understanding that this might be a problem.

[flyingtrue]

Fair to ask but you may not always get. Feedback may be delayed though, August is prime time for some people to take holidays so things tend to be a lot more delayed.

[Happyringo]

Thanks hey maybe they're horrible employers anyway lol