To want to take action after poor and dishonest interview feedback

[quantmum]

The week before last, I had an interview for my ideal job in a highly specialised sector. It seemed to go very well but the institution's HR emailed on Monday to say I didn't get it, but came second so if their first choice didn't take the job, I would be offered it. I was upset, but accepted that a more suitable candidate must have got it.

My feelings changed from disappointment to anger when I asked the HR person if any feedback was available and got a few lines of totally negative comments. The comments are not an accurate reflection of the interview, for example they say that my presentation went over time (it was within the allocated 15 minutes) and that I didn't outline future plans (I did, and as part of the application process I'd to submit a detailed document about future plans).

I really want to take some action as this seems completely unfair and close to libellous. I understand feedback is sometimes worded to justify why someone wasn't offered a job but it's deeply frustrating that the interviewers have put actual lies in writing to me - as well as such a crappy and inconsiderate approach in not giving actual proper feedback - given the application and two-round interview process was extremely demanding.

I've drafted an email refuting the errors in the feedback, but I'm torn between sending that or just a relatively neutral one asking for more detailed feedback and mentioning in passing that I found the feedback confusing.

AIBU to want to send a strongly worded email? Or can anyone advise? I'd made my peace with the outcome and now I'm seriously annoyed. I'm finding it hard to move on as these jobs come up so infrequently and I was waiting years to go for it (although not unemployed in the meantime).

It doesn't sound like your feedback, if it's factually incorrect, I would ask to ensure it genuinely was yours. They may have given the wrong person the job! I wouldn't do anything else beyond question the fact based element. The fact your future plans weren't deemed so if their opinion so leave that alone.

There's one job
They have decided on someone else.
They don't need to justify or defend their decision.
Move on.

Just let it go. I recently went for an interview for a job that I really wanted and that there are not many positions for. I had to take online tests and do another test when I arrived at the interview. The interview went really well and when I had a missed call from them, I was so happy thinking that I would be offered the position. Turns out that they were ringing to let me know how well I did but I didn’t get the position. When I expressed my disappointment, they actually told me that it had been filled internally. There was no more I could do really, you just have to move on 🤷🏼‍♀️. Good luck, you may end up being offered it anyway 🤞.

They don't need to justify or defend their decision

Hiring decisions for senior roles absolutely need to be justified with a hiring rationale, scoring etc.

This is completely true in my experience - maybe I should add that it's a public sector role overseen by a government department who they're answerable to.

I've probably had 6-7 interviews for similar positions over my career, and have been on the interview panel for other people for similar positions 5-6 times. In my experience, the norm is to offer authentic feedback, explain how the individual scored against a clear matrix (as well as emphasising the candidate's strengths and what they might like to focus on if they were going for a similar role again). I think it's professional, responsible and just plain old good manners.

In your experience.

I can assure you not everywhere works like that.

OP, it's more likely to be a poor HR team than anything more so forget about it and move on, leaving the door open for any potential future opportunities.

I know so many experienced candidates who are expected to do a presentation which would be what you pay a consultant for and Im not even certain there is a role or they are just stealing ideas for themselves x

I don't think I'd be gagging to offer a job to a person who, upon receiving some feedback that may or may not have been sent in error, called us "close to libelous".

That's just massively over the top.

A million per cent this. They may not have given you the job because they didn't like your shoes - it's to some extent a lottery. You may be 2nd choice, they may have told every other candidate that.

It is so hard when you are screaming inside "that's not fair" but the only one it's hurting is you, they've moved on. That is by the way very much advice I ned to take myself as i work myself up into a tizz about some perceived injustice!

I can understand you feeling disappointed but it is perfectly possible that the HR have read the wrong notes. I wouldn’t advise emailing with all guns blazing and I definitely would advising against using the phrase libellous as it is very emotive language. If you did want further feedback you could send an email asking for some detailed feedback from the recruiting manager rather than HR.

My guess is that an internal candidate got the job and was always going to.

Spunds like the employer dodged a bullet.

It's polite to at least acknowledge the email. I think if you want to do anything at all you could write back something like:

"Dear HR Person

Thank you for sharing the feedback. I just wanted to double-check I hadn't been confused with another candidate as I was careful to time my presentation myself and I know it was only 12 minutes? In any case, I appreciate the consideration and I'm still interested in the role should there be another opportunity.

Kind regards"

One of the hazards of being under confident and not pushing yourself forward is that when you do take that step and launch yourself, you can end up swinging to the opposite side and becoming over confident which may be perceived as arrogance, such as in challenging the result or interpretation of an interview.

You cannot refute* *something if the thing you are challenging is a subjective judgment or interpretation. You could gently imply there might have been an error in their assessment, e.g. they miscalculated the time your presentation took but there are many dangers in doing that. You could end up shooting yourself in the foot, looking arrogant and argumentative. And if the real reason is that they gave it to an insider or someone they like better, the game isn't worth the candle.

There may be a slight chance in a government environment that they would look into it and review their procedures or something but it is probable the interviewers will be more inclined to defend their judgement and comments than accept your challenge even if you did, by your reckoning, prove them wrong.

Even for an entry level, min wage job, there will be some discussion and an ostensible reason given for hiring - it may be a 2 minutes 'Anna has more relevant experience than Becky, let's hire Anna' but there will be a justification.

I think a carefully worded email asking for confirmation that this is the correct feedback, maybe pointing out the incorrect thing.
Along the lines of

" Thank you for responding to my request foe feedback. I just wanted to double check that this was indeed the feedback on my presentation as the feedback said I didn't cover xx but that was covered in my second slide.
In any case, I'd be extremely grateful if any more detailed feedback were available as I find it invaluable for preparing for future interviews"

I would politely email HR putting on record that my presentation was under time, I submitted a detailed planning document, etc because I would want it acknowledged that I had fulfilled the interview rubric. I'd email the panel members directly thanking them for their time, expressing that you enjoyed the process and welcoming any feedback they may have

Most of us would see the untrue feedback as proof of a Lucky Escape.

Just say Dear X, many thanks for the detailed feedback. I think they are not my notes, as a) my presentation fell within the alloted time, and b) I clearly provided future plans.

It's important to just be straightforward. If they're assholes about you doing so it's clearly a bad place to work and you'll have dodged a bullet.

How bad can the feedback be if you are still second choice?

They clearly think you are capable of doing the job. I would expect that your feedback would have to be overwhelmingly positive. Any time I’ve interviewed people for a role, there’s often very little between the top candidates and it’s just nit-picking to make a decision.

maybe that’s the only negative stuff and it’s that your future plan wasn’t as detailed as successful candidate?

If they asked for future plans in the brief, then it would be a really bad interview if you hadn’t included that. So obviously the notes would need to be taken in context.

could it be an HR colleague reading out the interviewers hastily written comments?

I think you need to take feedback with a pinch of salt- they’re often looking for things to separate candidates.

Glad you’re going to back away from this, as if you don’t get it this time there is a chance in the future. You’re likely misplacing your anger at not getting it onto this. I’m a little stunned you even went so far you used the word libellous in thus context.

As long as you definitely don't want to work there, send it. I would be pissed off about that if it was clearly untrue. You could say, 'I was a bit confused by this as I kept with the 15 minutes and wrote xyz in detail on the future planning side.' almost like you think they sent you the wrong person's feedback. (which is possible, it could be dealt with by someone very junior admin wise.) But the best thing to do is take it that there wasn't a cigarette paper between you so the feedback they gave is nonsense. Ie there was nothing wrong with your interview. It was almost like they had to pick one.

This was a post from month ago!

It was, but I'm still annoyed!

They did ask for future plans - in writing - as part of the application. And then asked me about them again in the interview. Soooooo