How to get interview feedback

How to get feedback

Have you ever skipped out of an interview high on adrenaline and confident you’ve got the job only to find out later you haven’t? Or maybe you left the interview with that gloomy feeling knowing you’ve messed up and you want to know where you went wrong.

Getting feedback from employers post interview can give you an insight that will help you to move on and start thinking about the next application.

It’s difficult to judge performance when you’re stressed

“I think feedback is essential,” considers Christine Powell, managing director of employment agency Profile Media. “When someone’s going for an interview they do the best they can and they very rarely realise where they’ve gone wrong. People aren’t terribly insightful because interviews are very stressful situations.”

Find out the truth rather than think the worst

Rejection might be difficult to take, but it hurts more if you’re left with the burning question, ‘Why ?’. A little honesty from the interviewer can help you to improve your next application and polish your interview technique.

Don’t be surprised if you ask and don’t get

Editor Catherine Smith explains how not having feedback after an interview left her feeling confused. “I went for an interview for a job in a small publishing house. I knew I had all the experience they needed and was qualified for the job.”

“The people interviewing me were very laid back and friendly and I soon relaxed into it. I seemed to get on very well with them. They were impressed by my CV and by the end of the hour, I was confident that I would get a second interview and my interviewers told me they’d see me soon.”

But when Catherine still hadn’t heard anything a week later, confidence was replaced by confusion. “I sent an email asking if they’d made a decision yet. They replied saying I hadn’t made it to the second round as the standard of applications was very high.”

“I was a little surprised,” she continues, “as they’d suggested during the interview that I was over-qualified for the job! I emailed back asking if I could have some feedback but I never heard from them again.”

A reluctance to give feedback is not uncommon, especially in smaller companies with no dedicated HR department. Christine: “Most large companies have a policy of giving feedback but it’s always relatively toned down. As an agency, employers tend to tell us the truth but want a filtered version to reach the applicant.”

Litigation is the reason why some companies will only give you a generic response. “I think we’re moving towards a society where people are more willing to fight back and sue,” considers Christine. “The biggest fear for companies is that they find themselves in a courtroom. Even if it isn’t discrimination, the time spent defending themselves is a time they can’t afford to waste.”

Never show your emotions

If you do want post-interview feedback, it’s important to ask for it in a calm, detached way. Don’t whizz off an email when you’re feeling hurt and rejected. Give yourself a few days before getting in touch.

“The more professional and impersonal you can make it the better,” agrees Christina. “Ask for an honest opinion and appraisal with a focus on the reasons why you didn’t get the job. Just ask for the truth. If you can be dispassionate, it helps the recruiter.”

To avoid getting a generic response, Christina also recommends picking up the phone rather than sending an email. The key is to remain positive and professional – it might even help you with future applications to the same company. “If you leave someone with a positive impression even if you didn’t get the job, they’ll think of you the next time,” she says.