Always ask for feedback!

Whether you get it is an another story.

Why are #recruiters and #talentacquisitionteams using the same letter and just filling in the company name. Why are they so reluctant to give constructive feedback?

By far the most popular sentiment utilized in rejection emails is the containing the parameters of the word "fit," the be-all-end-all to hiring decisions. I'm convinced that the majority of people in charge of hiring don't do enough diligence to clearly understand and acqiuire talent based on the job needs. Here's a approach, learn about their candidates, and see potential instead of past experience only. Instead, they "know it when they see it approach" AKA look for "fit." Fit for the candidate or fit for the company.

To be honest, it's hard to argue against fit. If there's a moral, humane way to reject someone, not just on the word "fit". That being said, such rejections should be followed up (upon request) with specific reasons why there wasn't a fit. It wasn't a good "fit" AKA "we need an excuse to shed money off the team or company.

The power of language

There are no easy answers to rejecting candidates. Especially for roles that receive hundreds of applications, there's little more that can be done than run the resumes through an AI-fueled database and cross your fingers that the right candidates pop out with low payout for the company. Rejection sucks no matter how you cut it, even if for every qualified candidate there are 10 who are unqualified: they all get the same generated email. Which I think is unprofessional and quite disgusting.

My only hope for HR managers, and hiring managers, recruiters and talent acquisition teams that rejection can be handled with professionalism, and empathy and coincide to the amount of time the applicant has put into their application.

Let's have a look at this email (I copied and pasted from my email) being professional and ethical I deleted the company name.

Thank you for your interest in designing a career with ...!

We have reviewed your application and carefully assessed your qualifications against the job requirements and other candidates. Unfortunately, you have not been selected for an interview at this time, it appears your qualifications don't have the fit we are looking for.

We will keep your details in our database and hope you will continue to consider being a part of our story. Follow?************, and ........?for the latest updates on our company and brands.

Thank you again for putting in the time and effort to apply with us.

Wishing you all the best and success in your job search

Don't forget to follow us on Linkedin!

... Talent Acquisition Team

Here is another email that says nothing when asking for feedback and the why. Take into account, that this was received three hours after the interview. Let that sink in for a minute.

No name, just vague fluff. My question is why? Why do recruiters continue do this? Its not best practice. They do ask the applicant to follow them on Linkedin. Very unprofessional. Side note- The position is still listed, an application was resent and called in for an interview by the same person. Applicants and candidates are just numbers to some recruiters. This is an example of giving a response with no response.

I understand your question and preference for feedback.

?However, as my hiring stance is objective, integrate and strict, the last round candidates will only have made the selection criteria by checking all necessary boxes for the profile we wish to hire.

You had made it to the last selection round!!

?When then further selection or elimination is exercised, it would mean we have multiple candidates who meet the standards required and needed, in our judgement, to perform the job.

This would mean that the further selection would be based on inter-candidate comparison and/or intra-company subjective judgement.

In both cases it I do not feel comfortable disclosing this information.

?This is probably not the answer you were looking for but please understand our position.

?We still wish you the best of luck in future undertakings.

With kind regards

Why Don’t Recruiters or Employers Want to Give Feedback?

Most candidates never receive feedback after being rejected during the interview process. If you're one of the few that received one of those blanketed emails, it wasn't very useful.

Although there are many reasons for a less than helpful or no response. Is it a legal issue? It's always a legal issue no matter what topic it is. Company attorneys are concerned that any feedback can be used as basis for any type of lawsuit. So they advise companies to refrain from providing information.

As a job seeker who wants to learn from their experiences, no response or vague response is discouraging. It’s only natural after learning you didn’t get the job after an interview to wonder what could have done differently to bring a different outcome. This is not rocket science.

Reaching out to the employer thanking them (again) for the interview opportunity and asking a brief question or two for feedback can be useful in the job search. I had asked why the job description was differently approached during the interview, and the response was "well we set the parameters wide so we receive a better reponse". Do I need to say more?

Some Follow-Up Questions to Ask

While you may be tempted to ask outright why you didn;t get the job, maybe you'll have better luck if you ask questions centered around your performance during the interview and advice about your CV.

1. In the event, there is a future opportunity with your company, could you offer me one or two pieces of advice for any future applications?

This question switches their focus from the "legal ramifications" a critique of the job applicant’s specific performance and focuses forward-thinking advice. Question is broad enough that allocates a broad range for response.

2. Do you have feedback on my resume or motivation letter?

Although there are many reasons for a less than helpful or no response. Is it a legal issue? It's always a legal issue no matter what topic it is. Company attorneys are concerned that any feedback can be used as basis for and type of lawsuit. So they advise companies to refrain from providingn information.

As a job seeker who wants to learn from their experiences, no response or vague response is discouraging. “It’s only natural after learning you didn’t get the job after an interview to wonder what could have done differently to bring a different outcome. This is not rocket science.

Reaching out to the employer thanking them (again) for the interview opportunity and asking a brief question or two for feedback can be useful in the job search. I had asked why the job description was differently approached during the interview, and the response was "well we set the parameters wide so we receive a better reponse". Do I need to say more?

Some Follow-Up Questions to Ask

While you may be tempted to ask outright why you didn;t get the job, maybe you'll have better luck if you ask questions centered around your performance during the interview and advice about the CV.

1. In the event, there is a future opportunity with your company, could you offer me one or two pieces of advice for any future applications?

This question switches their focus from the "legal ramifications" a critique of the job applicant’s specific performance and focuses forward-thinking advice. Question is broad enough that allocates a broad range

2. Do you have feedback on my resume or motivation letter?

Often there is a struggle with writing a strong motivation letter and resume. Feedback on these two items could make you a much stronger candidate. If the recruiter says that your documents contained typos or lacked authencity, you'll have the opportunity to fix them. Please do not depend on AI to create your resume or cover letter. Before I get pushback on this, AI could help you create a template or an outline. Then you have to do some work and create it with your own unique voice. I recently posted an ad looking for Freelancers for Wordtree Media, and I received cover letters containing the phrase "landscape of copywriting". Please don't do that. Human copy will never be replaced with AI.

3. Was my background of skills and experience not sufficient?

If you think the interview went well but you still didn't get the job, this may help you figure out if someone with more experience whether its in years, or skills landed the role. Again the recruiter may explain these details, hoping to help improve the chances for your next application.

The recruitment process is often the first interaction a candidate has with a prospective employer. The level of empathy recruiters demonstrate toward candidates during recruitment sets the stage how candidates will perceive employers.

Recruiters have to start treating candidates like people, not numbers. Yes, recruiters face pressure from employers to fill roles. It's under that pressure they treating the hiring process like a numbers game. Approaching as many people as possible with always the same details, same job description and salary indicators.

The recruitment process is a two-way street, where both parties learn more about each other. Make it a conversation, not just about the company, be willing to lean in and see what the person is capable of, you might just be surprised.

What do companies really should be looking for is skills and attitude. Skills can be honed in and often considered the foundation, attitude is the driving force behind professional development. ??

Moving Forward....

Because recruiters are often so risk adverse to give any feedback, don't spend too much time are trying to get answers.

If you don’t hear back, don’t take it personally—and move on to the next opportunity. ??