HR: LACK OF DETAILED POST INTERVIEW FEEDBACK AND WHY IT IS SO

While it might be frustrating as a candidate to get: “You were not selected for the role” and wanting to get additional feedback it is not always possible for HR to provide and here are several reasons why and it is not because we are bad guys, who don’t care or we are basing our decision on “where do you see yourself in 5 years" questions.

First reason is consequences, sometimes going to detail why someone didn’t get a job can create more problems than it solves. Candidates who ask for feedback are not always necessarily want to hear or accept it from the point of logic when it is offered and it is not every candidate I would consider giving feedback to either. Some might get angry or insist to be given another chance to interview or try to convince to explain things, not understanding that everything is cause and effect and luck sometimes too.

Second reason is not being able to explain the connection of all small and big things into one picture of a final candidate that will match on all levels. You have to remember that nowadays with so many candidates and challenging over saturated market conditions reasons why not to hire someone could be numerous, but at the same time it is hit or miss as well for you as a candidate, sometimes luck is just not on your side or vice versa.?HR has to take into considerations many little and big things : from educational background and work experience and value that candidate would bring to a team and company and how they would fit into it, personality traits, expected compensation, language and communication skills and proficiency of particular tasks, networking skills for particular roles, ambition and what motivates them?etc. Smaller things, but that are also important and could make a difference: personal attire, how you responded during initial phone screening, friendliness, whether you confirmed interview, whether you were on time, the list could go on etc. So we have to take into consideration big things and small things and choose perfect candidate based on this and trust management agrees too, because they don’t always do.

Third reason would be change in the position scope and/or internal candidate being proposed instead or somebody referenced from outside to be hired based on reference that we of course can’t communicate to unsuccessful candidates. At the end of the day let’s be honest this happens way more often than it should be, but it is a reality unfortunately and it is not always HR would be able to have a saying and stand their ground, when orders come from high up. Integrity is extremely important for HR professional, but it is not always viable.

And fourth, but most important reason why candidates are not given detailed feedback on why they weren’t hired is because that hiring decisions are almost never clear-cut. They are nuanced and multi-layered. They would involve many people and not only HR, including head of the departments and at the end it would be a candidate, who hopefully with integrity be best suited for the position. Recruiting and job-hunting are two sides of the same coin. They are?matching processes based on information that is available to both and a share of luck perhaps. And while you are looking for the right company, right opportunities, right remuneration, right role, right team and right manager, at the same time hiring manager is looking for the right person to join their team, so that you are not only able to do work right, but also create value for the company. As you imagine that RIGHT part is based on individual perceptions and point of view.

So at the end of the day it might feel like a judgment and a rejection but it is neither. If you will look at the bigger picture, you will know, that any experience is a learning curve and you will soon enough be RIGHT match for a company that will be as much of a RIGHT match for you. All the best of luck!

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