We’re Only Human After All

So you’ve had the interview and it went pretty well. You’re feeling positive and you’ve been told you’ll hear either way by the end of the week. The day comes and goes but still no phone call!!

You’ve waited by the phone all week so you know you’ve not missed the call – and anyway you’d see the missed call right? Imagine how you’d feel as a candidate…a little disappointed is an understatement!

So then why do so many companies and recruiters fail to give candidates the feedback they deserve?

We’ve heard from many of our candidates that one of the biggest frustrations they face is that companies and recruiters alike don’t give feedback following an interview. It’s been an issue for a lot of people and was even being discussed on BBC Breakfast with calls for interview feedback to be made mandatory.

Many candidates never hear back from a company or recruiter following an interview, but put yourself in the candidate’s shoes and imagine how you would feel if you’d attended an interview and hadn’t heard anything back? Yes we all get busy, but it doesn’t take a lot of time to be polite and courteous and do the right thing. We look at the reasons why you should always give a candidate feedback after an interview.

Closure – candidates might be holding off applying for new roles or even stalling accepting a job offer until they know they have not been successful. They might not be pursuing other roles they still have a chance of securing, because they are waiting for the phone call they’ve been told they will receive.

Better impression – a bad reputation spreads far quicker than a good one. If a candidate has a poor experience they will tell more people than if they had a good experience. The last thing you’d want to do is burn bridges, because even if the candidate is not quite right for this role they might be perfect for another role in the future.

Improved interview skills – If we tell candidates why they have been unsuccessful then surely they can learn from that and be more successful the next time. If they are doing something wrong but have no idea then how will they ever improve?

It’s just polite! – If someone has taken the time and effort to apply for one of your roles, then it’s simply good manners and polite to tell them they have been unsuccessful.

Yes we’re human after all and don’t always get to make the phone calls we know we should, but let’s remember we should always put the candidate first!