The importance of interview feedback

In recent years we’ve recognised a shift in the lifestyle of job seekers, as self-improvement and personal development is now an aspect that plays a key part not only in their professional lives, but also on a personal level.

These improvements could be something as simple as going to the gym or learning a new language (or even a few phrases) in preparation for their next holiday abroad, or it could be something related to their career, which would aid their professional development.

As an employer and more specifically a recruitment business, we know that interview feedback is a key part of the recruitment process. From the initial interview with the company and then, if successful, through the probationary period and beyond, candidates require feedback to continuously develop themselves, not only for their own benefit but also for the companies.

However, in this new age of self-development, we are finding that fewer businesses are prepared to provide clear and concise feedback to candidates that have met with them for interview. For the most part, employers are not legally required to supply unsuccessful candidates with reasons as to why they weren’t hired, but it is good practise and courteous to do so and generally helps to keep the integrity and good name of their employer brand intact.

Now no one wants to hear that they didn’t get their dream job, particularly as a great deal of research, preparation, planning and excitement goes into an interview for a new role. However, interviewees simply want to understand how they can improve and the feedback given from one interview scenario could be the difference between them landing a position or receiving another rejection in the future. Feedback therefore forms an essential part of the overall recruitment process and it is this feedback that undoubtedly enables candidates to self-reflect and drive their own performance.

Not only this, with the rise of social media and the digital era, businesses are no longer a closed shop and reputations can live or die by a company’s social foot print. If an organisation does not provide feedback or add positively to the overall candidate experience, social platforms exist whereby candidates can share their opinion of the recruitment process and organisations who do not provide feedback, will not be viewed as an employer of choice and nothing diminishes image faster than negativity. Good detailed concise feedback is therefore actually beneficial for both candidates and businesses.

In conclusion, feedback is absolutely paramount to both parties, whether you are the interviewer or interviewee, the importance of clear and constructive feedback is indisputable. Feedback will continue to form a fundamental aspect of the recruitment process and both parties within the selection process must realise the absolute value in it. In modern day recruitment candidates and employers who don’t subscribe to the notion and understand the true benefits that can be gained from the feedback process, will simply be left behind with the times.