What no feedback? Really?
You have gone through the interview process…. start to finish. You get the email saying they are moving forward with another candidate and they wish you well.
“Wait, are you telling me that I will get no feedback? Really?”
Generally, most companies will not give you any feedback whatsoever. We live in a world where it is legally imprudent to do so. Candidates might take exception to the feedback and try to make everyone’s life miserable so the company will take the path of least resistance. Secondly it takes time and considerable effort to give feedback. Frankly, when the hiring decision is made and the offer is accepted the company moves on to the next project. So, the question becomes how does a candidate get vitally important feedback on how they performed and what could they do differently? Here are three ways to secure feedback without having them give it to you
Take the time to do a personal debriefing. You should think through each stage of the interview process, not just the last interview, to gain a full view of your performance. Write down your learnings and save them to help prepare for the next interview. Review all the touch points you had with the company and reflect on what you can learn from each of the interactions. Be comprehensive --- review each email, phone call, skype, face-to-face etc. It is always better to do the personal debrief immediately after every contact with the company while everything is still fresh in your mind. Taking the time after each step to reflect and learn will give you feedback that is actionable
Talk to someone you trust and get their feedback. Review your learnings with this trusted person and walk them through the entire process --- start to finish! A fresh pair of trusted eyes may see things differently than you see them. Listen to the feedback you are given and apply it to the next interview! If adjustments need to be made, then make them.
Ask yourself the following question, “Did I do everything possible to earn the position?” This is a tough question to ask yourself because you really wanted the position and your emotions are running high. If you will take the time to be honest with yourself this question is critical to your learning. If the answer is yes then done is done. Look at this way if the answer is yes then you have the opportunity to find something that fits your talents even better.
We all crave feedback. In the interview process we have to accept the fact that the company will really only give feedback to the person they hire. It is up to us to be honest with ourselves and have a process to secure our own feedback to apply to future interviews. Remember, every interview is positive----you either get the job or you get the chance to learn something about yourself. Either of these options are positive.
It comes down to what you do with them!