Learning from experience: The forgone interview

When you go to a job interview, the odds are against you. A typical job opening will attract dozens of well-qualified applicants; only one can be hired. So most people do not receive the desired phone call extending an offer. What DO they receive? Usually, nothing.

Some companies will send a letter or e-mail notifying candidates that a selection has been made and “thank you for interviewing with us.” Most companies won’t even do that, and the candidates will have to contact them to find out the status of the position.

Finding out you didn’t get the job can be frustrating, demoralizing and heartbreaking. Not knowing why you didn’t get the job can make you feel even worse-especially if you thought you did well at the interview.

So ask for job interview feedback. If you find out what went well and what went wrong, you can make adjustments that will help you do better-and increase your chances of getting a job offer-at your next interview.

But there’s a right way-and a wrong way-to do this.

How to ask for job interview feedback:

If you receive a phone call notifying you that you were not selected, ask for feedback during that call. If you receive an e-mail or letter, ask for feedback within 24 hours (reply via e-mail or call).

But do NOT ask the interviewer why you were not selected. I know this is what you’ll want to ask, but don’t. Instead, word your request in such a way that the interviewer knows you are not questioning his or her decision, but would appreciate some constructive feedback.

Ask how you can improve, what your weak areas were, or if he/she has any specific interviewing advice for you. For example: “I have another interview coming up and I’d like to make sure I don’t make the same mistakes I made when I interviewed with you. Could you give me some advice on how I might improve my interview performance?”

People do NOT like to have their decisions questioned. People DO like to give advice.

Why most interviewers will not give helpful feedback:

Most people do like to give advice. And unless you were arrogant, disrespectful or unprofessional during the interview, most interviewers will genuinely want to help you do better next time. But that doesn’t mean they will actually give you helpful feedback. Many interviewers will not. Here are reasons why…

1.   Some don’t offer feedback because they don’t want to get into unpleasant conversations with people who cannot accept the fact that they were not the best person for the job. Those people are more interested in debating the decision than in learning how to do better at a future interview. You will not succeed in changing the interviewer’s decision. That decision is based on your CV and what they learned about you during the interview. If you didn’t show the skills, personality, or other characteristics they want during the interview, that’s why you were not hired. It is natural to want to correct a wrong impression about you, but doing so, and trying to convince them that they made a mistake, is pointless.

2.   Some interviewers don’t want to give feedback because they honestly don’t know what to tell you. Have you ever met someone and immediately decided you didn’t like him or her, but weren’t sure why? It’s often the same in a job interview. It could be something about your personality, the way you shook hands, maybe even the perfume you wore that created an unflattering impression, almost subliminally, in the interviewer’s mind. Or maybe the interviewer does know what she didn’t like about you, but doesn’t want to hurt your feelings by mentioning it

Benefit from what you learn

There are many other reasons interviewers may not give you helpful feedback. But it never hurts to ask (in the right way). If you receive helpful feedback, be thankful because it truly is quite rare. Don’t take offense or become argumentative if you don’t agree with the interviewer’s assessment of you. After all, it’s just that person’s opinion.

Besides, it makes more sense to respect the opinion of a person who works for that company, who knows the needs of the job, and who knows better than you whether or not you’re likely to be a good fit for the organization and the job. The key is to listen carefully to the feedback the interviewer gives you. If something doesn’t make sense, ask for clarification or a specific example, but don’t get defensive.

Remember to thank the interviewer for his/her time and comments.

Once you have the feedback, be sure to work on whatever it was that held you back. If you were told you seemed disinterested, for example, you know that next time you’ll need to show more enthusiasm. Whatever the reasons given, whether true weaknesses or inaccurate perceptions based on your failure to successfully communicate your strengths, use that vital information to become better prepared for your next job interview, and get the job!

Safaricom