The sound of silence: Do employers owe you feedback after an interview?
The sound of silence: Do employers owe you feedback after an interview?
What a silly commentary. Of course there is a double standard. By the way, there is no Easter Bunny, either.
No interview feedback and no job references. It's standard for a reason.
Companies have a policy of not giving references (other than confirming prior employment) -- and of not giving candidates interview feedback -- because .... drum roll please .... candidates sometimes sue the companies they don't get hired at, or they sue the company they used to work for (for an alleged bad reference).
Do these suits have merit? Sometimes. But even when they don't, they are a major source of expense and headache for employers. Like all professional services, lawyers cost money (duh). And potentially having to parade your recruiters, managers, and HR staff through a public trial when a candidate is displeased with a hiring decision? Costly and otherwise bad for business.
So if you were an employer, you'd avoid that situation -- regardless of whether it's fair, or a double standard. Think about it. You would do the same thing in their position, or you wouldn't stay in the position very long.
How does an employer avoid it? You guessed it: Don't provide references, and don't provide feedback in interviews.
What's the solution for candidates?
Don't stay formal. Want a reference? Development a relationship with people in the companies you have worked for that extends BEYOND the time you worked together. Why? So that if you need a personal reference later on, you can say "Hey, Jill, prior boss, can I have x-company call you on your personal phone?" Look at that. A reference.
Getting interview feedback is tough for the reasons noted, but it definitely pays to develop a relationship with the RECRUITER "at" the company you are speaking with, via a few phone calls prior to the interview. HR and the hiring manager are not allowed to provide feedback. It puts the company at risk. So it's not that the woman you interviewed with is a jerk. Rather, it's that she can be terminated for providing you candid feedback about why you were passed over. But often recruiters are third party individuals (contractors, temps, agencies) with fewer restrictions on their discussions because they aren't directly employed by the company you interviewed with. They are your best bet. They have the least to lose *and* because they may need to put you forward again for a position another time (remember, they thought you were good enough to put you in front of a hiring manager the first time) they have a vested interest in investing in their relationship with you.
What a silly commentary. Of course there is a double standard. By the way, there is no Easter Bunny, either.
No interview feedback and no job references. It's standard for a reason.
Companies have a policy of not giving references (other than confirming prior employment) -- and of not giving candidates interview feedback -- because .... drum roll please .... candidates sometimes sue the companies they don't get hired at, or they sue the company they used to work for (for an alleged bad reference).
Do these suits have merit? Sometimes. But even when they don't, they are a major source of expense and headache for employers. Like all professional services, lawyers cost money (duh). And potentially having to parade your recruiters, managers, and HR staff through a public trial when a candidate is displeased with a hiring decision? Costly and otherwise bad for business.
So if you were an employer, you'd avoid that situation -- regardless of whether it's fair, or a double standard. Think about it. You would do the same thing in their position, or you wouldn't stay in the position very long.
How does an employer avoid it? You guessed it: Don't provide references, and don't provide feedback in interviews.
What's the solution for candidates?
Don't stay formal. Want a reference? Development a relationship with people in the companies you have worked for that extends BEYOND the time you worked together. Why? So that if you need a personal reference later on, you can say "Hey, Jill, prior boss, can I have x-company call you on your personal phone?" Look at that. A reference.
Getting interview feedback is tough for the reasons noted, but it definitely pays to develop a relationship with the RECRUITER "at" the company you are speaking with, via a few phone calls prior to the interview. HR and the hiring manager are not allowed to provide feedback. It puts the company at risk. So it's not that the woman you interviewed with is a jerk. Rather, it's that she can be terminated for providing you candid feedback about why you were passed over. But often recruiters are third party individuals (contractors, temps, agencies) with fewer restrictions on their discussions because they aren't directly employed by the company you interviewed with. They are your best bet. They have the least to lose *and* because they may need to put you forward again for a position another time (remember, they thought you were good enough to put you in front of a hiring manager the first time) they have a vested interest in investing in their relationship with you.