The Value of Interview Feedback – For the individual & your organisation’s brand
Have you been on the receiving side – having attended an interview, only to hear nothing after this or to hear that you have not been successful and with no explanation or details as to the organisation’s decision?
Unfortunately this is too common place and as Directors of a Recruitment Consultancy, we often share in the frustration of those that have attended interviews, as we work hard to extract timely and tangible feedback, that is constructive and assists the individual’s next interviews and reflections.
So why is timely interview feedback critical?
- How this process is managed will determine how the individual feels about your organisation as a whole/ brand perception and their openness to future opportunities with the business/ how they relay their experience to others.
- It allows immediate debriefing and reflection to assist the person in their next interviews and presentation and refine any areas required/ the businesses and opportunities they are applying for
- It takes time, energy and sometimes $’s (preparation for the interview, taking time out of their working day, travel costs and often having to take a day off work/ out of contracts) to attend the interview so acknowledging this, being respectful of people’s time and mental energy expended is important.
- It enables internal review/ take aways for you as the interviewer/s to ensure an equal, unbiased and structured process is completed and documentation around decision making is completed for future reference.
We appreciate that it can be challenging at times to articulate the ‘WHY’ however if this is the case, this often comes down to some common traps below:
- Unstructured interview and note taking/ too informal and this may also increase subjective/ bias.
- An ineffective ranking structure/ format
- Inexperienced interviewers, who are not using scientifically approved methodologies and behavioural/ situational questioning
In Summary/Our Fusion Partners Top Tips:
- Take the time to set structured interview questions and a ranking system
- Interview in pairs for a fair and objective process and peer review
- Provide immediate interview feedback where this is appropriate and in all other cases – ensure this is provided within 24 hours (If you are not continuing then don’t leave people waiting for an answer)
- Give factual/ clear examples in your feedback, with constructive messaging around any areas the individual may improve for future and be honest, whilst ensuring this is delivered with respect and care.
- Thank people for their time and investment and ensure, that no matter what the outcome is, they come away feeling good about the experience and takeaways.
For expert advice/ support you can contact us at: fusionpartners.co.nz
