Job interviews can be nerve-wracking experiences. There’s plenty of preparation to do before the interview, then when it comes to the crunch, you’re expected to impress, stay calm under scrutiny, and successfully navigate your way through the interview. But once the interview comes to an end, getting feedback is extremely important – especially if you’ve received a job rejection.
There are so many benefits to asking for feedback. It can help you to see which aspects of your interview need improvement, and where you were most successful. Feedback also provides you with insight from recruiters, as we may be able to share our expertise and offer advice for interviewing in future. What’s more, it helps you to understand the type of applicants you are up against. This could inspire you to pursue professional development before applying for a similar role elsewhere.
So, if you’ve ever left a job interview wondering whether or not they are going to call you back, or whether you did a decent job in the interview, here are our top tips on how to ask for feedback after an interview.
1. Ask For Feedback During The Interview
A classic question that so many hiring managers ask at the end of an interview is “Do you have any questions for me/us?”
Respond to this question with something along the lines of: “Is there anything that I may have said or not said that makes you feel I may not be the person for this position?”
While this is certainly a courageous question to ask, it will definitely help you to stand out from the rest.
This is the perfect way to ask for feedback during an interview, because you’ve put them in a direct position to answer the question – and hopefully they will give you an honest answer.
This is their chance to express what concerns them (if anything), and gives you the opportunity to correct those concerns before the interview is over. That way, you can leave feeling even more positive about the interview, and feeling like a top candidate.
2. Ask for Feedback from the Recruitment Agency
It is the responsibility of the recruitment consultant to manage the post-interview feedback between the hiring manager and the candidate. We will liaise with the client to discuss their feedback and then relay this to you. Here’s your second chance to ask anything you missed at the interview and give your feedback about the company too.
3. Follow Up After Receiving a Rejection Call/Email
If you get told you didn’t get the job, then ask for feedback during the phone call.
Asking for feedback is very important at this stage because you may learn that the reason for the rejection had nothing to do with you!
Perhaps they found an internal candidate at the last minute, or lost funding for the role. Perhaps they decided to restructure the department you interviewed in and no longer need to fill that role. Without obtaining that feedback, you’ll never know the reasons for the job application rejection, and you’ll probably think you did something wrong.
That being said, if the feedback offered is related to how you did in your interview, then this is essential feedback that you need to know about before continuing with future interviews.
If you received an email then you should respond back with an email thanking them for letting you know. Thank them again for the opportunity to interview, but also ask them if they are available for a quick phone call in order for you to speak with them about your interview. Talking on the phone enables you to ask more in-depth questions that clarify why you weren’t selected.
Whether on the phone or via email, you need to emphasise just how important the feedback is to you so that you can improve your interview skills for future interviews. Without the feedback, you could end up making the same mistakes over and over again.
4. Ask for Advice on Training Courses
If you didn’t get the job and this is an area that you really want to get into, then you could ask if the rejection was due to a lack of experience. If this was the case, ask what training you should be looking at doing, or how you can go about getting work experience in that sector in order to be more qualified.
For instance, if the candidate the client had selected had a particular certification that is desirable for the role, then you may wish to consider pursuing that certification yourself. You could also look for other ways to make your future applications more competitive.
5. Follow Up if you Haven’t heard Back
In some cases, weeks can pass without hearing from a recruiter following an interview. Even if their best intentions were to get back to you, sometimes things happen and delays occur. Another reason could be that they’re still waiting for feedback from the client!
If you haven’t heard back for a number of weeks, send a follow-up email to check-in. Keep it simple and to the point, mentioning the job title and date you were interviewed. State your enthusiasm for the role and ask if they’ve reached a decision yet, or have any updates. Don’t forget to check for spelling and grammar before pressing send!
Getting honest feedback can sometimes be tough going, but by having the courage to ask, you’ll benefit tremendously. You’ll gain great insight into some specific areas you can improve on, and may even learn something about yourself that you were unaware of. As a result, you’ll become a much stronger candidate in the long-run.
When looking for staff or if you are a job seeker looking for a new opportunity, why not speak to one of our experienced consultants today on 715757.