Interview Feedback
You know the feeling: that moment in the interview when you realize the opportunity has passed you by. Or perhaps you think you're interviewing well, but you aren't getting any results. You need to figure out what you are doing wrong and fix it ASAP.
So its invaluable that you get feedback when you are interviewed. But how do you determine how to improve your interview performance if you're going it alone?
Start with the Foundation
To figure out where you're going astray, ask yourself:
•Are you interviewing for the right jobs? Just because you've been chosen for an interview doesn't mean you are a viable candidate.
•If you are indeed interviewing for the right kinds of jobs, how prepared have you been?
While these two points may seem obvious, they explain a large portion of poor performance in interviews.
Also, remember that you are being judged on different facets of your performance, such as:
•Your interviewing manners and interview attire.
•Your level of preparedness.
•The quality of your answers and how well they match the job requirements.
•The way you deliver your interview answers, as well as your confidence and poise under pressure.
•Your overall package.
Over my career I have conducted and held plenty of interviews and always given feedback as I feel its an invaluable opportunity to understand why things did not go in your favour.
I have also been given invaluable feedback over the years which has help me tailor things, improve and understand, which has stood me in good steed.
However over the last few years, I have found it increasingly frustrating, you get invited along to interview, take time out to attend, however it seams most Hr Depts, can be even bothered to let you know how things went, when they tell you a decision will be made by ?? !!! ???
To me I look back at this as a clear indication of the company, culture and professionalism that they conduct themselves by and say " I avoided a disaster there" - this happened to me just last week, with one of the big players around town who sell themselves as "We look after our people" bit ironic to say the least, I called to get closure on things, as I have other options, so to just trying to close out all open end, left a few messages, again no response. !!??!!
Its sad as in my profession if I conducted myself like that or even business I would not last to long.
It does happen Andrew and more often than is desirable. It does tend to mean all of the things you mentioned in your post. But even more importantly for the companies in question: bad news travels fast; like greased lightning in fact, and no more so than in the engineering sector. The issue (one of) is that people have trouble saying NO. Delivering bad news or NO is part of any HR role and most definitely part of that of any recruiter or search professional; either internal or external. But NO itself isn't enough. The 'Why' is what most people are after, and where the feedback is generally so lacking. Sometimes it's a simple because someone else interviewed, and they had a better skills base. You got beaten to the job...... and that's life - we all accept that. But.....and i suspect you have come across this, is that the real answers and feedback are stuck in internal culture and decision making inertia; Or that the position was advertised, interviewed for and the market changed; or that the above happened and when it got too real, the brakes went on and the process stopped. Either way it tells you what it would be like if you joined the company, and if the feeling and impression is a negative one, then go with your gut and stay away. Decisiveness and honesty in the hiring process is a powerful thing, and the recruitment gods don't favour those who mess around with that.