From the Recruiter's Desk: They Didn't Hire Me, But Why? How To Get Feedback During Your Job Hunt
Lindsay Olson is a partner and recruiter with Paradigm Staffing, where she specializes in helping companies and agencies find public relations and communications professionals throughout the United States.
She has over ten years experience recruiting in the PR industry and also writes a career-related blog at LindsayOlson.com. You can find her on Twitter via @prjobs.
Olson’s latest column looks into a question on the minds of many in the PR industry: Why didn’t I get that job?
Rejection is one of those things that is going to happen during any job search. You might get lucky and find your dream job on the first interview, but at some point in your career, a job rejection will find its way to slap you in the face.
People don’t get the job for a plenty of reasons – being under or over-qualified, the internal candidate that “pops-up” last minute, job specification changes, etc. You realize that many of the reasons are beyond your control. And then comes the job you are passed up for, the one when everything seemed to point to you until you got the rejection call.
Of course, I’m going to say to not take the rejection personally, but I understand it’s easier said than done. What you can do is turn it into a positive learning experience.
Getting feedback about your interview performance can help build your skills for a future interview, but it’s not always an easy task. Hiring companies are fearful of lawsuits or feel that it’s not their place to give specific performance feedback. You must approach getting it carefully if it is not offered.
Here are a few tips for getting feedback.
1. If you are working with a third-party recruiter, ask the recruiter to be honest with you about the feedback and that you are interested in knowing to become a better interviewer. We hear it all and a recruiter with your best interest in mind should be honest with you if you ask and if you seem receptive to the feedback.
2. If you are dealing directly with a company, send a closing thank you note and include your request for feedback there. Most candidates do not ever send a follow-up once they have been passed up for a position.
A hiring manager, HR Manager, or internal recruiter is much more likely to help if you are open and not defensive. Keep the request brief, positive, and worded in a way that shows you are receptive to constructive feedback and it would be most welcomed.
People like to help other people, but only if they know it will be received positively and make a difference for the person.
3. Don’t expect feedback. Consider it a very nice gesture.
4. Listen. If you ask for it, you’ll need to be prepared for whatever they might say. Don’t ask about specifics that would make the person feel uncomfortable.
