Navigating the Silence: A Guide to Candidates Seeking Interview Feedback

Job interviews can be a nerve-wracking experience, and not receiving feedback can leave candidates feeling lost and uncertain about their performance.  So much time is invested in the interview by both the candidate and the interviewer or interviewing panel; the company want the right candidate and the candidate wants the right job and wants to know what they can do next time to improve their chances if they’re unsuccessful.  During career coaching with clients I often hear that candidates struggle to get feedback and it can start to take up a lot of their thinking space when they’re second guessing why they’ve not been successful. 

Whilst providing feedback is generally considered good practice not all companies consistently do this.  It’s not personal. 

There are positives for offering feedback for example it:

• demonstrates respect for the time and effort candidates invest in the application and interview process.

• reflects positively on the company’s values and gives a glimpse into the culture.

• helps candidates understand their strengths and development areas which can be valuable in helping prepare for future interviews.

• enhances the Employer Brand because even if a candidate doesn’t secure the role, they’ll receive feedback, providing some positivity to the experience.

• can help build a positive relationship with candidates who might apply for future roles with the company.

So, if there are so many positives why aren’t more companies providing feedback?  In my opinion and from experience it’s linked to time and resources although there could be concern about legal implications if feedback is misinterpreted. 

If you are in the position of not receiving feedback despite having requested it, you might want to consider some of the following to help prepare for the next interview:

Self-Reflection and Evaluation

Take some time out to consider your performance objectively focusing on the following questions:

·       What did you do well?

·       What questions do you feel you answered fully?

·       Where did you struggle to answer questions?

·       How did you structure your answers, were you concise and easy to follow?

·       Were there any moments that you felt you could have answered a question more effectively?

·       Did you do your research about the company?

·       Did you fully prepare for the interview?

Research Industry Norms

Research industry-specific interview processes and commonly asked questions or formats.

Ask about the interview structure and style.

Seek External Advice

Reach out to mentors, career coaches, or trusted colleagues who can provide constructive feedback.  You may get some insights into your interview style, communication, and areas for improvement.  An external perspective can be invaluable in identifying blind spots you may have missed during self-reflection. 

Practice makes perfect

Take the lessons learned from previous interviews and practice.  You can do with family, friends, or a career coach.  Reflect on how you respond to questions, work on your delivery, and build your confidence.  Rehearse commons questions and scenarios and reflect whether you are speaking about your achievements and skills with clarity. 

The STAR model is a framework used for answering behavioural interview questions and can be helpful in structuring a response that is clear, organised with specific examples to demonstrate your skills and experience.  It is useful to practice answering questions with this structure in mind.  In interviews the approach is effective when responding to questions that begin with “Tell me about a time when….” Or “Give me an example of….”.

Situation (S)

Briefly describe the situation and give context.  This is the start of your story and sets the scene for the interviewer/s.

Task (T)

Outline the task or challenge that you were facing in the situation you have just explained to the interviewer/s.  What was your goal or objective. 

Action (A)

Provide the interviewer/s with details of the specific actions you took to address the task or challenge.  Focus on YOUR role and the steps YOU personally took and remember to refer to yourself with ‘I’ rather than ‘we’ as interviewers want to know what YOUR role was even if this was a team task or challenge.  Explain why you took the actions you took. 

Result (R)

Provide your conclusion, detailing the outcomes or results of your actions.  What happened as a result of the actions you too?  What was the impact on people, team, cost, culture, process etc.?  Take this opportunity to also share what you learned from the experience and how it contributed to your continuous development.

Interview rejection can be difficult particularly without feedback, but it is essential to turn the experience into a learning opportunity.  By reflecting on your performance, you can enhance your interview skills and your chances of being successful at future interviews. 

Each interview is a chance to learn and grow, bringing you one step closer to securing that role.

Looking for a coach to help you prepare for interviews, get in contact to see how we can help.

Info@reachpeakperformancecoaching.co.uk or visit us at www.reachpeakperformancecoaching.co.uk

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