Feedback after the interview
Should candidates rejected by organisations need to be told where they went wrong?
Wondering why you did not get that elusive offer letter from the company that called you for a written test and rounds of interviews? You are not the only one.
Most applicants feel this way because none of the companies take the trouble to inform them why they were not selected for the position. Often this makes candidates wonder why they have been rejected despite possessing the necessary qualifications and experience.
HR experts are all for informing applicants why they were not selected for the job, as long as it is done tactfully.
Rajesh Tripathi, vice-president, Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Ltd, says that there is no reason why a company cannot adopt an HR policy that lays down that candidates invited for an interview should be told why they were not selected for the job on offer.
“The policy should be framed in such a manner that the modes of communication are soft and well-balanced. The decision should be based upon some proven assessment tools and not on whims and fancies of the recruiter. Any feedback which is not substantiated by a formal assessment tool should be avoided. Intention and motive should be one and should be directed at helping candidates get positive feedback for his/her development.”
Seema Bangia, head, HR, Mahindra Defence Systems, says that a candidate is generally rejected for two reasons – fitment reasons such as performance during interview, personality, salary expectations, etc and due to change in strategy, plan, etc.
“It is easy to communicate option B to a candidate but as far as option A is concerned, not many organisations explicitly state facts. This may be because they do not wish to project an image that they are biased or racist. In any situation, organisations can adopt a policy wherein they send a ‘rejection’ note that clearly explains why a candidate was not selected. In one of the organisations I had worked, I used to send such letters but they were not so detailed,” she says.
Many international and developmental organisations have a policy under which they send out such rejection letters but there are several challenges in implementing such a policy. “Such a policy can certainly make the hiring process more transparent and benefit applicants but given the way hiring works today (it is like a lottery and is based mostly on the gut feel or intuition of the hiring manager and less on data and assessment mechanisms) it is difficult to implement it as an HR policy in any company. Some organisations do use assessment tools but still don’t share outputs as there is a lack of precedence in doing so,” says Kuldeep Singh, a senior HR professional in Bengaluru.
According to Sanjay Vats, GM, HR, Insecticides India Ltd, “The biggest risk behind sharing a rejection feedback is that it gives a negative impression about the company and the HR person to the candidate. Many candidates can get offended and accuse the company for having such a process. This can impact the bottomline of the company.”
Some experts like Bangia feel that too much transparency can also lead to rigidity. “For example, if today due to whatever reasons, an organisation rejects a candidate and later if the same decision has to be revoked, it can prove to be a challenge,” she says.
“The complete hiring process from the job description onwards needs to be quantified and documented in detail. Behavioural and managerial skills need to be assessed by certified professionals as the feedback, especially when perceived as negative, may be challenged by candidates. Care should be taken to communicate the reasons for rejection as it may lead to lowering of self-esteem among a few candidates. For the HR departments this would lead to increase in work load, especially during periods of high volume hires,” adds Harpreet Datta, vice-president, hr and administration, SMS Siemag AG.