Is it the done thing to get feedback from the employer regarding a failed application?

Bit of background…I had three interviews for an engineering role with an excellent company, in an ideal location and just received notice that I was not successful on this occasion.

I would like to find out if there are skill sets/part time uni courses that I should be adding to my CV to make myself more employable to them (and other companies) in the future as I would definitely be keen to be considered for future engineering positions should they come up.

How would you go about it?

I would like to find out if there are skill sets/part time uni courses that I should be adding to my CV

if you have done things then why not include them already, or are these fictional courses/skills?

Three interviews for the same post? I’d expect some feedback.

Worth a try phoning HR or interviewer but unless you were down to the last couple of folk, I wouldn’t expect much in the way of feedback.

When I last recruited we had over 50 applicants so had to be ruthless – check experience and qualifications, then a simple spelling mistake and it was out.

So if you made the first cut and got an interview you were probably deemed suitable and qualified.

First interviews were mostly down to personality and first impression and we talked to 9 of the 50.

Second interviews were between 2 folk and all about the detail and capability to do the job. The 2nd person got good feedback.

Sound advice. Well worth contacting them for a chat about what you can most usefully work on.

Its one of those things that people always say you should do, but I have never got any useful feedback. Either it really is a close call just getting edged out by another candidate, or they have just been too polite to say I came across as a tosser.

Normally give feedback to anyone I have interviewed via the agency.
Try to be constructive
Would have thought it was normal practise

I think that most HR depts don’t give feedback as a matter of policy. It can open a legal can of worms if the candidate feels unfairly treated.

If it helps my wife knows the HR Manager as she is friendly with her wee sister. She was present for all three interviews.

Should it be a phone call or email? I’m not sure.

First interview was with Mech Design Dept Manager, 2nd Interview was with Engineering Director and Production Director and 3rd interview was with Production Manager…gutted!

Who’s the company out of interest?

I feel for you as it can be very frustrating when you get so close.

I would phone them and speak to the HR manager to ask for feedback.

However, in terms of the actual feedback try not to get too hung up on it.

Quite often I have got to second interview stage and not been successful and then been told that I did not show enough interest in the company and I know for a fact that was keek as I had researched the companies thoroughly and compromised myself by bumming the companies up a lot big style during the interviews, grrr!

If you’ve had 3 interviews it sounds like the CV is in good shape. It’s got you in the room. Most people will try to avoid interviewing people who aren’t appointable, it just wastes everyone’s time. So you need some straight feedback on the interview itself – good luck getting this from HR. If you tangentially know the person like you say then maybe she’ll embed some genuine feedback in amongst the usual bolex for you to decipher.

This assumes it was a reasonably level playing field. Maybe someone was lined up and they just needed a couple of credible candidates to make it look respectable. Hard to shift a ‘preferred’ candidate out of the top spot.

Gary Lager speaks sense regarding the CV, maybe it’s a question of interviewing technique, you’ll need to practice and be sure about what you’re talking about. Sound silly? but how many people freeze when they’re asked about their strengths and weaknesses or simply aving top talk about themselves. Learn how to introduce the idea of the of the other courses which are relevant, learn how to sell yourself.
And yes, get the feedback, hopefully it’s moved on from ‘we’ve found a better candidate’ from years gone by…
Good luck in future interviews too.

try and get feedback but expect either no answers or platitudes
Might be worth asking via contacts about whether it is worth asking

Getting feed back got me my current position… long story short, it was between me and another candidate. 4 on the interview panel. 3 wanted me (told through feedback), director who the role reports to said he couldn’t ignore the other chaps 25yrs experience v.s my 8. I said fair enough, I can’t compete with that level of experience… based on that info. I gave it 3 days to sink in then dropped them an e-mail thanking them for interview and offering my services freelance as a consultant ( playing on the young/dynamic/forward thinking aspects as apposed to the ‘old, stuck in the past’ aspects that may be displayed by the appointed candidate)… Three weeks later, turns out the appointee was unsuitable, and by mutual consent had left and would I be interested?… damn right I would! 1 yr in and its going really well.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. 8)

We offer feedback as standard practice and to be honest, if after 3 interviews you only get a standard ‘sorry not this time’ response I’d be questioning whether the company is as good as you think it is?

I enquired one company only to be told that I hadn’t been selected for inter view because…
I had been to interview.
If it’s engineering, if you can avoid HR all the better.
After three interviews however you ask, you have to give them a lot of free space so that they don’t feel you are trying to get them. At the end of the day, they get it down to a few candidates and only one will get it. Keep going as you’ll get to the position/company that’ll click.

Good luck.