The lack of feedback given to candidates by today’s recruitment or sourcing professionals is quite appalling. I understand why a significant portion of the global population has an intense dislike for our profession. You can ask pretty much anyone, and they have a story to share about a cynical, disheartening and inefficient experience they have had with a recruiter. This is incredibly sad for our industry, but it does help me to fathom why we often get associated with unscrupulous estate agents and sleazy second-hand car salespeople.
I think too many recruiters have lost the ability to put themselves in their candidate’s shoes. They have forgotten the agony of waiting for feedback after an interview. Or they may not have ever experienced what it is like to go through a restructuring or a retrenchment process. Regardless of this, Recruiters need to come down from their ivory towers and be more empathetic, and sympathetic, to each candidate’s current situation.
Feedback is of the utmost importance for me, for the following reasons:
When you give feedback to candidates, I recommend the following:
I hope this has helped to emphasize the importance of feedback. Even if the feedback is negative, it can be delivered in such a way that the blow is softened and lessons can be learned for future interviews.
