How Can HR Improve Communication After Interviews? A Frustrated Candidate's Experience

Hi all!

Recently, I was interviewed by a reputed company for the position of HR Executive. I underwent three rounds of interviews, and following the final round with the Associate VP, I received an email stating that I couldn't clear the final hurdle, and therefore, they could not consider my candidature any further.

Upon reaching out for feedback on what areas I could improve on (considering I am a fresher), I did not receive any response.

I later discovered that another candidate who had also made it to the final round had not received any communication from the company either.

I wanted to share this experience with all of you. This situation seems to be common with many reputed companies. They maintain communication when they are interested, but when it is time to show accountability and professionalism, there is often no response.

I hope that all HR professionals reading this will take note and refrain from repeating this behavior, showing respect towards candidates and prospective employees.

Feel free to share if you have encountered a similar experience.

Thanks,
Ananya

You're not the only person facing all the junior-level HRs facing this problem, but can't do anything because they are senior persons and they are decision-makers of the company.

Mangala

It is easy to point a finger. Many times we apply for numerous positions. Upon selection, we choose the best option and pursue it. Do we ask a college or a school to explain the reason for rejection? We take it in stride; the same is the case here.

I have a question for applicants: Is it fair to accept an offer, obtain travel documents, and then vanish from the airport? Each organization has its own ethics and incidents that shape their policies. We must acknowledge the effort made by the company to inform you of the rejection.

Dear niminik,

As a senior HR professional, I agree with Ananya's and Mangal's views. After all, they are fresher, and the feedback helps them greatly. It would be very unfair if we don't provide it. As a practice, we do communicate the feedback to the candidates at the end of the discussion or later on. I am not stating what is right or wrong and advising you to follow some ethics.

Thank you.

Dear,

Please consider another perspective. If you are in the process of interviewing with one company while being in the final rounds with another company (where you are the selected candidate pending formalities), should you be questioned about it? The company in question may have to let you go if you express disinterest and choose to join another company. Even if they present a better offer, you are unable to leave your current employer without following the proper procedures. They would have to wait for you until you complete the necessary formalities.

Furthermore, if they are not keen on hiring you, why would they entertain your inquiries? There is no obligation for them to do so as they are not your mentors to provide guidance.

On a practical note, I agree with you. If they are professionals, they should inform us about the reasons behind rejecting our application.

James

Dear Anaya,

I really appreciate your efforts in expressing your thoughts. Sometimes, corporations don't tend to provide final feedback. Generally, it is considered that their lack of communication is a form of rejection. This situation can be challenging for the candidate as they are left uncertain about the outcome.

In the process of evaluation, predicting the final judgment on an application becomes quite difficult. Having been a part of several interview committees within my organization, I have encountered similar situations.

I also value the proactive approach taken by HR professionals in promptly informing candidates about their interview and selection outcomes. It greatly benefits the candidates to receive timely feedback on their performance.

Thank you.

Hi All,

The issue raised by Ananaya is good, but is it possible for HR to give feedback to each and every candidate who attends an interview?

On the other hand, candidates, whether they are fresher or not, also have the same responsibility to explain their reasons for not joining the organization when they are selected by the organization.

We have faced a similar situation recently; we selected one candidate who happened to be a fresher. We asked him to join on a particular date, but he postponed the joining date, saying his brother was not keeping well and he had to visit him. After 10 days, he called back and said that he was ready to join. He joined the organization, and during the second day of his induction, he disappeared. All seniors and other new joiners were waiting for him to complete the induction training. We tried to call him, but he didn't pick up the call. Finally, when he answered, we asked where he was. He said he got another opportunity, which, according to him, was better, and he had to join there. So, he was at the ticket counter booking tickets to go to that city to join another company. He didn't even consider it important to inform us before leaving.

Now, you yourself decide, is this professionalism?

Regards,

Shree

Dear Shree,

Douglas Adams, one of the famous writers of his time, once said, "A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."

Shree, deciding professionalism can't be based on the parameters of this example you have quoted. I beg to differ, as cultivating good practices depends on the implementers. Judging mistakes is like car mechanics who don't have a car of their own but own a garage.

Hi Greetings,

How do you decide on your life partner? A number of factors come into play - uncles, friends, parents, relatives, and well-wishers all provide input. Ultimately, an emotional decision is made for your marriage, following numerous rejections for which reasons are not always disclosed.

Joining an organization involves a similar process, but more professionally and formally. Various rounds with different levels of individuals are conducted, leading to either acceptance into the team or rejection. It's important to understand that not everyone will succeed in all interviews every time.

Best wishes in the next round.

Warm regards,
K

Dear Simmy,

It seems you have taken that example in a completely different way. Anyway, thanks for your comments.

Regards,
Shree

Hello,

Yes, the issue raised by Anaya is good. After interviewing a number of candidates, it is not possible for HR professionals to give rejection feedback to everyone. However, it is possible to provide rejection feedback if a candidate asks for it because the candidate who is asking for the rejection feedback is following the professionalism and ethics of recruitment and selection. Therefore, as HR professionals, we need to follow the same.

Rejection feedback is always helpful to individuals to help them move forward to the next interview.

Regards,
Brijesh

I feel that both the candidate and HR professional should be professional and respectful towards each other. There should not be any communication gap.

Dear Anaya,

I start the post with a very truthful but harsh truth: "Nowadays companies are really not interested in the candidate once he/she is rejected for a certain position."

A feedback will only be possible if the HR executive (or whoever you are interacting with) is able to give you that much time to provide the candidates with feedback.

Point No 1: Apart from recruitments, they have other areas to look out for. It would sometimes be very unfair for you or even me to ask for feedback from them. I know it takes 2-3 minutes, but sometimes they can't afford to do that.

Point No 2: Sometimes the HR executives don't even know why a particular candidate is rejected, as they are not in the hierarchy or in that league to ask the VP (and in the bargain risk their neck, job, and position) the question "Why."

I am also a fresher (just got a job), and after every failed interview, instead of looking at the HR Department of the concerned company, I often look back on my interview and start thinking or anticipating where I went wrong and what I should have done. This is self-training that every applicant, regardless of their field, has to start doing. All sorts of training answers go flying out of the window once you are sitting in front of the interviewer.

Listen, internalize, and then improve.

Point No 3: Sometimes when feedback is given to the rejected candidates, the applicants start arguing back with the company representative. No one wants to get into this mess!

Point No 4: I feel that the fact you were called thrice gives me an indication that your knowledge base is very good/strong. But maybe in the end, you did not fit the profile or the personality they were looking for in that position.

Let me point out that there is nothing wrong with you or your personality and attitude, but because of certain reasons, they require a particular type of person to handle the job effectively.

They sometimes, in the third round, make you undergo stress interviews and may have rejected you because they found a candidate better qualified and more confident than you. You may never know. We all go through this.

I am also in no way justifying what they have done, and hopefully, when you do get the job and you are in such a position, I hope you will be able to give feedback to fresher then!

It would indeed be very helpful.

For the next interview, chin up, stand tall, be confident, and HONEST. If you don't know something, say, "I'm sorry, I don't know, but I will definitely look it up." Don't come up with vague or fake answers.

All the best for the future.

Regards,

Avvanti

Dear All,

I do agree with all your views, but it's very difficult to say no to anybody, especially for me. I'm handling recruitment in my company. I have the same problem - how to say no to candidates. If we give feedback to candidates regarding their rejection, they will ask hundreds of questions. At that time, nobody knows what the situation will be for the interviewer or any other responsible person for the rejection. He or she may get angry or give a bad response; at that time, the candidate may lose his confidence and morale.

Sometimes the condition may arise that the candidate presently has much more experience than after joining our organization. This is also the reason we do not provide a response.

Dear All,

I do agree with all your views, but it's very difficult to say NO to anybody, especially for me. I'm handling recruitment in my company. I have the same problem - how to say NO TO CANDIDATES. IF WE GIVE FEEDBACK TO CANDIDATES REGARDING THEIR REJECTION, THEY WILL ASK 100S OF QUESTIONS. AT THAT TIME, NOBODY KNOWS WHAT WILL BE THE SITUATION FOR THE INTERVIEWER OR ANY OTHER RESPONSIBLE PERSON FOR REJECTION. OK. HE/SHE MAY GET ANGRY OR GIVE A BAD RESPONSE; AT THAT TIME, THE CANDIDATE MAY LOSE HIS CONFIDENCE AND MORALE.

Sometimes the condition may arise that the candidate presently has much more experience than after joining our organization. This also might be the reason for rejection, so we do not give a response... ;-)

Hi Ananya,

It's good that you shared what you feel regarding your experience. You being a fresher, I understand your viewpoint. It is really a struggle for a fresher to find a job. But being in HR field for so many years I will like to say, it is really not possible for HR people to call each and every candidate and inform about the rejection. For filling one vacancy HR people have to call many candidates, and when hiring is high, their whole day is spent in taking interviews. This is the case for one vacancy and there may be several vacancies at any point of time with the company, so it's really not possible to call each and every candidate. In addition to that, not all candidates are as mature as you are, to accept the reasons for their limitations. When few candidates call for follow up and we tell them they are not suitable for this position but can apply for other position in our company they become defensive and are not able to hear any negative points about themselves. Although what you have suggested is helpful for candidates but there are candidates who would not appreciate that HR people calling them and telling their negative points.

HR professionals have to deal with people of different mindsets and it is not possible to keep everyone happy and to react in the way they expect.

Regards,

Alka

There are ways to communicate feedback to the candidates. I think communication is incomplete without feedback. Feedback need not be in written form only. One can even phone a candidate or before the interview process itself one can announce that only shortlisted candidates will be informed. This automatically takes care of non-selected candidates. When the number of applicants is high, it will not be practically feasible to communicate with all in writing about their areas for improvement. Hence, I think whatever method we adopt should be communicated to all in advance for better clarity.

Dear All,

I do agree with Ananya's point; I too have gone through a similar situation in the recent past. It's not a matter of being a fresher or experienced. I have a total of 4 years of experience in HR, and I had an interview in a reputed company for the position of HR. I was interviewed by 4 people, and all 4 interviews were good, rather I would say informative. After the interview sessions, I was informed that the interviewer liked me and was looking forward to appointing me. They mentioned they would call me after 2 days for the final feedback. Unfortunately, there was no call or email.

Any candidate going for an interview expects at least some feedback, regardless of whether they are selected or rejected. I hope you, seniors, understand this situation and concern.

Regards,
Sachin Subhedar
9930056530

Thank you, Mr. Mohan,

Here, I guess the freshers are looking at us as mentors to guide them to avoid further rejection. I agree with you 100% that we need to support the freshers. I have not forgotten that even I was given a chance by an organization.

Sometimes it will not be possible to give a response to all; it will lead to more emails being exchanged. In my opinion, informing the rejected candidate by email for not clearing the final round is ethical.

Hi Ananya,

I can understand your feelings and emotions, but the problem is that one rejection or faulty conversation can cause us to perceive it as a wrong deed. We often do not dare to try again, and that is where most people fail. I think you will keep this in mind and continue to pursue the information you need from the company.

Thank you all for your insightful responses. I would like to clarify a few points raised here:

1. There were only 2 candidates in the final round.
2. I personally called the company twice and also emailed them requesting feedback.

The most important thing is that I am not at all demotivated by this. I am trying for other good companies and am confident that I will get what I deserve. I will let you all know if they give me some feedback (coz I'm still after them ;) )

Thanks again for sharing your views. - Ananya

I totally agree. Companies should have a standard template through which they communicate with rejected candidates. This would be valuable for candidates who haven't been selected and will build credibility for the company.
But the problem is, HR dept just doesn't care. No one is willing to go the extra mile to help less fortunate.

Hi Ananya,

As Simmy has said, many do not communicate the result, and the candidate does not know how long to wait or whether to wait or not. It's appreciable that the result is being communicated. With many candidates lined up for the same position, it might be difficult to get back to each candidate with feedback. However, at the end of the interview, feedback may be given on the areas to be improved, which would be helpful to a fresher.

I have done this with the candidates I have interviewed, and it leaves a better impression of the recruitment procedure for a fresher, giving hope and a positive outlook. It might be difficult to provide feedback to everyone via email among many waiting activities. However, there is always room for improvement in the system to give a very good opinion of the organization and its culture.

Preetha

Dear Ananya,

I can understand your feelings here. But the point we need to know is that the company will pick the RIGHT candidate for the position. Till then, they would keep looking out. So in your case, you need to do a self-assessment on the interview and figure out where it went wrong. As a fresher, you or anyone would expect the company to give you feedback on your interview, but companies do not have time.

You should be proud of your performance that you could clear 3 rounds. One last word before I close is that there is an element of luck also involved in the whole process. "One should be at the right place at the right time."

All the best and good luck on your future interviews.

Regards,
K.S. Chakradhar Reddy

Why does the candidate feels bad when the interview does not go well? I have personaly experienced that interview panel or a individual interviewee may not be capable enough to judge the candidate. And the candidate starts thinking about lakunas in himself.
This is really bad, majority interviewers are extremaly short of knowledge and experience in conducting interviews
Then it is whose fault
Bharat Ketkar
9689 90 16 04

Dear All Freshers,

A "rejection" is a wonderful opportunity for self-assessment, which is easily done with some reflection and ability to take your imperfections sportingly in your stride.

Just remember to be kind towards yourself and use appropriate language:

a) Did I use too many negative words while...

b) Maybe I came across more as a problem rather than as part of a solution...

c) Could it be my body language gave away my true thoughts!

d) Let me try and recall all that I said, did it lack conviction?

e) Was it my overconfidence that brought about the rejection?

Please remember these rejections are what will either make you persistent and determined to be a "go-getter" or push you into the pits of self-deprecation.

To wind up, here's an exchange with my 15-year-old daughter, good food for thought:

My daughter participated in a debate competition in the recently organized Tata Youth Fest. She came home elated though incredulous at having won a prize. When I asked her why she did not expect to win, she replied, "I don't know, either losing has become a habit or maybe victory tastes different every time!"

(The debate topic was "Money hai to honey hai; A steady friend means high maintenance" :-))

Not only in such circumstances, there are so many situations like this. Even in business, somebody will be behind you for something, and suddenly disappear from the network! There are many instances like this.

The root of the problem lies in the values people hold in shaping their personalities. Very few raise concerns about these issues, which is the biggest problem.

Definitely, we need to take action on this.

Dear all,

Some years back, the government in Karnataka wanted to change the uniform of police personnel to that of the London police. But they forgot that by changing the uniform, they cannot change the personnel. This is also like the above. Many MNCs have come but are managed by Indian professionals only. How can they change? It always strengthens my belief that "we have become modern, but not civilized."

Nagaraj
nagaraj1946@gmail.com

What about my interview experience I faced 6 years ago in an MNC.

My resume was shortlisted, and I faced telephonic interviews twice - one with the HR and another with the Technical Manager. I received a call for the final interview.

I took a day off from my current company and traveled for 4 hours to reach the interview location. After waiting for half an hour, the General Manager (G.M) called me in for the interview. He asked if I had any practical experience with Primavera. I replied that I had worked with M.S. Project. The G.M then bluntly asked if I had worked with Primavera, to which I answered no. He promptly asked me to leave as they required someone with Primavera experience. The way he spoke to me was unbelievable. I thought he might be testing my patience, so I politely tried to explain that Primavera was not mentioned anywhere in my CV. However, he insisted I leave and ushered the next candidate in.

Feeling frustrated, I inquired with the secretary about the situation and the G.M's behavior. The secretary mentioned that this was typical of him. Despite this, I waited for half an hour in my car, hoping they would call me back. When no response came, I lost my patience. I returned to the security, claiming I had forgotten a file inside. I entered the office directly and sat in the G.M's office.

Surprised, the G.M asked me how I managed to enter again. I pointed out that he wasted my time, which could have been avoided by reviewing my CV for their primary requirement. I presented him with two options: either reimburse all my expenses (Rs. 400 for one day's salary, Rs. 800 for petrol and car, and Rs. 400 as compensation) and apologize, or I would create a scene and involve the police if necessary.

Shocked, the G.M handed me some money. I threw the money back at him, emphasizing that he should not repeat this behavior with anyone. I then left the office.

The secretary inquired why I returned and if the G.M had called me back. I informed her that I had forgotten a file in the office.

After that incident, nothing further happened, but it remains an unexpected memory that almost feels like a dream when I think about it now.

Hey! Well done. I hope the GM realized his mistake and mended his ways after that. It's sometimes one person or incident that ruins the image of an organization.

Even I wasted a lot of time appearing for 3 interviews (in a span of 1 week) while I am having my Semester Examinations.

They informed you, my dear, that is sufficient on the part of the organization. Now it depends on you to review your interview to see where you lost control of the conversation. Forget about the past. Please keep in mind that if you fall, that fall should be like a seed that grows back to fight another day. Good luck for next time.

Dear Sarib and all friends,

The problem does not lie in whether they informed the interviewee or not, but rather in the attitude that plays an important role in this matter.

The employer needs good colleagues, and the employee needs a good job. If the interviewer feels that they have a team and are conducting the interview to expand their team, including more members, they will never feel superior.

I have personally recruited individuals through interviews, but I never felt superior. I believe my team needs more good colleagues, and that's why there are more candidates for interviews, who may join my team soon.

So, candidates, approach the interview with confidence, knowing that the best will be selected.

Employers, please do not view candidates as mere seekers. Employers also need an honest, dedicated, and hardworking team for their growth.

Remember, it's not just about filling a position; it's about building a team for success.

Best of luck to all in their future endeavors.

Very good question raised by Anaya.

The company in which Anaya applied had given a proper response and showed professionalism. In HR studies, we always learn that feedback is very important for all candidates.

Let me clarify one common thing that we are all forgetting. We all pass exams and entry tests, and when we attempt any exam, we know how capable we are and how many questions we answer up to the mark. After consulting with other candidates post-exam/test, we identify our mistakes. Upon result declaration, we evaluate our marks based on the content we provided in the exam/test. The examiner only checks the paper, assigns marks, and rewards extra marks for those who include special/extra material.

Similarly, when we attend an interview, we recognize our mistakes. If we do not identify any mistakes, we must consider that there is something extra in the candidate who secures the position. Always strive to improve yourself by exploring different dimensions and maintaining optimism in every aspect of life. Good luck to all of you.

Dear Ananya,

Although you have gone through rigorous interviews that have also consumed your time, you may note that the interviewers, at the last minute, have found that you may not fulfill the duties and responsibilities outlined in the advertisement. Therefore, they have dropped you. Had the company replied to you, you would have had a good opportunity to polish the weak points. But I think the best way would be to go through the vacancy again and make calculations on which areas you might not perform well if the company invited you to work. It could be a good method to find out in which areas you still need development.

Success comes if you are persistent enough!!

I am happy to share with all of you that after 15 days of continuous running after the Company's Professionals, today I finally got the feedback as to why I was rejected by the AVP. It seems that the AVP was not convinced enough with my answers to her questions as I couldn't substantiate my points properly. Well, what I learned from this experience is that HRs of big companies aren't all that bad after all. It's just that they have been bugged by so many unprofessional candidates that a genuine professional candidate needs to convince them of their real interest in getting feedback.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and supporting me....Best of Luck...

Ananya