Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Reasons Why Job Seekers Are Not Given Feedback

forbes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

321–330 of 348 posts

Re: Reasons Why Job Seekers Are Not Given Feedback

#321

Post by liveoneggs »

bdowling wrote: post #181
wgerard wrote: post #10

We interviewed a lot of hiring managers/etc. while we were working on a previous business in the hiring space. As part of that, we asked them this very question. The fear of litigation was by far the biggest reason we heard, but there were some other popular reasons (mostly relating around conflict avoidance): * Notably, giving feedback feels like an opening for the candidate to submit a rebuttal instead of ending th…

Here's another one: * We already had a candidate in mind but our hiring process requires us to publicly post the opening and interview other candidates before we hire the person we already decided on.

did one of these a while ago and they even told me during the interview. It took the pressure off I suppose ;)

Re: Reasons Why Job Seekers Are Not Given Feedback

#322

Post by boring_twenties »

qes wrote: post #303
boring_twenties wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is simply letting the bad employee go not mentioned as an option? We had a new hire that didn't work out at a place I used to work at. Fired after 3 months. No hard feelings, he took it well and found a good job a few weeks later. Everyone is happy.

> Fired after 3 months. Which means you probably went 6 months or more without a role properly filled. On a small team that's a huge dent. For half a year. Not to mention the time spent in the hiring process itself, which you now get to repeat.

I mean, if you keep a guy who can't do the job, you still end up without a role properly filled.

Re: Reasons Why Job Seekers Are Not Given Feedback

#324

Post by lazyant »

monksy wrote: post #138
gwbas1c wrote: post #83

As a candidate, I've always preferred polite "thanks, but no thanks" responses in a timely manner. The other kind of feedback that I like is things like, "we need people with a different background / experience than you have." IMO, judgement feedback (you screwed up how you handle your yak shaving, or I don't think we'll get along with each other) is too subjective to be constructive. And, I get it. As someone who's…

As long as it's not in a phone call. That's a huge waste of time just to be told that they're passing. Google insisted on a call. It's just annoying.

I think a phone call is not only more respectful but the recruiter actually can say things that she may not want to put in writing.

I've got two such calls from FAANGs and I'm glad they told me I did great in such and such interview but fell short in this other one, apply again etc (even if it may not have been true). Better than the boilerplate emails.

Re: Reasons Why Job Seekers Are Not Given Feedback

#325

Post by lazyant »

HarryHirsch wrote: post #32
shortandsweet wrote: post #2

I had an interview with Facebook and was eventually turned down. I asked for feedback at least twice, and even from a person on the inside that I know personally if they could get any from the recruiter. Nothing. Then a few days later they sent me an email asking for my feedback! I n/a'd everything and made sure to list all of my interviewers names.

Why would any candidate give feedback on the interview experience? If they want feedback they can pay and I'll consult for them. Else they can get stuffed and go where the sun never shines.

They give you a $50 or so gift card for filling out a form, so at least there's that.

Re: Reasons Why Job Seekers Are Not Given Feedback

#326

Post by lazyant »

kosherbeefcake wrote: post #296

This is probably me just screaming into the void, but I'll provide my experience anyway. I've found the entire "finding a new job" / interviewing process to be an incredibly alienating process. It truly brings me despair. I've been working in IT for my entire professional career. I've worked as an analyst, project manager, and I'm currently a developer. I'll be the first to admit, I'm not a phenomenal developer, but…

> I've been asked to do push-ups in an interview

INAL but this sounds illegal in many jurisdictions.

Re: Reasons Why Job Seekers Are Not Given Feedback

#327

Post by TurkishPoptart »

Terretta wrote: post #313
TurkishPoptart wrote: post #311

Last year I was really stoked for an interview with this risk analysis company and pretty sure I had a good chance (I have a master's in international studies, which isn't much, but it's something). After they reviewed my resume and gave me an initial phone screening, which went okay, I was given an assignment to perform. I had 24 hours to write a risk analysis on this Crimean wine company and use my Russian language…

It sounds vaguely as though your definition of risk analysis and their definition might not have matched. In other words, you may have done homework for or interviewing for a different nature of job than they expected.

That idea makes me so annoyed I don't even know what to do. I took a graduate-level class on the damn concept, but it doesn't translate to the private sector? I don't get it. I'm such a putz....

Re: Reasons Why Job Seekers Are Not Given Feedback

#328

Post by TurkishPoptart »

TurkishPoptart wrote: post #327
Terretta wrote: post #313

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It sounds vaguely as though your definition of risk analysis and their definition might not have matched. In other words, you may have done homework for or interviewing for a different nature of job than they expected.

That idea makes me so annoyed I don't even know what to do. I took a graduate-level class on the damn concept, but it doesn't translate to the private sector? I don't get it. I'm such a putz....

This is also what led to a sort of job interview PTSD for me. I was getting _worse_ at interviews, not better. So I just gave up applying to jobs formally, and got one through a temp agency which didn't actually interview people.

Re: Reasons Why Job Seekers Are Not Given Feedback

#329

Post by rconti »

VPN_SIDEHUSTLE wrote: post #159
rconti wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ugh. I hear that first step can be rough. I took a non-traditional path so it wasn't an issue for me. I didn't realize internships were so hard to get, though.

What was your non traditional path?

Worked in tech (ISPs, support, then unix sysadmin) in my teens and after graduating high school, quit my job to go back to college at 21. Worked part time in IT dept during college and summers, remote part time work for a web hosting company during summers as well. Business major, not CS.

It seems like dev jobs in particular are interview meat grinders.

Re: Reasons Why Job Seekers Are Not Given Feedback

#330

Post by rconti »

ryandrake wrote: post #154
hailwren wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's sort of complicated. I did a boot camp, 100 applications 3 interviews 0 offers, went back to school (Harvard, the real one not the extension school) and am currently doing the summer internship grind (30 applications 3 interviews 0 offers). But I'm CS.

Don’t worry. I’m 20 years into my career and the last job hunt was about 100 applications, 10 interviews or phone screens, and 1 offer. Anyone who can get an offer out of less than 10 applications in this difficult job environment is either very lucky or a top-0.1% wizard in his field.

Engineering? I hear the interviews can be incredibly lengthy and brutal, and the process just too time-consuming. That said, the job market is positively white-hot. Most companies in major markets simply cannot find enough people to hire. The economy's been growing at a breakneck pace for a decade now. I don't doubt your experience, nor would I blame it on you personally (I'm no wizard). Just a bit curious about how that experience comes out of this market.
Post reply on HN