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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
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    Melbourne, Australia
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    Default Giving interview feedback to unsuccessful candidates? (rejection reasons)

    I would be interested to know how fellow HR Buzzers handle requests for feedback when an internal candidate has been rejected in favour of another internal candidate.

    In this particular situation there were several internal candidates - the position was never advertised externally. There was a panel of 4 interviewers and a further two senior staff involved in the decision process.

    One particular candidate is not being pacified by being told that "on balance the panel felt that one of the other candidates was stronger". The candidate is upset and is demanding more information.

    How would you handle this situation?
    Particularly when the reason they were not successful was really down to their personality.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
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    Melbourne
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    48

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Moz View Post
    The candidate is upset and is demanding more information ... the reason they were not successful was really down to their personality.
    I usually find these two things go together.

    OK, so if reason for the decision was "on balance", then in theory there were some areas where the successful candidate was ranked higher than this unsuccessful candidate. My advice would be that the feedback should focus on these points.

    If that isn't enough, then there is the "hard conversation" about the "personality" issues. Do the job requirements or PD have any references to professionalism, code of conduct, customer service, co-operative approach, any words to that effect that you can use to angle the conversation towards "better cultural and/or job fit"?

    I might be reading too much into it, but my experience is that people with "personality" issues often believe they are doing the best job in the world and can't be told otherwise, anyway.

    I bet this person wasn't even ranked second ...

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2010
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    Melbourne
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    Default

    Also think carefully of where the 'feedback' will get to. Upset employees often vent (with a bias) to their colleagues which get taken as gossip and can lead to disengagement towards HR, the manager, or the organisation in particular.
    A method I was taught early on was to give criticism as:

    Start with a positive message:
    ie, you scored really well with your experience in...

    The negative message:
    ie, however we believe you were not as strong as the other candidates in...

    End with a positive message:
    ie. Now let's work on a development plan to help you with this...

    If the personality is the issue, than work backwards by finding a course with some element of self awareness or interpersonal relationships attached to it and go from there to what area they failed in that you can put down as the 'development need' from the interview / job application process, or if needed from previous performance management ratings.

    Hopefully using this method, they will leave with a better sense of self and not bag HR and the organisation out to all and sundry who will listen at a minimum, or possibly even turn into a better worker ready for the position next time.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
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    Melbourne, Australia
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    Default

    Thanks for your input Neb-Maat-Re and Cottoneyes,

    The job in question is a customer facing role and requires very good very communication skills, often requiring a degree of diplomacy. I'm not sure how this is discussed in the PD as it is a friend that is involved in the selection process, not me personally. However, it is a very good point and I will ask what the PD says.

    The candidate in question seems to have a problem with the opposite sex, which results in brusque interaction at best and often downright rudeness, when dealing with both customers and staff.

    The decision panel was made of both male and female senior staff. One gender group were actually keen to appoint this candidate (because they had never personally encountered the behavioural issues and were oblivious to the problem), while the other group were of the "over my dead body" view

    Personally, I think they need to have a forthright discussion with the individual rather than tip toeing around the issue. As for a development plan to help the individual, I don't know if it is possible to change someones personality.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
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    196

    Default

    Hopefully you handled these interviews using a targettet selection method i.e., you had a set of questions which were applied equally to all candidates; you had in mind the responses you were seeking and you have a rating system for your answers. Then presumably you had a weighting against those particular questions which were more important to the job.
    If you didn't do that, you've got a problem and, as another suggest, you have some hard talking to do. Whatever you do, do not make it personal, if you have done robust performance reviews over the past years, there may well be patterns within those reviews which continue to be an issue for this particular 'disgruntled' employee.
    The lesson here of course (after the horse has bolted) is to enlist outside assistance when handling something internal like there - you all have to continue to work together after your decision and the disgruntled candidate may well have other strengths, not just for this particular job. So if this role requires good communication skills, then the best approach may simply to be open and honest, praise his strengths and point out that not everyone is good in a 'customer facing' role but let him know clearly that your decision is not open for further discussion - you need to nip this in the bud. Be alert however if your recruitment (internal) policy includes a right to challenge. If it does, you'll also have a process which needs to be followed where, probably it gets escalated to higher management.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
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    Melbourne, Australia
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Tiger View Post
    Hopefully you handled these interviews using a targettet selection method
    I would have done, had I been conducting the interviews, however I am simply advising a friend involved in the process. Nevertheless, I value your input.

    I don't actually work for the organisation concerned, but my friend often asks my advice on recruitment matters.

    Unfortunately it is an organisation where HR rarely has any input in the interview process for key positions. I have suggested that they should have several specialist HR staff (one being a recruitment specialist) but to do that they would have to significantly increase the investment in their HR function.

    There are still many sizeable organisations in Australia that operate like this.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
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    196

    Default

    Yes, I agree and that is unfortunately because often, unknowingly they are either in breach or leaving themselves open to all sorts of employment problems because they don't get it right from the start.
    The fireside chat interview format is gone and it really is sad they don't utilise HR's knowledge.
    Still I guess it is companies like those who keep the employer organizations in business - bailing them out of strife all the time.
    It is nice your friend has you to turn to but I'd suggest she needs to sit down with her boss (CEO, business owner - whoever is at the top) and sell HR and what it can offer to him/her/the business. The only way the middle managers will get on board and realise what HR can offer is if it comes from the top.

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