Dealing With Negative Interview Feedback

November5th

I recently got some negative interview feedback. Usually when I leave an interview, I know what went wrong, and I am almost glad to have this confirmed in the feedback as it means I am recognizing quickly what needs to be addressed - in my case not being clear and formatting my answers correctly in response to competency based questions.
I have been fortunate to receive some very professional and nicely handled feedback - which is great.

However, I just received some feedback that was just weird.
1. That I was nervous.
2. That I was not strategic or tactical.
3. That I did not give him enough information.

I can honestly say that I really worked on my prep and the above was just not the case. More over the interviewer was very negative about the company and the role and when I gave him a clear stepped solution to an issue the department faced that was also in the job description, I honestly think he did not know what I was talking about, that he had not read the JD.

It's OK if the guy simply didn't like me, he certainly didn't sell the role, but I take feedback very seriously and I am not sure how to take this.
The feedback was also immediate, before he even saw any other candidates (I was the first).

Do I try to just dismiss his comments? I have an interview this afternoon and I do not want to be affected by unjust criticism from someone who didn't seem that keen to hire anyone. The man was also the opposite of how the recruiter described him, it seems like he is playing her completely differently (young, fun, go getting expert) when he came across as disinterested and unsatisfied in his own role.

Anyone else's experiences gratefully received, as ever!!

magenta22

Well he was a bit quick off the mark!

All interviewers should expect people to be nervous at an interview but perhaps you didn't quite explain what you have done in enough detail.

Feedback I have been given has been less than helpful, just you gave a good interview, explained very well but we had a candidate who was better suited to the role - there is nothing there that I can work on so you should take this as constructive because you know now that you need to perhaps give a little more detail on what you have done.

November5th

True, I had to cut back as there was a problem with too much detail in my answers before - just gone too far the other way!

Ninjawombat

Remember, YOU are also entitled to provide interview feedback. Please take the opportunity to response and let him know how you felt it went. I would definitely explain that you felt he was negative about the company and this threw you off-kilter. If he wasn't getting enough information from you, why didn't he ask you to elaborate? Did you ask him at the end if he needed any further information or clarification? (if not, this is a really good question to ask)

Also, 'being nervous' is not a negative thing. Everyone (even the person interviewing you) gets nervous before an interview. If you don't then you have balls of steel!

It sounds like you've just had one of those bad interviews. They happen. Just dust yourself off and go on to the next one!

Good luck

November5th

Well, he arranged to meet me in a public location (but connected to the company) - did not tell them to expect me, turned up 10 minutes late while I was busy being sent round the houses by the office who also did not know to expect me. Not a great start, but these things happen... this is also a massive company and a management role :eek:

magenta22

Ninjawombat wrote: »

Remember, YOU are also entitled to provide interview feedback. Please take the opportunity to response and let him know how you felt it went. I would definitely explain that you felt he was negative about the company and this threw you off-kilter. If he wasn't getting enough information from you, why didn't he ask you to elaborate? Did you ask him at the end if he needed any further information or clarification? (if not, this is a really good question to ask)

Also, 'being nervous' is not a negative thing. Everyone (even the person interviewing you) gets nervous before an interview. If you don't then you have balls of steel!

It sounds like you've just had one of those bad interviews. They happen. Just dust yourself off and go on to the next one!

Good luck

Thanks for reminding me of that, I had one interview last week where there was someone in on the interview that I knew and didn't get on with 'that' well which was very off-putting for me.

Ninjawombat

November5th wrote: »

Well, he arranged to meet me in a public location (but connected to the company) - did not tell them to expect me, turned up 10 minutes late while I was busy being sent round the houses by the office who also did not know to expect me. Not a great start, but these things happen... this is also a massive company and a management role :eek:

Then this is also something you need to mention!

November5th

magenta22 wrote: »

Thanks for reminding me of that, I had one interview last week where there was someone in on the interview that I knew and didn't get on with 'that' well which was very off-putting for me.

It's a good point - I usually ask 'is there anything you think I have not addressed fully' but in reality perhaps I was more put off than I like to imagine. I had an interview before Christmas with a manager who actually seemed to hate his product. That one I just dismissed right away. Just this one has bugged me!

It is hard to sift justified criticism with interviewers just saying whatever, it just feels that this guy made a massive point of criticizing me asap. It is odd.

There's a great American site for some good interview stories and helpful tips: https://www.askamanager.com - there is a story on there of a guy who interviewed the applicant in his car!!

Ninjawombat

I always ask lots of questions after an interview. My favourite is 'what do you like about working for the company and is there anything you dislike?'. You can get a lot of information based on how they answer that question. It puts them on the spot and I find that a lot of interviewers don't tend to expect it. Don't be afraid to ask it!

Every candidate should remember that they are not only interviewing you for the role, you are interviewing THEM. You want to know that you're going to enjoy working there.

InsideInsurance

There are ultimately 3 types of candidates, Yes, Maybe and No.

There is no point keeping a "no" hanging on as it is unfair to them and so giving you feedback straight away to me at least is positive, many dont give any feedback these days and of those that do most simply say there were stronger.

Obviously someone can be a no for a whole host of reasons from either them being the wrong person to the job through to not being their mate who's also applied for the job.

You could give negative feedback on the interviewer but I personally wouldnt. That is the sort of thing that gets put into a HR candidate file and burns your bridges of working there in the future.

An agent I wouldnt trust any further than I can throw one. It could be the guy had an off day hence not as the agent described him or it could be the agent knew perfectly well that the guy is a depressive but didnt want to say that in case it put you off from applying.

LadyMissA

Ninjawombat wrote: »

I always ask lots of questions after an interview. My favourite is 'what do you like about working for the company and is there anything you dislike?'. You can get a lot of information based on how they answer that question. It puts them on the spot and I find that a lot of interviewers don't tend to expect it. Don't be afraid to ask it!

Every candidate should remember that they are not only interviewing you for the role, you are interviewing THEM. You want to know that you're going to enjoy working there.

I agree but a lot of interviewers do not see it that way and when I have asked questions like that they seem very surprised.

Even the one 'why is this position vacant'? and 'how long has the person been here & why are they leaving'? I was in an interview years ago where the two interviewers were like 'ummm er, well'