Assessment centre feedback not about me

redundant

Several weeks ago I underwent a telephone interview with a major UK employer. The interviewer immediately allocated me an assessment centre place. I attended the assessment centre just after Easter. I was one of five candidates. We each had to undergo a further interview, take part in a role play exercise and reply in writing to a serious customer complaint.
I received an e-mail two days later telling me I had been unsuccessful. I requested feedback and my original telephone interviewer e-mailed me details of the assessors’ comments.
I was completely gobsmacked, for want of a better word. The comments about the interview and role play are not about me. I’ve no idea who they relate to but it’s definitely not yours truly. Having worked as a journalist for 26 years prior to my redundancy in 2009, I have a verbatim memory.
I immediately replied explaining exactly why the comments did not relate to me. Several days later the telephone interviewer e-mailed me again, stating she had checked with the assessors and they “confirmed” it was me they were referring to. But it can’t have been. The interview and role play they described were definitely not mine.
Has anyone else ever had a similar experience, and is there anything I can do to have the situation rectified – or do I just have to put it down to experience?

Dogger69

If they are insistent that the comments are about you, I doubt there is anything more you can do. Can you give an example of what makes it clear they are not about you?

AP007

It will probably be the situation they the OP had to do in the role play.

If they say it was something else then the company can not be talking about them only some other person

redundant

They said I did not give examples in answer to certain questions during the interview. I did, in fact, give many examples and I quoted these to the telephone interviewer when I e-mailed her about the matter.
They also said I had been hesitant and needed prompting during the interview - not true. In fact, the interviewer commented that she was having difficulty keeping up with me while making a note of what I was saying.

AP007

redundant wrote: »

They said I did not give examples in answer to certain questions during the interview. I did, in fact, give many examples and I quoted these to the telephone interviewer when I e-mailed her about the matter.
They also said I had been hesitant and needed prompting during the interview - not true. In fact, the interviewer commented that she was having difficulty keeping up with me while making a note of what I was saying.

Ask to see the notes made at interview

Dogger69

AP007 wrote: »

Ask to see the notes made at interview

Is that going to help in any way? This needs to be handled carefully - if the OP comes across as confrontational it will not end well.

redundant, I still think you need to accept that this job has gone. However, I would politely detail to your contact why you would still like to work for the company, and highlight all the positives from the interview. In effect, you are rewriting the feedback they claim to have on you.

Chances are they know they have made a mistake, but it is too late for them to backtrack. So rather than arguing the point with them, turn it into an opportunity to put yourself forward for other positions in the company.

AP007

Dogger69 wrote: »

Is that going to help in any way? This needs to be handled carefully - if the OP comes across as confrontational it will not end well.

redundant, I still think you need to accept that this job has gone. However, I would politely detail to your contact why you would still like to work for the company, and highlight all the positives from the interview. In effect, you are rewriting the feedback they claim to have on you.

Chances are they know they have made a mistake, but it is too late for them to backtrack. So rather than arguing the point with them, turn it into an opportunity to put yourself forward for other positions in the company.

There probably weren't any positives as they the OP has said they are giving negative feedback where the OP is 100% sure this was not them

Mistake or not Id think about it this way if they have made a mistake what kind of company are they? Not one I'd want to work for.

I think if you are turned down for a company after interview I'd not apply to them again.

redundant

I suspect I know what's happened. There were five of us - one female and four males. The female and two of the males were no older than 25, possibly much younger, while I and the other male were middle aged. I'm 50 and I reckon from what he said about his career to date he was about 42 or 43. We both have grey hair so we must have looked ancient to the assessors who were also in their early 20's. I'm wondering if they mixed us up.

AP007

redundant wrote: »

I suspect I know what's happened. There were five of us - one female and four males. The female and two of the males were no older than 25, possibly much younger, while I and the other male were middle aged. I'm 50 and I reckon from what he said about his career to date he was about 42 or 43. We both have grey hair so we must have looked ancient to the assessors who were also in their early 20's. I'm wondering if they mixed us up.

That's why at a lot of days like that photos are normally taken etc

redundant

Photos were taken but to be honest I think that's where the mistake could have been made. There was a mix up over one of my forms and I'm wondering if the wrong photo went on the wrong form.

ValHaller

redundant wrote: »

Photos were taken but to be honest I think that's where the mistake could have been made. There was a mix up over one of my forms and I'm wondering if the wrong photo went on the wrong form.

Ah! I suggest writing very politely, but stating very clearly that the feedback is not for your interview, suggesting that they have the wrong candidate in mind and attaching a recent photo