newgrad_neil · 4 replies
i've been told to always reply graciously and ask if there's any feedback i could use to improve. i've sent maybe 20 of these. i've gotten 2 actual responses. one was genuinely helpful ('your case answers were too qualitative, they wanted more numbers'). the other was a canned 'we can't share feedback due to legal reasons' which felt like a slap.
is it worth it? or is it just something career coaches tell you to do so you feel productive?
the legal reason thing is real, not an excuse. most recruiting teams are trained not to give specific feedback because it creates liability. if a rejected candidate later sues for discrimination, documented feedback can be used as evidence (sometimes out of context).
but. if you built a real rapport with your recruiter during the process, a personal note is more likely to land. generic form reply = generic form rejection of your ask.
that actually makes a lot of sense. the one time i got real feedback the recruiter and i had like four calls over the process. the other times it was one 20-min screen and then silence for weeks.
i always reply. always. not for feedback (rarely comes), but because recruiting is a small world and the person who rejected you this year might be at a different company next year. a gracious reply is free goodwill. keep it two sentences, no bitterness, leave the door open.
agency recruiter: i actually can share feedback because i'm not the one hiring and my clients usually brief me. if you're working with an agency recruiter, always ask them. they'll usually tell you straight. internal recruiters are much more constrained.