Imagine being a candidate who has just been through two interview processes and just missed out on both jobs. So that’s two sets of research; two briefing calls with recruitment agents; six interviews; maybe two lots of preparation time if the client wants a PowerPoint presentation (very often these days) so about 15 hours of time invested.

Imagine being told at the end of all this by one firm that you weren’t quite the right 'cultural fit', and by the other firm that you 'were just edged out by another candidate'. Most people would find that rather infuriating.

So why do firms not give better feedback on so many occasions? Here are some possible theories:

1. The employer switches off when they find the correct employee and deem that mission accomplished? So, they forget.
2. They don’t think it's important and certainly not a priority?
3. It's too difficult to either get the feedback from the hiring manager, or too difficult to articulate it?
4. They don’t want to give negative feedback in case the candidate gets the hump with their firm?

It is a bit of all of the above. The reality is that a candidate will think more highly of a firm if they give feedback, even negative, than if they don’t get any at all. The candidate mentioned above was left with a sour taste in his mouth about a firm he was hoping to join and has really liked until that point.

Constructive and useful feedback can come in many shapes and sizes, but could include:

• How the candidate came across and any concerns that this raised with the interviewers.
• Gaps in experience that the interviewers spotted and have deemed important.
• Questions they didn't answer well; gaps the interviewers spotted in the candidate's knowledge or research.
• Skills that other candidates had that put other people ahead of them.
• Advice as to how they could approach things differently in future interviews.

A candidate will perceive they come across in a certain way and have a view as to how an interview went - sometimes they read it right and sometimes they don't. Knowing what others think of how you came across and performed is invaluable, and any of the above information can help mould future behaviour and really help, as well as leaving the candidate with the feeling that they got something out of the process, even if it wasn’t a job.

At First Counsel, two of us have worked as in-house recruitment managers so we know how difficult it can be to find the time to drag feedback out of line managers and pass it down the line.

However, it's also not easy for candidates to find time to get out of work to attend interviews, do research and write presentations at weekends etc. So when they do find such time they deserve good, constructive feedback.

If you don’t like this article, please do tell us, and tell us why. Please don’t just say it was the wrong cultural fit, or that you have read better.